The president of the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation, María Frontera, said on Thursday that hotel occupancy at Easter is currently around 76 per cent but that a last-minute rush is expected to push this up to 85%.
Frontera added that 85% percent of hotels will be open in April and that a third of the rest will open at the beginning of May - "almost total" and close to pre-pandemic figures. She highlighted the weight of the German market in particular, but stressed the need to pay attention to "red flags" - the war in Ukraine and inflation.
The hoteliers president underlined the strength of the luxury and five-star segments - occupancy levels and prices are above those in 2019. In general, she pointed to a recovery of advance reservations for the summer. Together with last-minute bookings, these suggest that there will be a "good season". With Easter fast approaching, she urged all tourist businesses as well as local authorities "to get going" and present the image of a holiday destination that is open.
Even so, she sounded a word of caution - "to have our feet on the ground" in the event of further "drastic" changes. As to cost increases, Frontera warned that there will be lower profitability because of a desire to maintain prices and not pass on the increases to customers. Nevertheless, if this results in increased demand, prices will rise.
Addressing the issue of a lack of personnel, Frontera suggested that this shortage is the result, among other things, of a lack of affordable accommodation, while not all hotels have the capacity to provide accommodation for their workers.