The Cycling Meeting at Palma’s CaixaForum, which ended yesterday, has heard about the growing economic impact of cycling tourism on Majorca. The most recent information indicates that in the past year some 160,000 cycling tourists came to the island. While principally from Germany, Switzerland, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, France, Spain and the UK also contribute strongly to the numbers.
The impact, in economic terms, is placed at over 150 million euros, and for hotels this works out at over a million overnight stays, with the bays of Palma and Alcudia being where most cycling tourists are accommodated.
And in order to meet the level of demand and the specific needs of cyclists, some 120 hotels have undertaken work with these needs in mind. Cycling tourism, which occurs throughout the winter but which is primarily a factor in September and October and then from late January through to May, is said to bring with it an average spend per tourist of 106 euros a day.
Main tour operators are the specialists such as Diana Sportreisen and Bicycle Holidays Max Hürzeler, which work closely with hotel chains and ensure that the best possible service is available to meet cyclist requirements. The level of satisfaction with Majorca as a cycling destination is very high, though more attention could be paid to some roads.
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What great tourists for the island to have. Cyclists spread their money to small business owners and their staff via small restaurants, bike hire and associated services and enjoy the "real" Mallorca experience rather than putting their money into the pockets of the huge hotel chains who are taking most of their income out of Mallorca.