Panic in Majorca as hotels, restaurants and shops brace for 'challenging' low season

With the main tourist season in Majorca coming to an end and airlines preparing to switch to their winter flight schedules, businesses in the island's most vital industry have shared their fears about the impending season. Already, airlines have cut the total number of seats scheduled for Palma by 9% and the number of flights by 13% up to the end of March.

The Mallorca Hoteliers Federation has predicted that some 20% of hotels will remain open all year, with accommodation in the capital, Palma, and Soller most likely to close the latest and open the earliest. However, away from the major hotspots, many inland and small establishments are forced to close their doors due to reduced tourist footfall. In general, the federation has highlighted a lengthening of the season, but only until mid-November. The complementary sector of restaurants, shops and nightlife, meanwhile, is looking ahead with concern to the low season, following a summer characterised by low tourist spending.

Jordi Mora, president of the Pimem federation of small to medium-sized enterprises, has said many small businesses are having problems balancing the books, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.

"Taxes are extremely high and social security contributions have risen significantly in recent years, as has the minimum wage - up more than 50% in six years."

Meanwhile, Juanmi Ferrer of the CAEB Restaurants Association claimed that keeping business open during the winter season "wouldn't be the most prudent thing to do". This comes as it was revealed that bars and restaurants in Majorca have suffered a greater loss in tourism than anywhere else in Spain during the summer season.

Regarding the nightlife scene, many clubs have been closing during the week and have only been opening at weekends since September.

The president of the ABONE nightlife association, Miguel Pérez-Marsà, said: "We are increasingly dependent on tourists and less on residents because they don't spend.

"The business strategy is to minimise the periods of activity during the low season. We don't expect spending to be significant, except for some specific festivities."

The festive season can usually be depended on to generate decent business, as well as Black Friday and the January sales.

For the retailers, especially the small ones, it is a familiar picture. Joana Manresa of the Afedeco association describes the winter season as a "real challenge" because of the huge decrease in tourist numbers from November.