20/07/2013 00:00
TW
0

Palma.—Businesses in the Balearics are forecast to be the biggest beneficiaries in Spain from the significant up turn in summer holiday sales this year. The lobby group Exceltur - “the alliance for excellence in tourism” - yesterday published the results of a study which concludes that 64 percent of businesses in the Balearics are expecting to see turn over and takings rise this summer and outstrip the past few seasons which, in some of the resorts such as Calvia, have been extremely poor. Exceltur vice-president, Oscar Perelli, admitted yesterday that the Balearics has proven to have been the big winner from the troubles in North Africa and the Middle East this year with bookings to Egypt and Tunisia down by 54 and 42 percent respectively.

Perelli did reveal that just over ten percent of tourism related businesses in the Balearics have reduced their margin in a bid to increase profit, but the rest, according to the report, are convinced that peak season is going to be busy and lucrative this summer.

And, despite the significant increase in demand for Spanish and Balearics holidays in the UK, a further surge is expected in what has been a late booking market this year. Despite the tough economy, the number of holidays booked for eurozone destinations such as Spain (+11%), Portugal (+8%) and Greece (+2%), have bounced back after two tough years with overall short haul bookings to date for Summer 2011 seeing an upturn of 9% according to latest figures from leading market research company GfK-Ascent MI.