Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez has been called upon to intervene in a crisis that threatens UK tourists’ holidays to the Balearic Islands
Spain is being urged to step in and address a crisis that could impact UK holidaymakers’ plans for trips to the Balearic Islands. Majorca is preparing for a potential decline in tourist spending by 2025, following a 20 per cent drop in revenue for eateries in 2024.
Despite the onset of a new year, local business owners are bracing for continued financial challenges. Juanmi Ferrer, who leads Mallorca’s CAEB Restaurants Association, has highlighted that British tourists seem more reluctant to spend their money, reports Birmingham Live.
Ferrer commented: “The absenteeism on Fridays and Mondays, for example, is incomprehensible and is very suspicious, an extension of the weekend. This absenteeism does not appear in the official statistics, but it’s something we all suffer from.
“Imagine having a team of four people, and someone lets you know the night before that they won’t be coming in. Sometimes you can’t even open the kitchen, or you have to close early.”
Speaking to Ultima Hora, the president of the island’s restaurant association expressed that Majorca’s dining sector requires its own distinct labour agreement. Ferrer further stated: “There’s no way we can do this. In fact, why don’t we look for ways to extend overtime so people can earn more money?”.
“How can we reduce working hours in a region where there’s a lack of housing, where there’s a lack of staff? Unions are demanding that hiring periods be extended to nine, ten, eleven months. The reality is that there isn’t enough tourist volume to keep the restaurant sector open for more than six months in some tourism areas.”
This revelation comes as a protest group in Majorca has announced the start date for a new series of mass demonstrations against tourists. The same group caused disruption last year.
The group issued a statement this week, declaring: “Several islands and the Canarian population are called to unite again to reject an economic model that is taking the Canary Islands to the limit.”
They added: “This cry, which reflects the feelings of a people tired of being ignored and mistreated, will be the beginning of a new stage of struggle: firmer, more direct, more uncomfortable for those who refuse to listen to us and take real measures.”