16-05-2025
'Worst start to season for years' in Spain as restaurant bookings down 50%
There is panic on one popular island after a huge slump in customers amid rising anti-tourism protests
Restaurant bookings on a holiday hotspot Spanish island have dropped by around 50 per cent according to industry figures and given the sector the 'worst start to the season' in years. Restaurant owners are reportedly in panic as weekend trade has also taken a dip.
The president of Majorca's restaurant association, Restauración CAEB, has described the diminishing numbers as 'very bad'. It is thought the downturn in business is down to a mixture of higher fees, stricter regulations on establishments and anti-visitor sentiment in Majorca.
President Juanmi Ferrer told the island's Majorca Daily Bulletin that weeknight reservations have dipped by about 50 per cent in areas frequented by tourists and weekend trade is 10 per cent lower than last years.
The hospitality sector appears to have been affected by a raft of anti-tourism demonstrations which have taken place across Spain, including the Balearic islands, reports The Express.
Business from tourists makes up around 45 per cent of the island's GDP but visitors are facing increased red tape, new rules and fees too.
Majorca Increased footfall has been disastrous for its housing market and vulnerable infrastructure. Locals have taken to the streets numerous times over the last year calling for better protection against the tide of globetrotters and second home owners.
Travellers flocking to the Balearic island during peak season will also be subject to an extra £5 per night under the local Government's new tourist tax.
Mr Ferrer said May 1 and May 2 had brought normal levels of trade, but "the rest of the month has been lamentable".
"We don't expect the situation to improve, at least until May 25," he said. "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."
He said that the bad weather might also be having an impact May seeing flooding and torrential rain.
But he admitted that trade seemed to be on the downturn, with last year's incomings worse than in 2023.
Restauración CAEB warned of a 20 per cent revenue drop in the first quarter of 2025 earlier this month - echoing the 20 per cent drop also recorded in June 2024, which was attributed to lower tourist spending.
Mr Ferrer has described the hospitality industry as Majorca's "leading economic barometer" and warned that a consistent decrease in trading figures "will inevitably effect the entire local economy".
Despite the apparently alarm-raising news, overall tourism to the Balearics broke previous records in the first few months of 2025, with over 800,000 international travellers landing on the archipelago between January and March, a rise of nearly 4 per cent on last year.
"In terms of spending, we are not seeing an increase, but quite the opposite, a decrease," Mr Ferrer warned. "We have more people spending less, it seems."
As well as being discouraged from longer stays by tourist tax policies and hostile locals, holidaymakers have pointed the finger of blame at rising prices in Majorca's hospitality sector.
But the very visible protests are also taking their toll. Last week the Spanish Tourist Board mounted a damage limitation offensive saying the country still welcomes tourists.
Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office in London said it is "important to distinguish between specific local tensions and the broader national picture.
"The vast majority of Spain remains enthusiastic in welcoming tourists."
