Spain holidays: ‘Immense void’ without Britons – Majorca hotels ‘paralysed’ by amber list

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Spain’s Balearic Islands have faced devastation as a result of the UK’s travel restrictions, with the nation currently off-limits to leisure travellers. According to local officials, hundreds of hotels in Majorca have made the decision to further suspend reopening until Britons are welcomed back.

Typically, before the COVID-19 pandemic took its hold, around 2.3 million Britons visit Majorca every year.

This figure makes up around 26 percent of the destination’s total tourist traffic according to ABC Mallorca.

However, amid ongoing global restrictions, this figure has plummeted.

As a result, hoteliers in the region say there is an “immense void” that has been created by the lack of British visitors.

“The absence of visitors from the United Kingdom has left an immense void,” executive vice president of the FEHM, María José Aguiló told Spanish newspaper Ultimahora.es.

And he added: “The lack of this market has paralysed hotel openings and complementary offerings.”

So far, in Majorca, around 40 percent of hotels are closed due to the absence of British tourism.

Hoteliers on the popular island say the situation won’t be reversed until Brits are allowed back and the situation is being reflected across the Balearics which include Ibiza and Menorca.

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The Mallorca Hotel Federation (FEHM) are insisting the destination is safe and all coronavirus rules will be followed to keep it that way.

Around 524 hotels associated with FEHM are now open, almost three times more than just two months ago.

Although the arrival of British tourists is “the great unknown” this season, tourism from other parts of Europe is beginning to pick up as nation’s ease their own restrictions.

Currently, the Balearics are having to rely on tourism from the mainland of Spain, as well as the Netherlands and Denmark.

The region is also looking to its main German market, which usually makes up 40 percent of its tourism.

The British market is the second most important for the islands, following German tourists and until Britons are allowed to travel without going into quarantine on their return, the rest of the hotels say they won’t open.

Hoteliers hope the implementation of the COVID passport on July 1 will boost the recovery of the tourism industry.

María José Aguiló stressed: “It is necessary to continue complying with the rules to avoid reversing the positive situation. We cannot afford it.”

Hotel leaders say they want Majorca to be regarded as a “reference destination” for Covid safety.

As of June 21, 25.5 percent of those in the Balearic Islands are fully vaccinated.

Over the previous seven days cumulative, there have been 19 new cases of coronavirus per 100,000 of the population.

By comparison, as of June 15, in the UK this figure sits at 85.1.

Additional reporting by Rita Sobot.

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