Tourism

Hotels expecting 80% occupancy over Easter

In Palma centre, hotel occupancy is expected to reach 75% over Easter.

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma08/04/2017 00:00

The Easter holidays in Spain started yesterday. Although Mallorca isn't one of the principal Easter destinations for the mainland Spanish, their numbers will nevertheless help to swell hotel occupancy. The Majorca Hoteliers Federation is anticipating average occupancy of up to 80% for Holy Week; this will be an increase of 10% over last Easter, which was of course earlier.

With the hotels expecting good business, the regional employment minister, Iago Negueruela, has been reflecting on figures for March. Their positive nature is, in his view, a sign of the tourism season starting earlier. The number of employees with "fijo discontinuo" contracts who have been called back to work earlier has gone up considerably.

Inma Benito of the federation also recognises the impact on employment, with contracts being handed out earlier than in recent years. She says that Majorca is now achieving an eight-month season. From Monday, 70% of Majorca's hotels will be open. Of the rest, many are closed because of ongoing renovation work.

The areas with the highest levels of occupancy will be as would be expected - Playa de Palma, Magalluf, Santa Ponsa, Alcudia, Pollensa, Cala Millor, for example. In Palma itself, the city hotels should see average occupancy of 75% next week.

At the airport, Aena is forecasting that more than a million passengers will pass through it between now and 17 April. Some 110,000 passengers are expected today, the busiest day of the holiday period.