According to association president Miguel Pérez-Marsá, July and August were reasonable months. The rest of the season has been fairly flat. "September was quite difficult. Some have only been opening at the weekend. There isn't much activity."
This being the case, some establishments in Mallorca's resorts are already closing for the season. Pérez-Marsá is the CEO of the Cursach Group. BCM in Magalluf is the group's most famous establishment. There was a closing party at BCM on September 28, even though there are events scheduled for October.
He says: "The truth is that the season has not met expectations. The post-pandemic champagne effect, with many people travelling and with a desire to spend, has ended. We have not had the activity that we had in 2022 and 2023."
The restaurants have said it and so do the clubs. The lack of spending is at least partly attributable to the increase in the costs of travel and accommodation. "Tourists are continuing to travel, but with less money to spend because an increasingly greater part of the expenditure is concentrated on flights and hotels. Everything has gone up and travellers are simply trying to adjust their budgets." (It might be noted that no association has ever suggested that protests have had any influence on their business.)
Statistics indicate that the number of tourists increased by 4.7% over the first eight months of 2024 and that spending rose by 12%. However, the spending statistics can give a false impression because the cost of package holidays or of independent travel plus accommodation is such a major element. These statistics have never been entirely satisfactory as they don't clearly indicate what is being spent on what when people are in their destinations.
When they speak about falls in turnover, one has to take the associations at their word, always taking into account that there will have been establishments that have enjoyed a good season. A general snapshot doesn't necessarily reveal the complete picture. And it is just perhaps worth bearing in mind that the restaurants and nightlife are covered by the same collective bargaining agreement as the hotels. Negotiations for 2025 (and on) are due, the unions agitating for a plus five per cent pay rise next year.
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MyselfYeah, I love the contextually implicit derogatory reference to "Welshman", and the "hippy Germans and Swedes" punchline. It's so Monty Python-esque. As if ... well, you know. I sense that I'm not the only one that is amused with that famous English insular irony (unwittingly) on display here daily. And that's the attraction (obvious, yet oblivious). To be fair, most Brits are generally quite pleasant - even those living in that insular arrogant ignorance. It's just part of that stereotypical English "charm", which much of the "rest of the world" generally finds rather "quaint" or even "amusing". And yes, although most Brits only speak one language, they can be forgiven for being unaware that "foreigners" are often fluent in many languages, including (and especially) English. And you can be sure they read the MDB. If only for a bit of that Monty Python-esque English humour.
TDThe MDB isn’t just for Brits although from a lot of the content you might be forgiven for thinking it is. They actually advertise themselves as a publication for “English speaking residents of Mallorca” which would imply anyone who happens to speak English, be it their native language or not. As for your last sentence, speak for yourself not all of us.
Morgan Welshman, why do you come on this website if you hate Brits so much? Why dont you just go to Mallorca Zeitung or Euro Weekly news, you clearly love hippy Germans and Swedes. So please do us all a favour and go, you won't be missed.
I seem to remember back in 2008 when ESTA was introduced in the US, the English tabloids went into full "fury and outrage" mode, claiming it this "visa" was "anti-British" and a violation of the "Special Relationship". Social media was full of screaming too. "Never going back". When the fee was introduced in 2012, the tabloids went on another fury and outrage mission. I go to the states on average once per year, and frankly, I find that swiping my passport, putting my hand on the sensor and looking into the camera, and the gate opening a few seconds later is far more efficient than waiting for a border control officer to evaluate each entrant. I suspect that after the dust settles, your mates who travel to the EU regularly will be telling you "It's a doddle, beachcomer. You should try it". But that shouldn't stop you from a good 'ol "fury and outrage" - until of course, it isn't trendy anymore, and then you'll just appear outdated, old and crotchety.
BeachcomberDid you read the article? Have you read any articles this yea?!?? The facts are that arrivals are up. People are arriving in droves. Money is tight. The article has nothing to do with new border controls nor the EU.
Turkey and now Morocco are the in places to visit this autumn fuelled by expensive prices in Majorca and a wish to avoid the ever moving EES. Probably the introduction of the EES, when and if it ever happens has been the biggest reason why people are deserting Majorca in droves and they don’t want to get caught up in the expected chaos and long queues. Another EU own goal lol.
You may be right.. after the parade of English tabloid sensationalism about all the anti-British sentiment here and all the other atrocities Brits face when coming to Mallorca, and declining availability of cheapness, perhaps Magaluf should be worried. Yet it seems you may be confusing Magaluf with Mallorca. I suspect it may get worse: a Magaluf full of foreigners like the rest of the island.
I see the Pirates show has shut a month earlier than normal, so that looks like its been hit by the tourist spend as well. Turkey will take a big hit next summer as their inflation rate is over 80% and quality in hotels has been badly hit, a can of coke which was 50c in 2023 is now over 4€, it makes it very difficult for tour operators to plan for 2025 so that market will not be cheap or as big next season. it looks like the Middle East unrest will hit demand for Egypt and Tunisia so the Med regions especially Spain will be the benefactor's of this, now whether that will translate into spend, it doesn't look like anything positive is happening to the UK economy so I doubt it. How the nightlife and restaurant businesses adapt to this will be interesting to see
Kill a Tourist. Not the most inviting of tourism slogans. The protestors have a lot to answer for.
Totally agree and even as a property owner in Majorca we have cut back on eating out dramatically as it has become too expensive despite a strong British pound to € exchange rate. Also the proposed new EES system has put many potential autumn visitors off coming to Majorca because of the unneeded bureaucracy and huge queues and delays expected. Most people will be giving the EU a complete miss over the next 6 months at least as many have discovered Turkey which offers much cheaper holidays and no bureaucratic hold ups.