The president of the ABONE nightlife employers' association, Miguel Pérez-Marsá, says that the pay agreement for the Balearic hospitality industry will affect businesses that already need to pay more to attract workers - "It's not easy to find people who want to work all night."
The pay increase of six per cent this year comes at a time when the nightlife sector is having to contend with lower tourist spending and shifting social trends.
Pérez-Marsá explains that 2024 was a difficult year and that 2025 has so far had no clear pattern. "There have been ups and downs. Tourists are spending the most on travel and hotels, which have raised their rates almost exorbitantly. People now arrive here with just enough money to spend. And all-inclusive hotel services have grown significantly, especially in Mallorca. Until recently they were a minor issue."
Social trends, he adds, have been changing. "Social media means people don't feel that need to socialise in a nightclub. That used to be the way, the Instagram of our time; that was how we operated. The fact is that today they socialise differently. Hence the rise of DJs; they are a way of attracting people to nightclubs. Young people don't go out as much as they did, and then there's the 'tardeo'."
A term that now has a flexible application, the tardeo was originally just a gathering of people on a terrace from around 6pm.
"It's no longer about people chatting on terraces, but about restaurants that operate as nightclubs without a licence. In Santa Catalina, there are many establishments that don't have a licence and that creates a lot of problems with the neighbours. Those that do have a licence are soundproofed, have security. They don't cause problems. At ABONE, we're constantly denouncing establishments, but closing them is difficult.
"Then you have to add on the illegal parties in private properties. If there's an accident, no one is responsible. And party boats are another source of unfair competition. They also pose a safety risk. A lot of cheap alcohol is consumed without any kind of control out at sea. They throw them back on land like sacks of potatoes. Until a drowned Briton appears in the the bay, they won't stop."