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Concern Majorca’s summer season will end early unless UK government lifts travel restrictions
A four-star hotel in Majorca has closed early for the season, prompting fears that more will shut down unless the UK government lifts its travel restrictions for Spain.
The Fergus Style Soller Beach in Puerto de Soller announced on its Facebook page that it was shutting its doors just shortly before tourists were due to arrive this week. Its website is not accepting any further bookings for stays until mid February 2021.
Head of the Majorca hotel federation Maria Frontera warned earlier this month that hotels on the island were only 37% occupied in July, 5% below expectations. This was despite the fact that only 57% of hotels were open.
An estimated 90% of British bookings were cancelled when the UK government reintroduced its warning against holidays in the whole of Spain – including the islands – on the weekend of 25 July, right at the start of the UK school summer holiday, after a spike in coronavirus cases in mainland Spain.
At the same time, the UK also removed Spain from the list of quarantine-exempt destinations.
The Balearic and Canary islands are arguing the UK should lift travel restrictions since they have a low number of cases, but this seems unlikely given the increase in cases across the rest of Spain.
Across the whole of country, the number of cases has risen to 25,926 in the past seven days, up from 18,272 in the previous week. In June, it had fewer than 3,000 a week.
On its Facebook page, the hotel wrote: "We are coming to you with not such great news, dear friends: due to the last COVID measures taken by UK Government, we have no other choice than close the hotel for this season.
‘We are devastated and we know that many of you will be too. We hope you all keep safe, positive and looking forward to come as soon as things get better, if not this year, the next one."
By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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