16-05-2025
Spanish tourist hotspot hit with slump in bookings as restaurants empty and sales down
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Restaurant proprietors in Majorca are facing a crisis due to a slump in tourist bookings, believed to be caused by inflated fees, tightening regulations and growing hostility towards visitors.
The president of the island's restaurant association Restauración CAEB has described the first half of May as "very bad" for the local hospitality industry.
Juanmi Ferrer communicated to the Majorca Daily Bulletin that evening bookings have plummeted by up to 50% in areas popular with tourists, while weekend business has also suffered, witnessing around a 10% decrease compared to the previous year.
This downturn in trade from holidaymakers – who contribute about 45% to the island's economic output – is happening amid enhanced bureaucratic hurdles, fresh impositions and charges, and frequent anti-tourism protests.
An increase in visitor numbers has had adverse effects on Majorca's housing and infrastructure, prompting residents to protest multiple times in the last twelve months, demanding better safeguards against the influx of tourists and second property purchasers.
Holiday-goers visiting the Balearic island at peak times are now also facing an additional nightly fee of £5, courtesy of the regional government's new tourist levy.
Mr Ferrer remarked the month began with acceptable levels of activity on May 1 and May 2, but stated that "the rest of the month has been lamentable", reports the Express.
He expressed little hope for improvement until after May 25, confessing, "We're writing off the month. We didn't expect this start to the season: you have to go back many years to find one this bad."
The hospitality chief noted a worrying slump in business potentially due to poor weather affecting Spain recently, while also conceding that trade appears to be waning, with last year's earnings falling short of 2023's figures.
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Restauración CAEB reported earlier this month on a troubling 20% revenue dip in the first quarter of 2025, echoing a similar fall in June 2024, linked to decreased tourist expenditure.
Mr Ferrer has referred to the hospitality sector as Majorca's "leading economic barometer", cautioning that persistent downturns in trade "will inevitably effect the entire local economy".
Despite concerning signals, tourism in the Balearics hit an all-time high in early 2025, drawing over 800,000 international visitors from January to March, up almost 4% from the previous year.
Mr Ferrer highlighted a troubling trend where visitor numbers are up yet spending is down: "In terms of spending, we are not seeing an increase, but quite the opposite, a decrease," he said. "We have more people spending less, it seems."
Tourists are reportedly being put off by factors including the tourist tax, unfriendly locals, and inflation within Majorca's hospitality trade, as one frustrated Brit lamented about the industry "biting the hand" that feeds it.
