I have said in this space on numerous occasions over the last few months that I doubt that this season will be as good as the local government claims. One thing for sure, we are certainly getting the numbers but that doesn't mean that business is booming in the resorts. All-inclusive package holidays, which were said to be in decline, continue to hit the bar and restaurant trade hard. Despite reports of a record season, many bars and restaurants will close at the end of this month with their future very much in doubt. Tourists are also spending less money. The fall in the value of sterling against the euro single currency dented spending by British tourists this season. This state of affairs coupled with yet another rise in all-inclusive packages has meant that some business owners are facing some severe consequences. The government had been planning to crackdown on all-inclusive but so far no action has been taken and the problem continues to get worse.
This holiday season was rather different to usual. We welcomed a large number of new visitors who had been booked to go to resorts in north Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. In the end they came to Majorca but with limited spending power. It must be remembered that north African resorts are far cheaper than those in Majorca. So keep the champagne on ice. We had been promised the best holiday season ever but in the end we are going to have a relatively average one with the same old problems.