Brits and other holidaymakers are feeling increasingly unwelcome on Spain‘s beloved islands, causing a knock-on effect for tourism-dependent businesses. Mallorca‘s restaurants and nightclubs are steeling themselves for a summer that could mirror the last.
They’re bracing for a dip in tourist spending in 2025, echoing the previous year’s downturn. In 2024, eateries reported a 20% drop in revenue, blaming pricier accommodation, airfares and anti-tourism protests from locals. And with 2025 shaping up to be similar, business owners face tough choices to stay solvent. Juanmi Ferrer, head of Mallorca’s CAEB Restaurants Association, notes that while people want to travel, their wallets aren’t as full. Eateries are trying to keep prices steady this season to boost or at least not deter spending
March 2025 wasn’t expected to be bustling in Mallorca, but it still fell short of hopes. For instance, Alcudia and Playa de Muro saw revenues halve compared to March 2024, as per the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
It’s worth mentioning that Easter’s timing last year likely influenced holiday scheduling. Ferrer also pointed to poor weather as a culprit, saying: “March was bad: bad weather and few people. Easter is four days long. If you get one rainy day, it’s only three.”
Nightlife venues are eyeing a more compact season after last year’s bid to prolong it didn’t pay off. ABONE nightlife association’s chief, Miguel Pérez-Marsá, has pegged the “realistic” 2025 calendar from May 15 to mid-September. “We will adapt to reality. Last year, we tried to extend the season and realised that the season was what it was,” he admitted.
Unlike hotels, eateries and bars find it tough to gear up for tourist arrivals. “They can plan months in advance,” Pérez-Marsá pointed out, highlighting that restaurants and clubs can’t count on such early commitments.
Despite a bumper crop of tourists last year, many Mallorca diners had to shut shop prematurely or cut back offerings.
Ferrer lamented the puzzling pattern of no-shows, especially around weekends, saying: “The absenteeism on Fridays and Mondays, for example, is incomprehensible and is very suspicious, an extension of the weekend. This absenteeism does not appear in the official statistics, but it’s something we all suffer from.
“Imagine having a team of four people, and someone lets you know the night before that they won’t be coming in. Sometimes you can’t even open the kitchen, or you have to close early.”
This comes after a British man who lives out in Benidorm on Spain’s Costa Blanca has shared how tourists can get drunk for free in the popular resort town. Harry Poulton, 24, boasts more than 32,000 followers on TikTok (@harrytokky) where he regularly shares his Benidorm travel advice.
His recent video has racked up more than 123,000 views and 4,000 likes. In it, Harry explains exactly how Benidorm-bound partygoers can have a night to remember without having to open their wallets or reach for a bank card. He starts by saying: “Can you get drunk in Benidorm for free? That’s a question I get asked […] all the time.”
Harry, from Brighton, simply says the answer is “yes”. He explains: “I believe you can get hammered in Benidorm on an empty wallet.”
The content creator notes that it’s easier to do in the summer months. “Most of the clubs here in Benidorm offer out free shots to entice you into their club,” Harry continues. “So in theory, you can go in, get yourself some free shots, dance for a little bit and move onto the next bar.”
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