UK tourists 'abandoning' Majorca and rushing to 'cancel' their holidays

Business experts have warned that increasing marina prices in the European Union holiday hotspot are driving pleasure cruisers away.
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UK tourists are "abandoning" Majorca and cancelling holidays - as it becomes unaffordable. Business experts have warned that increasing marina prices in the European Union holiday hotspot are driving pleasure cruisers away.

Alex Casares, president of the Association for the Nautical Development of Businesses and the Self-Employed, said: “Yachts are leaving Majorca because of the high price of marinas.” The ADNEA president added that prices had risen by as much as 30% in recent years, putting the island at risk of losing its prominence as a nautical docking spot amid growing popularity in other nearby tourist destinations, including Catalonia and Valencia.

“This especially affects boats between 15 and 30 metres in length,” he told the Majorca Daily Bulletin, “as the larger ones have no economic problems.” He said: “A few years ago, we had a waiting [list] for ports or marinas, but it’s getting shorter.

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"We run the risk that there will be fewer and fewer until we lose the prominent position we have enjoyed over the years. Many nautical companies in the Balearics have to reject projects due to lack of workers. As in other specialised sectors, the nautical sector faces difficulties in finding skilled labour [and] due to the shortage of workers and the high cost of port facilities, many companies are forced to turn down work.”

rofessor Amanda Belarmino, Hospitality Professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, has also warned that local discontent surrounding overtourism risks having a "lasting impact” on visitor trade. She suggested there was a “self-defeating aspect” to protests.

And speaking out as Brits continue to book holidays now Christmas is over, she said: “Unlike a natural disaster, people may not simply reschedule their trip for another time. Consumers will feel unwelcome by the citizens and will probably stay away even after the protests are over.”