21/09/2013 00:00
TW
0
STAFF REPORTER

PALMA
THE number of visitors coming to Palma for autumn and winter breaks has risen by 20 percent over the past five years, providing the industry with encouraging signs that the traditional six month tourist season can now be extended until Christmas.

According to the Palma Hoteliers Association which comprises 37 establishments located in the city area, occupation rates for November have risen from 47 percent in 2002 to 68 percent for the same month last year.

It is the hotels in the hub of Palma that benefit most from the so-called “city break” getaway packages. Visitors attracted by the cultural, gastronomic and leisure facilities of Palma have breathed new life into what were previously “dead hours” over the weekends.

Distinct from the reservations practices at hotels in the coast tourist zone of Playa de Palma, hotels in the city have a higher turnover of overnight stays but of shorter duration - an average of 1.5 days. The Palma Hoteliers Association registered 700'000 reservations in 2007, 150'000 of which took place in the autumn months.

The growing “deseasonalisation” of the tourist market for which Palma's Municipal Institute of Tourism has been pushing for a considerable period of time, also seems to be attracting a greater number of Spaniards. Years ago, the idea of having a second home to go to at weekends was the fashion but the current economic climate has put that concept out of the reach of a large percentage of the population. It seems strange to think that a decade ago, going out to take tapas in the city and setting aside time to window shop on a Saturday were pastimes Spaniards were not able to indulge in for pleasure because gastronomic routes had not been developed and the old sites of the city had become run down and “past their sell by date” but now cultural and sporting attractions and other leisure facilities have converted the city into a holiday break destination.

Clearly, visitors who come in autumn are not looking for sun and sea holidays, providing businesses and institutions with a golden opportunity to attract a clientele who have come with some money to spend.