Restaurants had more clients this summer, but they spent less

THE number of clients in Majorcan restaurants went up by around five percent this summer in comparison with last summer, but the amount they spent dropped by the same amount. Because of this, although the restaurant sector considers that the season has been good, they say it has not been as good for them as for the hotel sector. Both the President of the Majorcan Restaurateurs Association, Toni Mas, and his PIMEM (Small and Medium Sized Businesses Association) counterpart, Joan Miralles, agree on this analysis of the 2006 high season, which reached its peak in August with lots of clients, giving very positive results. This was especially due to the increase in Spanish tourists, as they are the ones who eat in restaurants most. In this respect, Mas estimated, the increase in the amount of clients this summer was between four and five percent, although in the Alcudia area it could be around 10 percent, while in Andratx it varied between three and seven percent, depending on the restaurant. And, although Mas considered that this season “has been better than last year” in absolute terms, he concluded that “there have been many clients, but the amount spent has not been proportional to the volume of people served” nor does it match the “great efforts” made by the sector to employ better qualified professionals and the latest technology. For his part, Miralles agreed with these views and added that the proliferation of tourist trends such as weekend breaks had also been a factor in the good results for urban restaurants, while those situated in the coastal tourist areas had been affected once again by the “all inclusive” hotels, although he admitted that this type of deal “is diminishing” in comparison with the last few years. Other determining factors in the good results for the restaurant sector were residential tourism and cruises which, especially when the visitors were British or German, had been a determining factor in the return of traditional Majorcan cookery to restaurant menus, corresponding to the profile of a client who “is concerned with gastronomic culture”, said Mas. In fact, he said, after occupying a very much reduced place on menus, Majorcan cookery “is enjoying a revival and is now selling well”.