Fewer flights to Palma

Compared to 2023, there will be a big reduction in international flights landing at Palma Airport this Easter.

40 per cent less flights are foreseen than last Easter, partly because the holiday falls unusually early this year.

The forecast by national airport management company Aena for air operations between March 22 and April 1 is 3,074 flights.

The Easter holidays occurred later last year, when there were there were 5,028 movements between March 31 and April 10.

At the same time, Aena insists that the official start of the season is not the Easter holidays, but the month of April.

President of the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca (FEHM), María Frontera, said on Thursday that “the important thing is the commitment of the hotel staff to reopening”, praising the efforts hoteliers have been making to start the tourist season earlier.

“More than 71% of the hotels in Mallorca have pre-opened, which we have never seen before. And This trend has been confirmed in recent years.”

“Hotels occupancy stands at 62-64 per cent. Of course, the weather may help to improve this figure, but it could also work against it.”

María Frontera delivered her remarks at the final event of the WAT’SAVEREUSE conference on Thursday, March 21.

WAT’SAVEREUSE is an international, interregional 3-year project on saving and reducing water, co-funded by the EU program LIFE.

“The change of tendency has become consolidated in Mallorca, and that is where we must have an impact, since for the third consecutive year the start of the season has been brought forward to March.”

More tourists arriving via travel agencies

The president of Aviba travel agencies, Pedro Fiol, agrees with María Frontera of the business federation.

“Easter has never had a major impact in terms of flight numbers.

Although there are some charter flights from some countries to facilitate package tours, this has never been the trigger to increase flight frequencies. What really impacts the number of flights is the summer season.”

The total volume of flights for the season has thus increased, despite the dip in numbers for Easter.

Pedro Fiol emphasised the important role played by the travel agencies, which have achieved a five per cent increase in visitor numbers overall.

The highest occupancy rates this Easter period are in Palma (84 per cent), Playa de Muro (72 per cent), Playa de Palma (70 per cent) and Colonia de Sant Jordi (65 per cent). Hotels in other coastal regions will be roughly half full.