The Council of Mallorca suggests that the island is a refuge destination for European luxury tourism at a time of war, as it has been during the pandemic. The councillor for tourism and sport, Andreu Serra, says that a diversification of "high-end tourist products" helps to explains this "very positive situation". "We are a leading destination for luxury tourism at an international level, because we are a safe destination and we have the infrastructure and services that high-end or premium tourism demands."
Since the pandemic began, Mallorca has been consolidated as a "premium destination". The island has demonstrated that "this tourism niche is very resilient to any type of conflict, be this health because of the pandemic or now because of war".
The Council and Essentially Mallorca, the association representing the luxury end of the market, promote a range of tourist products - top-class hotels, gastronomy, golf, nautical, hiking and cycling. For golf, Essentially Mallorca notes that some 19,000 golfers come to Mallorca each week in the low and mid-seasons. The island's golf courses enhance "the high level of tourist specialisation and generate an economic benefit of nearly 200 million euros a year".
An indication of the strength of the luxury tourism sector can be found in figures for private jets at Palma Son Sant Joan Airport. So far this year, these have exceeded all forecasts. In January and February 2019, the number of private jet and air taxi flights was 716. This year, there were 1,461.
Essentially Mallorca points to a tourist profile that is a married people, aged between 40 and 55 years old and with an average annual income of some 200,000 euros. The average daily spending is around 5,000 euros. Serra adds that the Council's promotion seeks to capture a greater share of this market. "This is a strategic commitment, as it is a type of tourism that addresses seasonality and has a positive impact on the island's image worldwide."
Air connectivity, Serra stresses, is key. "A wide range of flights and routes makes us one of the best connected tourist destinations in the world." As for the whole of 2022, prospects, before the war, were very positive. "The level of reservations was very good, and we hope that once the war is over they will increase."