Majorca's hoteliers are suggesting that bookings for May could be down as much as 25%. The main reason is the German market. Holidaymakers are opting for other destinations, e.g. Egypt and Turkey, and it is currently estimated that there could be around 100,000 fewer German tourists next month.
German tour operators are said to be rescheduling their flights and diverting them to Hurghada on the Red Sea and Antalya. Tui, Thomas Cook and others are responding to a situation made more complex by economic slowdown in Germany.
Juan Domenech of Riu hotels, who has operational responsibility for the Balearics and Berlin, says that the fall in Majorca bookings is concerning. It is he who calculates that it could be 25%.
Maria Frontera, president of the Majorca Hoteliers Federation, points to an "accentuated" decrease in May this year and to lower occupancy being anticipated for the whole of the season. This will obviously have an impact on the local economies in the main resorts.
The hoteliers have been offering discounts in order to try and attract German holidaymakers. Prices of 50 and 60 euros a night have been promoted, but competitor destinations are still proving to be more attractive.
At Son Sant Joan Airport there were 1,131,577 German passengers last May. At present, the forecast is under one million.
