The 'stunning' country Spain fears UK tourists will choose instead as Jet2 announces change
Concerns have been raised in Spain that UK tourists may choose Morocco over Majorca for their next holiday following the recent announcement that the Balearic Islands will be raising their tourist tax for next summer.
The decision by the Balearic government happened to coincide with airline Jet2 sharing its major expansion plans with new flights to Morocco from the UK. And after a number of anti-mass tourism protests on the island this summer told Brits to 'go home', Spain has been told to 'be careful what you wish for'.
Unlike Spain, Morocco is considered a year-round holiday destination, with flights running through the winter, a time when the popular city of Agadir still sees temperatures peaking at around 22°C. Meanwhile, British tourism to the Balearics fell by 10 percent in July and just under five percent in August.
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Spanish news site Majorca Daily Bulletin recently reported on locals' concerns, with one hotelier quoted as saying: "Our loss could be Morocco's gain." The publication also mentioned an unnamed 'major European travel firm' that was considering sending tourists to Morocco if Mallorca was 'oversaturated'.
Jet2's Morocco expansion will see year-round flights operating to the North African hotspot from six UK airports through to winter 2025/26, increasing to eight bases from summer 2026 when weekly flights to Agadir launch from East Midlands and Newcastle.
Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy said: "With the weather in the UK taking another turn for the worse, we are delighted to be taking customers to the sunshine thanks to our new programme of flights and holidays to Agadir and Marrakech in Morocco.
"The addition of flights and packages to these stunning destinations give customers and independent travel agents plenty of choice and flexibility to explore Morocco as a year-round destination, and they are proving to be incredibly popular."