Half of Palma's urban hotels will be operational in July according to the President of the Hotel Association of Palma and Cala Mayor.
“The situation has changed dramatically in the last two weeks, many companies had already made the decision not to open this season, but with the reactivation of the markets and good evolution of the de-escalation phases of Covid-19, we are more optimistic that 50% of urban hotels will be operational throughout July, "said, Javier Vich.
“This week and throughout July, more three and four-star hotels will open and by the end of July, 35 or more will be operational, depending on how the markets evolve, because up until now, the only reservations that we have are from the domestic market, he said.
Borders will open and the mandatory 14-day quarantine for foreign tourists will be lifted from June 21.
“The situation may turn completely upside down, because 5-star hotels and boutique hotels in Palma may or may not reopen and that’s a business decision that they will have to make sooner or later,” he added.
Occupation
Javier Vich admits that bookings for July are much lower than they were last year, but is confident the season will be a success.
“It’s true that occupancy rates are low for July but the demand forecast in August and September gives us a reason to be optimistic,” he said. “Those words were unthinkable a month ago, which just shows that the situation may escalate in the coming weeks when we enter the new normal.”
Each hotel company has its own strategy for the season, but most are offering discounts of 20%-30% to encourage sales.
“The resumption of flights between Majorca and the Peninsula on June 21 will put Palma back on track because it is a consolidated brand that has a wide variety of options for tourists in all holiday segments,” said Vich.
The President of the Hotel Association of Palma and Cala Mayor said the most important thing right now is to stimulate economic recovery and get people back to work.
“I have never seen such a negative image in the month of June before with the entire Hotel and Restaurant Sector closed,” said Vich. “Recovering part of the activity is positive for the Island’s economy and for employment and we just want businesses to recover as much as possible.”
The RCD Mallorca Stadium changed its name to Visit Mallorca Estadi last Wednesday and Hoteliers in Palma couldn’t be more thrilled, especially since they did it for free.
“It is commendable that they want to help us recover market share in the Tourism Sector and that the project also promotes the image of the island at home and abroad.”
The hope is that the efforts of hoteliers will persuade other parts of the Tourism Sector to reopen.
“Despite everything, there are still many economic uncertainties and Administrations must act judiciously to boost economic activity,” said Vich.
Javier Vich says the Tourism Pilot Plan is a key factor in the development of the 2020 season and "demonstrates the desire to start the season."