After months of mixed messages from the UK tourist industry about the Balearic holiday market this summer, I am pleasantly surprised to see reports stating that the market is holding up and that, at the moment, Majorca continues to be one of the top destinations - if not the top - again this year.
The only market showing a bit of weakness is Germany, with the leading European tour operators determined to get some revenue back on their investments in Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia by trying to route as many holidaymakers as possible towards the eastern Mediterranean and north Africa. That’s all very well and good but the bed capacity in these destinations is far inferior to that of here in the Balearics and the Spanish costas. So sooner or later, the eastern Med will be hit by overbooking and millions of holidaymakers will be forced to look elsewhere.
But it appears that the British, and to a lesser extent the domestic Spanish market, have stolen a march on other countries and got their bookings in first. Local hoteliers have begun offering discounts to keep the industry ticking over during the long gap between Easter and the start of the summer season and many early British birds have caught the worm. Those leaving it late in the hope of a mega eastern European deal may be both disappointed and also shocked by what their summer holiday is going to cost. Majorca owes the British a huge gesture of gratitude.