Mixed messages. Tour operators have reported a surge in Britons booking Balearic holidays, especially to Majorca. One claims that bookings have surged by 3,000 percent while others are posting similar increases.
However, in Majorca, some sections of the tourist industry are claiming that the British have not turned up in the expected droves.
To start with, the UK was only placed on the green “watch” list this week and the school holidays have yet to get into full swing. So, apart from having a bit of patience, one has to ask what has exactly been done over the past year to attract British holiday makers back to Mallorca?
I know of scores of home owners who have returned and intend to stay for as long as possible and British visitors have been photographed arriving at Palma airport and boarding coaches bound for their hotels.
The other factor to take into account is that holiday habits have changed as a result of the pandemic and more people are opting for either self catering accommodation such as villas, or yacht charters so that they can holiday in a safe bubble. Not everybody fancies going to a hotel right now, especially with case numbers on the rise across the Balearics.
The Bulletin on-line survey shows that most people are thinking twice before booking a holiday to Mallorca because the island is on the “watch” list and consumers are well aware of what happened to Portugal. In the meantime, let’s be grateful for the tourists who have come.