Only 20 of Palma’s 72 hotels are still open, because there’s virtually no tourists or visitors to the Island, coronavirus is raging on the Peninsula and the travel restrictions for Spain that were introduced by other European countries are still in place.
The President of the Hotel Association in Palma and Cala Major, Javier Vich, says he’s never seen anything like it.
“In a normal year more than 95% of hotels are open on these dates, but now we have just 20 and everything indicates that in the coming weeks that figure will decrease because there is no demand,” he said. “It’s very complicated because average occupation doesn’t even reach 15% which is unfeasible for any company. They are staying open in the hope that things will get back to normal in the short-medium term. Each chain and company has its own strategy, but the profitability is negative.”
Closures
Castillo Hotel Son Vida, the Balanguera and Es Príncipe are the latest hotels to shut their doors.
“Hotels won’t reopen now until March and even then it will depend on the pandemic situation, because everything is related to anti-Covid tests in the emitting markets and at Son Sant Joan Airport,” says Vich who also pointed out that the campaigns for Christmas, the Three Kings and the Sant Sebastià Festival are a lost cause.
“There is no market and demand won’t increase because the restrictive measures imposed by Autonomous Communities are likely to increase in the coming months,” adds Vich. “The situation is very complicated and it’s having a devastating effect. We don’t see a clear horizon in the short term and that worries us as employers, in terms of income and in terms of jobs.”
Weekend Air Traffic
Air traffic at Son Sant Joan Airport in Palma has been directly affected by regulations on flight schedules to the Peninsula and Europe and Airlines have cut flights because demand is so low.
Between this Friday and Sunday, 422 flights are scheduled to land or take off at the airport, which is 90% less than last year.