Mallorca tourism

The island of Mallorca still is one of the most sought out tourist destinations. | R.E.

Vicki McLeodPalma22/03/2024 10:08
TW
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Mallorca is not the cheap holiday destination it once had the reputation of, but as residents of the island, how are we supposed to afford to live here? It feels like Mallorca has become the Cornwall of Spain with its villages of vacant holiday homes.

Houses in Mallorca are in demand, both as rentals and sales. But when a property comes available in my village the prices are so high that very few locals could afford to put in an offer, and they are being edged out by second home buyers from abroad. This in itself would not be so terrible if the houses were at least used, but so many of these homes stand empty for most of the year and are only used for a month in the summer. This leads to a housing shortage for residents and a lack of income for the local businesses as well.

I’m sure that some will assume that it is still cheaper to eat out in Spain than in other countries. So, I looked for something to compare like for like. Let’s take the price of a cup of black coffee as the price barometer. In London, an Americano in Starbucks costs £3.03 which is the equivalent of €3.55. In FAN, the shopping centre near Palma Airport, the very same cup of coffee will cost you €3.70! That is 15 c more than in the centre of London, supposedly one of the most expensive places to live in the world.

But the average wage in Spain is a whopping €4.96 LESS an hour. Wages have to increase here to stay in line with the cost of living, and it has to happen now. If you are earning your money in the UK or at least outside of Spain, you may not blink at the cost of a Americano from Starbucks, but anyone living and earning on the island is really suffering. The cost of living has gone up 20% since 2019 so our incomes have to go up in line with that.

Visitors have to be prepared to pay the same level of prices they are already used to paying in the UK and other countries, and stop expecting some cheap deals in Mallorca. The prices have been pushed up BECAUSE of the visitors.

Well then Vicki, go back to the UK and stop your moaning. Not a chance. Five minutes away from my house is the most beautiful beach with crystal blue water, and a world heritage mountain range, and at least that’s all still free.