The Balearics is talking about trying to limit or cap low cost airlines, but it is a case of too little too late? And how would that be implemented. That said, such a move would be welcomed by some sections of society, not to mention the hotel industry. Pedro Fiol, the president of Aviba, the Balearic Association of Travel Agents, has told the Bulletin that the region may have reached a tipping point and needs to have a serious think about the direction in which it wants the tourist industry to travel in the mid to long term.
And one of his concerns is the illegal holiday let crisis. “The local authorities need to be talking to the airlines if they want to seriously get a grip on illegal holiday lets. If we have the same or fewer registered beds in the Balearics, how come the airlines, in particular the low-cost operators, are offering more flights and seats to the islands. Where is everyone staying? Illegal lets,” he stressed. And of course low-cost airlines meet the demands of those visitors who can’t afford a seven-night package, a long-stay holiday or prefer a short break in the Balearics.
“Travellers are now able to work within their budgets more than ever before and we are seeing more visitors spending fewer nights in the Balearics. For the most part this is due to price, while people are travelling much more frequently and will do so even more in the future. Traditionally, people would go on one holiday a year, not any more and I think it was the British who changed all that.
“But, ff the demand is there then surely we need to meet it otherwise people will simply go elsewhere and the options, the competition, are probably going to be stronger than ever over the coming years. Many of the leading tour operators in the UK and across Europe have invested and committed heavily to north African Mediterranean destinations this year from Morocco to Tunisia and Egypt, not to mention other European locations, the United States and emerging long-haul destinations.
"They’ve always been big travellers, especially to Spain and it didn’t take long for the rest of Europe to follow suit. Today we are jumping on and off planes all the time. All of this has to be taken into account, studied and accommodated by public administrations. On the back of last year, 2025 needs to be a year of reflection,” he said.
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This is obviously correct when you think about it. If the average flight was say €200 more then everyone coming here would have much more money to spend in Mallorca’s restaurants, shops or attractions. Even better, if flights were say €500 more then hardly anyone would come at all which would massively grow the Mallorca economy, Personally I’d go further and ban all flights, ferries and cruise ships. Then everyone would be so rich in Mallorca no one would ever have to work again
How come they believe ALL who use cheap airlines stay in illegal apartments. It's a pretty wide assumptions without any proof. Many use cheap airlines for various reasons, they may have their own property to visit, they might fix their own hotel accommodation direct with a hotel , making it cheaper than a package deal. They might book properties who have licences for a short term rent. But as usual the hoteliers trying the same tactics they used over 20 years.
I'm amazed that it's taken the association so long for the penny to drop - low-cost airlines, offering more flights and seats to the islands, so where is everyone staying? Illegal lets. Dear oh dear. No masterminds there.
I've been to Valencia, Alicante, the UK and Ireland in the last months for various reasons. My daughter and her BF have visited me from Vienna, as have two of my cousins from Germany and my brother and niece from Canada (via Frankfurt). That's TEN tourists availing of cheap flights showing up on the airport statistics who had the audacity to not stay in any of Sr. Fiol's hotels. So I guess we'd better cut back flights, up the prices or just plain tax anyone who isn't a customer. So much for free access to goods and services.
The blame rifle scope continues a broad search for perpetrators. Next... It's the snakes! 3700-something have been busted. But there's millions more. Oh, wait.. it's aliens from the planet xetox who secretly invaded Mallorca last year. They're to blame. Yeah, that's the ticket.