Mallorca facing a gastronomy crisis: Hundreds of restaurants are threatening to close!

Mallorca facing a gastronomy crisis: Hundreds of restaurants are threatening to close!

The situation in Mallorca is tense this summer. Despite a high number of visitors in the high season, restaurant operations in many places fall short of expectations. Restaurant owners warn urgently: a wave of bankruptcies is imminent because many table reservations simply remain unused. Juanmi Ferrer, president of the gastro-entrepreneur association CAEB Restauración, predicts that hundreds of restaurants could close. In popular holiday resorts such as Port de Sóller, Sant Elm and Port d’Alcúdia, the number of guests even fell by up to 40 percent. This is reflected heavily in the cash register - sales per table have fallen by ten to twelve percent.

Vacationers who want to save money eat less and often forego wine and additional dishes. Higher costs for flights and hotels force many tourists to save money, which can hit not only the catering industry but also the entire economy of Mallorca hard. In Palma in particular, the numbers show a worrying picture: here the number of visitors to the famous Paseo Marítimo is around 20 percent below the previous year. Some restaurants in popular tourist areas are granting their staff vacation, which further highlights the critical situation. Last year, 370 catering establishments had to close, which led to a total loss of around three percent of the restaurants on the island, as [merkur.de](https://www.merkur.de/welt/hunde-restaurants- Werden-schrein-mittelmeer-insel-gabe-deutschen-urlaubern- Schuld-93870082.html) reports.

Protests as an outcry against mass tourism

While the catering industry is fighting for its existence, there are voices on Mallorca that are mobilizing against mass tourism. In Palma, vandalism has occurred in recent weeks during protests against infrastructure overload. Historical buildings such as the Almudaina and the Hort del Rei were daubed with slogans such as “Tourists go home”. In Valldemossa and Sóller, participants also addressed the pressing problems by blocking roads and parking lots. The organizers emphasize that the actions are not aimed at individual tourists, but are intended to draw attention to the growing challenges of mass tourism.

The Balearic government has responded to the protests and tried to defuse the situation with new measures. These include, among other things, the establishment of environmental zones in Palma and an increased tourist tax in the high season. But many critics are skeptical: In their opinion, the measures are not sufficient to deal with pressing problems such as housing shortages and environmental pollution. These uncertainties also have an impact on Mallorca's image as a friendly holiday destination. Travelers from Germany and Great Britain apparently prefer to choose alternatives, which is causing booking numbers to fall further, as infranken.de reports.

The look into the future

The future of tourism in Mallorca is uncertain. Hoteliers and politicians are currently striving for a change towards less mass tourism and more luxury tourism. However, the challenges are enormous. With over 13 million tourists in 2022, Mallorca is perceived as overcrowded, and the population is continuously growing - from 746,000 in 2005 to around 967,000 now. This has led to increased property prices; The Balearic Islands have the highest prices per square meter in Spain, which affects many locals, as tagesschau.de shows.

In order to ensure the survival of catering businesses, financial help is urgently needed. Otherwise, many restaurants are threatened with closure, while at the same time a slowly growing movement of citizens' initiatives loudly protest against the excesses of tourism. It remains to be seen whether Mallorca will be able to master the balancing act between tourism and quality of life for the local residents.