Grimaldi Lines ferry

Grimaldi now operates in the Balearics. | Archive

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma20/08/2021 12:01
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The Balearic government, the Mallorca Chamber of Commerce, and travel agencies are all pointing to increased interisland air and sea traffic this summer. The president of the Aviba association of travel agencies, Francesc Mulet, says that the increase is by 30% over July and August 2019 and that more ferry operators and airlines have had a positive impact.

The government's director general for ports and airports, Xavier Ramis, points to the benefits of more operators. "There is increased connectivity, and maritime transport has had particular growth. Because of the pandemic, residents have been opting for sea travel. Since the beginning of July, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera have been fashionable; hence a progressive increase in passenger numbers on these routes."

A similar thing, he notes, has happened with air travel, thanks to the launch of Uep!fly in July. "There is more frequency and prices are more competitive."

The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Antoni Mercant, says that more and more people are travelling by boat for safety reasons. "Grimaldi, GNV, FRS and Baleària are having a very positive summer in terms of passengers and cargo. The forecast is that this will continue in September and October."

The Alcudia-Ciutadella route had 54,521 passengers in July. Baleària operated this route as a monopoly until the arrival of the German shipping company FRS in May this year. In July 2019, there were 33,202 passengers on this route. The forecast for August is even more positive.