Mallorca's tourism economy bounces back

Average hotel occupancy is forecast to be 85 per cent. The Mallorca Hoteliers Federation says that this would be three per cent below 2019, but that occupancy will be greater than 2019 in the higher category hotels - four-star superior and five-star.

For bars and restaurants, the president of the CAEB restaurants association, Alfonso Robledo, indicates that forecasts are similar to those of Easter 2019, especially in Palma. In the resorts, activity will depend on hotels being open. "If the hotels open, so do we." It is the case that some resorts don't really get going until May.

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There has been much talk about shortages of supplies. There is still an issue with some products, such as dairy, but the president of the distributors association, Bartolomé Servera, stresses that forecasts are "very, very good for this Easter". "The volume of services is almost comparable to 2019." However, there are the prices. "These remain totally uncontrolled, rising day after day."

While supermarkets can expect strong business over Easter, small retailers are less certain. Toni Fuster of Pimeco points to spending restrictions because of inflation. He doesn't anticipate sales reaching pre-pandemic figures because of increased prices. Shopping, he suggests, has been "pushed into the background".

His counterpart at Afedeco, Toni Gayà, says that in Palma tourists and residents "are back out on the streets again", but he acknowledges that sales are unlikely to compare with 2019. "We are becoming accustomed to people spending less and saving more."

And for the car-hire sector, the president of the Aevab association, Ramón Reus, says: "We have exceeded forecasts, as we had feared that war would reduce holiday demand." Average bookings are currently 85% or above and are expected to increase because of last-minute reservations.