In parts of Mallorca, tourism this Easter is said to be on a par with the peak season, the consequence of record-breaking figures in terms of flights and open hotels.
Comparisons with Easter 2024 aren't wholly satisfactory because airlines' summer schedules hadn't come into effect last year. Easter Sunday was March 31 and there are inevitably more flights this year. Even so, the difference that three weeks make is striking. The number of Balearic flights between April 11 and 21 is 11,240. Between March 22 and April 1, 2024 there were 7,720.
The availability of seats points to strong performance by both the two main foreign tourism markets, Germany and the UK. In the case of the UK, this availability is up over 100% compared with last Easter.
The president of the Playa de Palma Hoteliers Association, Pedro Marín, says that the timing of Easter this year is "very positive" for tourism. "So much so that it would be good for holidays to be fixed in April. We have higher prices because it's this month and 94% of the hotel capacity is available, with an occupancy forecast of 80%. These are peak season figures."
92% of the hotels associated with the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation are open, with occupancy running at around 80% in the centres where there is a strong focus on sport and activity tourism, e.g. Alcudia, Cala Rajada, Playa de Palma.
The weather, according to Marín, doesn't play a big part. "Tourists at this time of year aren't looking for sun and beach tourism. They're looking more for gastronomy and cultural tourism. Bad weather is not a decisive factor for reservations."
There will be a drop-off after Easter, but the proximity of Easter to May and to what is still considered to represent the start of the main tourism season helps to justify the high level of hotel opening.
While the hotels are having a good Easter, the holiday rentals sector is faring less well. Estimated occupancy, according to the Habtur association, is 60%, five points lower than last Easter and despite the three weeks' difference.
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Lisa JuliaOur villas have been booked out since last year, and every other holiday let in our local circle by is booked out too, so I'm not sure what that is all about. Easter is always booked out, so nothing new there. More wishful thinking, perhaps.
So what does this report tell us? The, maybe more news reading intelligent tourists have read the anti tourist stories in the media (often initiated by the MDB) and avoided holiday let’s in Mallorca. Hotel and cruise ship lemmings (we saw mega ships in Palma today) are still pushing the over tourism buttons. Billionaire hotel owners (mainly wrist band wearing all inclusive types) are happy. They’ll transport the cash off shore - but no one is looking. And the holiday lets, will they become family homes? Not a snow balls chance in hell - because, no one dare rent their property long term, because the laws protecting squatters has given them the criminals more rights than owners. Ooops! So, billionaire CEO hotel owners and criminal Squatter gangs are quids in …. Result????? Hummm :(
Well the runaway train that is Mallorcan tourism growth just keeps on rolling. Despite a majority of residents seeing that the max sustainable level of tourism was long since passed the government continues to sit on its hands and do nothing to cap, indeed reduce the level of tourism. This is not going to end well for the island or its government.
Why do you allow such misleading adverts on your site, they are unfit for purpose.