UK tourists in Majorca warned 'hundreds' of bars and restaurants 'face closure'

The warning has come from the restaurant association, PIMEM-Restauración which says their members are being strangled by three essential factors.

Hundreds of bars and restaurants in Majorca face closure following the worst season since Covid that was rocked by anti-tourism protests. The warning has come from the restaurant association, PIMEM-Restauración which says their members are being strangled by three essential factors.

The European Union holiday hotspot is being hit by the lack of qualified personnel, the increase in staff and activity costs and a drop in sales. Its president, César Amable, warned: "The average stay has been shortened and the budget of tourists has been limited, thus penalising the extraordinary expenses of the trip, a situation that has ended up confirming the least profitable season in recent years, a pandemic period aside".

It comes after a tense few months on the island, with the Balearics hit by demonstrations and protests from European Union locals. Members of the Mallorca Platja Tour association demonstrated against tourism with a banner that reads 'Let's occupy our beaches!' on Palma de Mallorca beach on August 11.

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A demonstrator held up a sign which reads 'it's not tourismphobia, it's Mallorcicide' during the protest. Mr Amable said: "There is a huge gap between hotels and restaurants; I think it's very good that hotels raise prices as much as they want to raise them, but there are many things that differentiate us."

He said: "We restaurateurs have a very bad future. The situation since then has worsened a lot and restaurants are being strangled." As protests swept this summer, being held across May, June, July and August, some demonstrators held a sign which read 'tourism yes, but not like that' during a march in Palma.

Mr Amable warned that the drop in income this season will probably result in an early closure of many businesses located in tourist areas of Mallorca and the rest of the archipelago, too.