The airport figures tell a story. A record number of tourists came to Mallorca on holiday last summer but if you scratch the surface slightly there is a different story and it is not one of records. Bar and restaurants taking are down by at least 20 percent. That is a lot of money in an industry which employs 50,000 people in the islands.
Tourists came on holiday but with higher hotel prices their budget was limited. It was a question of full hotels and half-empty bars and restaurants. But even the airport figures tell another story. The number of British tourists coming to the Balearics in July was down by 10 percent and the number of Spanish mainlanders fell by 13 percent. There was a big increase in German tourism which counterbalanced the drop in Spaniards and Britons.
So should the local authorities be concerned? Of course, a big drop in takings in a key industry is a major blow which will have an impact on the local economy. What is amazing is that despite higher hotel prices tourists still came but with a much small budget. They should also be worried about the fall in British and mainland tourism, two key markets.
For Mallorca, at a time when a sizeable number of local residents are complaining about too many tourists, it was a worst case scenario last summer; more tourists but spending less. What the majority of people want is less tourists spending more.
As every knows Mallorca is a no longer a cheap holiday destination. A glass of wine in some bars in the centre of Palma now costs 7 euros and an average meal for two in an average restaurant can cost in excess of 70 euros.
Sometimes the official figures paint a picture which is far from the truth.