Spain's minister for industry, trade and tourism, Reyes Maroto, has highlighted the leading role that the Balearics will play in tourism recovery in 2022.
Reflecting on 2021 at the Fitur fair in Madrid, she said that the Balearics was the leading destination, a priority destination for Spanish and international tourism. One in four foreign tourists chose the Balearics. In addition, the Balearics achieved the objective of prolonging the season and tackling seasonality. "The Balearic Islands will once again be the leading tourist destination this year."
This consolidation of tourism leadership, she stated, will be accentuated by investments that are going to be made and by the implementation of safety measures. "This will enable the Balearics to maintain leadership in terms of the arrival of international and national tourism. For the Spanish market, Mallorca and the rest of the islands have become an alternative destination to those on the mainland."
Maroto welcomed the announcement by TUI and airlines to bring forward their flight schedules for Mallorca. "This earlier scheduling of flights is positive and shows the trust in Spain and that tourism policies have been effective. Despite the pandemic, we have been able to hold the Fitur fair, as we have the vaccination plan safety net, which has benefited the entire tourism value chain. These flights to the Balearics give us all confidence that Spain is a safe country that offers the best tourist experiences."
Meetings with Ryanair and Jet2 have confirmed that they anticipate 12% growth in bookings compared to 2019. On the United Airlines direct route from Newark (New York) to Palma, she said that this was "great news for Mallorca". "The United States was one of the supplier markets that was growing the most before the pandemic. American tourists are characterised by their purchasing power and high level of spending. For the American market, Mallorca can become an alternative destination to Mexico or the Dominican Republic."