Some expats describe Mallorca as fantasy island. It is not a nickname that I personally like but is does rather sum up the island at the moment, especially the thoughts of some politicians. They are living in a fantasy world. As another summer season prepares to ride off into the sunset, the economic outlook of the island does rather concern me.
I remember the manager of a major department store in Palma telling me that you could always tell if Mallorca had a good holiday season....you would get bumper sales at Christmas. You can safely say that the cash registers will not be ringing this festive period for the second year running.
But still local politicians try to give the impression that all is well on Mallorca and tourists are coming to the island. An optimistic estimate suggests a fall of about 30 percent (it is probably even higher now because it was forecast before new German restrictions which mean that unvaccinated tourists would have to quarantine on their return home). The endless speculation as to whether Mallorca will be placed on the “Amber Plus List” will have certainly dented demand for holidays in Britain.
Mallorca is dependent on the German and British markets; fewer tourists from these countries and we are in trouble. What could local politicians have done? Well, perhaps they could have said that the industry would continue to suffer this year instead of forecasting a record season. We face an enormous challenge this winter.