Spain's £34 restaurant 'rule' for tourists before they've even ordered a drink
Tourists face being asked to stump up 40 euros when they book a table for dinner
Holidaymakers in Spain who want to book a restaurant for dinner are being warned they could be asked to cough up £34 before they've even had a drink. Restaurants in some Spanish resorts are charging diners upon booking amid panic over tourists spending less and an increasing number of no-shows.
And the practice is said to be becoming more widespread as businesses battle to stay afloat in the cost of living crisis. More and more restaurants are asking visitors to commit to a certain amount when reserving a table.
This is due to customers watching their bank balance and spending less, an increasing number of no shows and the hospitality industry struggling to find staff.
A combination of high living costs and a lack of affordable housing is believed to be the reason behind staff shortages which have seen restaurants in a popular holiday hotspot have to reduce opening hours, reports The Express.
Staff shortages have ravaged the island of Majorca in since 2022.
The chaos of Covid was the real beginning of Majorca's staff shortages as many of the eateries rely on the tens of millions of tourists who visit Majorca annually.
While the 40 euro (£34) charge would be deducted from the final bill, it is still unclear how customers will react to having to hand over a sum of money when they book.
The purpose is to ensure that reservations are kept and to help establishments manage demand in peak season.
And according to Euro Weekly News, if you did have to cancel a reservation which you have paid a deposit for for a reason such as illness or an accident, the restaurant would have to refund it.
Staff shortages are also seeing a rise in the number of bars and restaurant making the move to self-payment systems.
This includes the option to pay your bill through a QR code.
President of the CAEB Restaurants Association, Juanmi Ferrer said he believes that for many establishments it is "the only solution to be able to stay open".
But the changes to how holidaymakers pay a bill could lead to more cashless bars and restaurants leaving British tourists with less option to pay in cash.
And that means tourists would need to check if any fees apply to using their credit or debit card while abroad.
Ferrer said that another option for many restaurants is to move to a method where customers pay at the till instead of paying at their table.
This is more widely done in countries like Italy. And he said that 85 per cent of diners in Italy make payment at the till when they arrive.
Anselmo Cardona, the manager of Can Joan de s'Aigo cafe in Palma, Majorca said: "In the hospitality industry, human warmth will always be necessary", but also admitted that "automation is unstoppable".
He believes that tech-based changes in ordering and paying will mostly influence casual dining spots, while high-end bars and restaurants are likely to maintain classic service models.
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