Some hotels in Mallorca's main tourist resorts are said to be halting sales because high demand has created concerns regarding overbooking and therefore having to place holidaymakers in alternative hotels. Tour operators, UK and German in particular, indicate that, despite competition from other Mediterranean destinations, Mallorca bookings are exceeding forecasts.
While the forecasts for July, August and September are well above expected and will be reflected in occupancy levels, June business is described as having soared. The president of one hoteliers association, Jaume Horrach (Alcudia-Can Picafort), says that there has been a significant increase since mid-May, holidays in Germany and the UK having been key factors.
Despite issues with air travel, current traffic levels at Palma Son Sant Joan Airport are above those of pre-pandemic June 2019. Last Saturday, there were more than 1,000 flights and over 180,000 passengers (in and out); the first time that these figures have been recorded for the first Saturday of June.
Overbooking can happen if there isn't effective management of sales channels, hotels typically selling through multiple channels, such as online travel agencies. It can also be a deliberate strategy in an anticipation that there will be cancellations. However it occurs, there is a detrimental impact on customer satisfaction, even if alternative accommodation turns out to be as good as that which had been booked or superior.
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@Ulla, Licencing private tourist lets was actually a good thing. It sets a minimum standard, minimises scams, and all but eliminates the collecting large volumes of money tax free (many Brits were furious about that). The big mistake they made is by making it cost-prohibitive to obtain a licence (something like 3000€ per bed). This leaves it only possible for big corporate interests. Now, they've stopped issuing licences altogether. And that too is not very bright. Especially considering that the (legitimate) private lets generally offer much better quality and comfort than the standard fare 15 sq meter hotel room. No better example of "quality over quantity" than that. But the hotels really don't like private lets. And that's what's most likely behind the severe limits on them.
How about either give more licences to private houses or even better abolish it totally. It was the hotel's who complained which made the restrictions. Now they can't house them all! Private houses will never be let to workers anyway as many properties are far too remote to be convenient. Have a rethink.