Figures drop but Calvia hoteliers say they’re on track for better tourism

HOTELS in Palmanova and Magaluf report they have not had a good summer.

Calvia’s busiest area has seen occupancy levels for its 20,000 hotel beds fall by four per cent for July and August, with six per cent fewer British tourists, their main market.

According to the President of the Palmanova-Magaluf Hotel Association, Sebastia Darder, the Russian market, which had been on the rise up until a couple of years ago, has fallen by almost 57 per cent this summer.

Hoteliers consider this is because of the area’s poor reputation of the past years, as well as the rising hotel prices.

Despite this, they do believe that things are changing for the better, as family tourism has increased by 3.2 per cent, prices are up, more jobs have been created and the number of couples visiting the area is up by two per cent.

There were 8,000 fewer young people visiting in the first part of the year. This accounts for the fall in the British market, which, until a few years back, represented more than 60 per cent of the total.

There are also 8.6 per cent fewer Spanish tourists, but more Germans (7.8 per cent), Italians (34 per cent), Portuguese (21 per cent) and Scandinavians (12 per cent).

All in all, despite this summer’s figures, hoteliers believe they are on track to attract a higher quality tourist and get rid of the unruly hooligans, and that although this may take some time, it will be worth the effort.