The arrival of mostly German and Nordic tourists and an imminent announcement authorising International cruise ships to dock in Palma in June, has put hoteliers back on the open-close rollercoaster.
"At the moment 45 hotels are open and in less than a month 67 will be operational, which is 95% of all available accommodation in the city,” said Javier Vich, President of the Hotel Association, ASPHAMA, Javier Vich. “The Hotel Sector is committed to recovering the largest number of workers in ERTE and meeting growing demand from European countries."
Vich says that the start of hotel activity will have a huge economic impact on all Sectors in Palma, including tourist transport, trade, catering and taxis. It is a cross-cutting activity that benefits Palma and the rest of the Island, which is why it’s important to reactivate tourist activity as soon as possible,” he explains.
Germans and Nordics
Balearic hotel occupancy was boosted by German tourism at Easter and that trend continues.
“Most of the tourists in Mallorca at the moment are either German or Nordic, because the restrictions have been lifted and the epidemiological levels in the Balearics are really good, which justifies the increase in flights to Palma airport and there has been an increase in air connectivity since the end of March," says Vich.
The resumption of national and international conferences in Palma from mid-June will also benefit the Hotel Sector and boost the economy.
"Palma is committed to reopening and open to being operational all year as we were before the pandemic disrupted all business plans," he stressed.
“In the last week there has been a change and little by little we are recovering activity, which allows us to take buses out of the garages and recover drivers and other Sector workers from ERTE,” said Balearic Business Federation of Transport President, Rafael Roig. “Cruise tourism in Palma has a multiplier effect, so it is important that the Central Government authorises international cruises to dock in Spanish ports as soon as possible."
"The image of Palma will change from June due to the dynamic effect of tourist activity on the city,” adds Vich.
Cruise tourists often stay in hotels for a few days before their cruise departs from Palma.