'Majorca missing tourists' as restaurants in Spanish holiday hotspot struggle

Members of the Spanish restaurant industry have reportedly raised concerns over a drop in diner numbers following several "anti-tourist" protests.

A representative of the sector in says the decline in visitors in one holiday hotspot has become noticeable. Alfonso Robledo, president of Mallorca's restaurant association, fears this could worsen resulting in a further loss of business.

“Before there was no difference between Mondays and Saturdays," he said. "We were always full because people who are on holiday don’t take into account whether it is a working day or a public holiday.

"This year, however, customers are leaving their dinners or lunches for the weekends,” Mr Robledo told the Majorca Daily Bulletin.

The new trend began in 2023 and is more pronounced this year, reports the Express. Pedro Fiol, president of the travel agency association Aviba, said fewer tourists were coming to the island.

Following anti-tourist protests across Spanish islands, British tourists have expressed plans to boycott popular destinations and even cancel their holidays in favour of places where they feel more welcome.

One commenter also told GB News: “We just cancelled our family holiday to Majorca in August. Now going to Greece instead. We used to go to Majorca every year but won’t bother now, they won’t survive without tourism.”

Mr Fiol said: “If it weren’t for tourism, which continues to push these figures upwards, Mallorca would have averages similar to those of an urban destination." He also claimed that “Palma city is dragging these figures down”.

To make matters worse, customers in bars and restaurants are reportedly reducing their spending.

“They don’t order as happily as they used to, especially in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic," said Mr Fiol. "Now they are much more restrained and more careful about what they consume.

“Until now, June had always been a good month, giving a taste of what the tourist season could bring. However, this year we are having, in particular, study trips, which has always been the case, and stag and hen parties.

“These people that do not spend and we are missing the tourists with a medium to high purchasing power who used to visit the island before the massive arrival of travellers in July and August."

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