I went to a hugely popular beach side restaurant on Sunday without a reservation and to my amazement I was shown to a table at once. Later, I went to have a drink at one of Palma's top bars and discovered that not only was its car park half empty so was the bar! Whatever the airport figures say, Palma is exceptionally quiet at the moment. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking that we are not at peak season. But we are and Majorca needs to be busy. I think we need to be exceptionally careful. I know for a fact that a local consumer affairs office has received a large number of calls from British tourists asking whether or not tourists were still welcome. I suspect that Palma will get exceptionally busy from the start of next month but so far the holiday season is very much below par. So much so that local businesses are starting to complain.
Missing tourists
Palma19/06/2018 00:00
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We are now an island full of residents, holiday home owners and NOT tourists. But it is the tourists that keep all the businesses trading and subsequently employ all the residents.Many businesses will struggle and it is very costly to pay off FIJO staff that you no longer need due to a fall in takings in the business. Many businesses will go under.History Repeats Itself - the aftermath of the last tourist tax and then the recession.But then so many residents on this page were continually complaining about high long term rental prices and that they could not get a space on their favourite beach on a Sunday etc. They forget that they are a guest also.
As frequent visitors to Puerto Pollensa we are dismayed at the changes in bus transport . Tibs buses used to stop on the main road into the port and also at one time near to the Pollensa Park. Now it is a route march to the nearest bus stop at Gotmar and is very unfair on people who have mobility problems. Obviously the people who make these decisions have not taken mobility issues into account or don't use public transport themselves.
I know of a family (of 4) that recently took a 2 week holiday with their twin 16 year old sons, and they had to pay €202 in tourist tax on arrival... which basically means they won't be coming again. Round of applause for the ajunta ;-)
I've just returned from majorca! But will be my last time visiting the island! Due to the airport! Absolute shambles! Thousands of passengers and three passport control officers! And what other airport has arriving passenger's and departing passenger's converging in the same terminal!
All comments so spot on and also doesn't help that beaches were not ready for season. Full of seaweed and no sun beds till the end of May, beginning of June the tourists couldn't sit on the beach. With all of the negative news and stupid mallorcian Facebook pages saying they don't want tourists added with the extortionate prices this year will be bad next year will be horrendous. Mallorca is heading the way Greece went.
I think that you will find that from next year there will be even fewer tourists as many will have already booked for this year but from next year on,expect to see fewer and fewer tourists,a situation that you have brought on entirely yourselves.
And who wants to queue for an hour or more at the airport to get in to the island?
Along with the reasons already quoted, do not under-estimate the effect of the holiday rentals fiasco. This is clearly having a significant impact on the bars and restaurants around Cala d'Or. I fear some of these businesses may not survive, as it looks like the requirements to qualify for a licence (when it becomes possible to do so) may be difficult and costly to obtain. So, those people who wanted less tourists and less competition for the hotels may get their desire - but it will come at a very big cost. Sad times.
There is a Trip Advisor review of a hotel in Cala San Vicenç, added this week, claiming that last year the tourist tax cost them €36. This year, the same length holiday has cost them €108, payable in cash on arrival at the hotel. You don’t need to be Einstein to realise why Mallorca is quiet at the moment, and next year it will be even worse, for reasons stated below.
Reap as you sow ! No use moaning now Majorca asked for it so there won’t be any sympathy,