“Before there was no difference between Mondays and Saturdays. We were always full because people who are on holiday don’t take into account whether it is a working day or a public holiday. This year, however, customers are leaving their dinners or lunches for the weekends,” said Robledo. The restaurateurs are looking for an explanation, because it started to happen last year and this year it is more pronounced. “We don’t understand what is happening because there are more and more tourists,” he says.
The president of the travel agency association Aviba, Pedro Fiol, said that tourists are spending less time in Mallorca, while another new problem this summer is that customers in bars and restaurants have reduced their spending.
“They don’t order as happily as they used to, especially in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Now they are much more restrained and more careful about what they consume”, points out the representative of the restaurant businessmen.
“Until now, June had always been a good month, giving a taste of what the tourist season could bring. However, this year we are having, in particular, study trips, which has always been the case, and stag and hen parties. These people that do not spend and we are missing the tourists with a medium-high purchasing power who used to visit the island before the massive arrival of travellers in July and August”, he explains.
The president of the travel agency association Aviba confirms that there has been a decrease in tourist spending in resorts (the total cost of the holiday has risen), as more and more tourists are opting to “shield their holidays”, opting for packages with half board, full board or all inclusive. “There is less and less porosity between visitors and the island’s restaurants because they already bring the vast majority of their lunches and dinners with them,” he reports.
The president of Mallorca CAEB Restauración said he is concerned about the development of the tourist season, as he fears that this trend will continue. Robledo insists that they have made very important investments in recent years, which they were counting on making profitable this summer. Faced with this situation, one of the measures adopted by the island’s restaurateurs is not to raise prices, aware that their customers have less and less purchasing power due to inflation. Many of the businesses are replacing the more expensive products with seasonal ones, as they are always cheaper.
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Zoltan TeglasAnd your point is ?
Williams, you have no idea how much.
Richard PearsonVery few locals eat out in Santa Catalina, it's for tourists and rich Germans/Scandinavians.
Richard PearsonWow Richard, you really get around. From Magaluf to Portals. And even as far-flung as Santa Catalina. What a broad sampling of off-the-beaten-path "back from the waterfront" Mallorca, deep into to the uncharted wilderness beyond Calvia. I've apparently underestimated you.
Morgan Williams“Here in Mallorca , once you leave the beach resort, prices drop radically”. Not in my experience. In actual fact, quite the opposite, especially when one takes into account that “beach resort” food providers only have a 7 month season compared to a year round one in Palma and other urban areas. When, for instance, was the last time you dined in Puerto Portals or Santa Catalina ?
Morgan WilliamsOf course it’s all relative. Two of my nieces live and work in Switzerland (one was born there), and the salaries they earn (banking and pharmaceuticals) far outstrip anything they could earn in Spain, let alone the U.K. Do they find it expensive ? No, considering the standard of living they receive in return. Of course, in comparison, they find Spain cheap and good value for money. Speaking personally, I think that for eating well, Japan, France and Italy are very difficult to beat. Germany also gets an honorable mention, especially for the service and professionalism provided.
Everything is relative. In Zurich, a plate of really awful korma will cost at least 20€, and anything else will cost even more. A plate of something more average - what you might expect for a reasonable price - will be 50€ at least. Something really nice will approach 100€. And if you express shock to a local, they'll tell you it's quite normal. In contrast, in Capetown you can sit down at any average restaurant and enjoy a really nice meal for the equivalent of about 6-7€, and the food will be delicious. A really great chef prepared dish will cost you about 20€. Yet, here in Mallorca , once you leave the beach resort, prices drop radically.
In my experience, you cannot just eat out here, you have to do extensive research. I got served a prawn salad somewhere, the prawns were boiled shrimp and it came with chopped banana in it. Another example was the tacos i had in Santa Catalina, with basil pesto instead of guacamole. There are so many amazing chefs out there, why serve meals like this!
We own a home in Mallorca and we love to eat out, perhaps five or six evenings a week with the occasional lunch. Sadly due to the 90 day rule our time spent in Mallorca is restricted, we left the island in early June because we were approaching our 90 day limit. I noticed many restaurants in Port Andratx were offering menu del dia, which is unusual for this time of year, perhaps a sign they are struggling
Bad food at extortionate prices. Its not difficult. 16 euros for tomato and mozzarella starter kind of gives an idea why people are staying away.