While the British tourist market is the most dominant in the Balearics, it is the Germans who rule in Mallorca, but for how long. Warnings have already been sounded by local industry bosses about a tough winter and summer 2023 as a result of the economic squeeze on Europe, in particular Germany and the UK.
However, there were indications of changing holiday habits this summer which tour operators, moving to meet market demand, have seen and are responding to by significantly expanding their operations in Turkey next year.
The German Travel Association (DRV) has revealed that the demand for German tourists to Greece is increasing, taking into account the sales of holiday packages, which this year increased by 22 per cent compared to the figures in 2019. But, Greece followed Turkey as the top destination for German travelers in 2022, where holiday package deals in Turkey increased by 33 per cent, by 22 per cent in Greece, and by eight per cent in Egypt.
On the other hand, this year compared to 2019, there were marked declines in the destinations of the Western Mediterranean, except for the Balearics and the Canary Islands, which were in demand by three per cent - very low by comparison to Eastern Mediterranean destination. Plus a major Mallorcan hotel chain has just announced it is going to double its presence in Turkey, not a confidence boost for the Balearics.