The Chief Executive of British holiday giant, Jet2, warned Mallorca and Spanish hotels "not to get greedy" as thousands of British holidaymakers divert from Turkey and Cyprus to Spain as a result of the Gulf war. There is a fear that hotel prices could rise rapidly.
Steve Heapy said "bookings to Cyprus and Turkey are drying up, cancellations are up and our aircraft are emptying," according to reports this morning in the British media.
Heapy added that Cyprus remained a safe destination despite a drop in demand to the island. He said: "Cyprus is still far enough away that you can still travel. We’re doing what we can to understand what’s going on and how we can work our way through it."
Mallorca is preparing for a record Easter with a sudden surge in late bookings from Britain as a result of the war in the Gulf. The island has become a "safe haven" destination for those who were booked to go on holiday in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Palma airport estimates that at least 800,000 people will pass through the airport over Easter and the figure could rise even further. The only low point is that airport handling staff have voted for industrial action.
The local tourist industry said last week that they had not noticed a sudden surge in bookings but they were confident of a record Easter.