A message from the Sustainable Tourist Destinations conference at Palma's Palacio de Congresos is to book summer holidays for Mallorca early because of the demand.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the ABTA travel association, said that "customers should bear in mind that as the weeks go on, there will be fewer plane seats available for the summer, hence the recommendation in the UK to book holidays now". Regarding price competition from Greece and Turkey, Tanzer observed that "this will not have much impact on the demand for the island, while the war is not affecting demand at all at the moment".
The president of the DRV travel association in Germany, Norbert Fiebig, highlighted the safety of Mallorca, which is why he predicted a progressive increase in bookings for the island from all German regions. "People want to travel and the season is guaranteed, even more so when it is a destination in which quality prevails, there is diversity of offer and security in its broadest sense. It is going to be a very good summer."
Fiebig didn't see price competition as being a "problem", but he did have a warning about hotel recruitment. If hotels in Mallorca fail to hire more staff, "there could be an image problem for the island due to not being able to provide a quality service". The hoteliers federation in Mallorca has itself pointed to there being some issues with finding sufficient personnel.
The director of Spain's tourism bureau in London, Manuel Butler, was more cautious in terms of his forecasts but suggested that "it will be possible to reach 2019 figures". Bookings for the summer season are going "very well" in the UK. He also observed that the war is having "no impact at present". "Demand for vacations is growing week by week and will continue to grow." Butler predicted a very good tourism season in Mallorca and the rest of the islands - they are "a safe destination and to the liking of the British".
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