Some hotels in Mallorca's main tourist resorts are said to be halting sales because high demand has created concerns regarding overbooking and therefore having to place holidaymakers in alternative hotels. Tour operators, UK and German in particular, indicate that, despite competition from other Mediterranean destinations, Mallorca bookings are exceeding forecasts.
While the forecasts for July, August and September are well above expected and will be reflected in occupancy levels, June business is described as having soared. The president of one hoteliers association, Jaume Horrach (Alcudia-Can Picafort), says that there has been a significant increase since mid-May, holidays in Germany and the UK having been key factors.
Despite issues with air travel, current traffic levels at Palma Son Sant Joan Airport are above those of pre-pandemic June 2019. Last Saturday, there were more than 1,000 flights and over 180,000 passengers (in and out); the first time that these figures have been recorded for the first Saturday of June.
Overbooking can happen if there isn't effective management of sales channels, hotels typically selling through multiple channels, such as online travel agencies. It can also be a deliberate strategy in an anticipation that there will be cancellations. However it occurs, there is a detrimental impact on customer satisfaction, even if alternative accommodation turns out to be as good as that which had been booked or superior.