Dire predictions on tourism sector losses in Spain’s Balearic Islands due to coronavirus lockdown

STAGGERING: An economist put the loss figure at €1.8 billion overall. CREDIT: commons.wikimedia.org

THE coronavirus State of Alarm restrictions on movement and the national government enforced closure of hotels and other businesses has led to dire predictions on enormous losses for the tourism sector in the Balearic Islands.
Fundacio Impulsa Balears technical director Antoni Riera has put the figure at a staggering €1.8 billion overall for the March to May period, pointing out this represents “a fifth part of annual activity” for hotels.
Riera based the number on an analysis of National Institute of Statistics figures for hotel income and visitor spending during their stays in the Balearics for the same quarter last year. The aim was to get a clear idea of what the financial impact will be of keeping the islands’ hotel doors firmly shut, along with those of restaurants, bars, shops and other businesses.
The economist estimated a loss of 11.5 million overnight stays, representing a €466.4 million gap in income related to hotel accommodation and translating into 15.6 per cent of the annual balance.
In terms of total tourist spending, he said the restrictions on the entrance of visitors to the islands would have a €3,240 million repercussion.
Also to be taken into account is the profits travellers generate for airlines, travel agents, and so on.
Last March average hotel occupation in the Balearics was just under 50 per cent. In Mallorca alone nearly 234,000 tourists arrived over the month, of which more than 175,000 were foreigners.
In April 2019, the month in which Easter fell, the islands registered a 17 per cent share of overnight hotel stays in Spain. There were 2.9 million overnight stays in Mallorca.

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

Comments