Restaurateurs in Mallorca report a decrease in the number of customers this season, with the drop being particularly noticeable in the resorts. According to the president of the island’s CAEB restaurant association, Alfonso Robledo, the decline started last summer but became more noticeable this month, as reported by Majorcan Daily Bulletin.
Alfonso said: “Before there was no difference between Mondays and Saturdays. We were always full because people who are on holiday don’t take into account whether it is a working day or a public holiday.
“This year, however, customers are leaving their dinners or lunches for the weekends. We don’t understand what is happening because there are more and more tourists.”
He added that holidaymakers who do frequent bars and restaurants have reduced their spending, saying: “Now they are much more restrained and more careful about what they consume.”
Pedro Fiol, President of travel agency association Aviba, told the publication there has been a decrease in tourism spending in resorts, as the total cost of the holiday has risen, with more people booking half-board, full-board or all-inclusive.
However, some people say restaurants need to decrease their prices in order to attract more customers. One person who commented on the article said: “I am a frequent visitor to the island as my daughter lives there, recently I have noticed a massive increase in prices in restaurants and coffee shops and a decline in quality. I love eating out but am not prepared to spend a lot of money on mediocre food, I think this may be the problem, especially if one is eating in resorts or in Palma’s main tourist area.”
The Majorcan Daily Bulletin also reports that hotel prices across Spain rose by 8.1% in May, with Majorca hotel prices up 7%, according to figures published by National Statistics Institute (INE). Majorca recorded the highest number of overnight stays, with more than 6.3 million, with the UK and Germany accounting for more than 45% of the total number of overnight stays in May.
