Cruise ships returned to Palma after more than a year's absence. | Pilar Pellicer

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Palma's mayor, José Hila, said on Thursday that discussions regarding cruise-ship limits have resumed. These involve the government, the Balearic Ports Authority and the Council of Mallorca as well as the town hall and cruise operators. They were put on hold because of the pandemic, Hila observing that "other things had to be prioritised". "We have now returned to this issue, but I think that right now, after all we've been through, the recovery of cruise activity is good for the city."

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At a press conference to review Palma's tourism this year, the mayor said: "It's good that tourists come to the city, but we must develop other sectors of activity." But with the pandemic having had the impact which it has, Hila was keen to point out that, compared with 2019, Palma recovered more foreign tourists over the summer than any other European city.

The season, he noted, has gone "reasonably well". Forecasts set before the start of the season have been exceeded and tourist figures have improved month by month, leading him to believe that there will be an extension to the season. Quoting some of these figures, he pointed to the fact that 87% of hotels in Playa de Palma were open in August. Of the 72 hotels in the city of Palma, 100% were open in September; this is expected to continue into November.