In May 2001, a total of 141,050 foreigners passed through Menorca's Airport, a figure that in the same month this year has been almost halved, to 71,712. According to PIME (the association for small and medium businesses) this is the reason why 71% of businesses on the island have taken less money than last year.
Compared to 2009 the drop in foreign passenger numbers is 9.25%, a substantial and worrying decrease, especially when taking into account that other nearby areas have actually seen a rise in the number of visitors, e.g. Ibiza where the number of foreign tourists in May increased by 5.3%.
While foreign tourist numbers continue to decrease in Menorca, the slight increase in Spanish visitors is not enough to compensate. The difference in foreign tourism comparing May last year and this is -7,306 whilst the Spanish visitor numbers have increased by 2,706, leaving a negative balance of 4,600.
This has led to a drop in business in all the sectors under PIME's control; the worst affected being shops, with 81.52% reporting diminished returns and only 6.5% having improved on last year's business. Cafeterias, bars and restaurants have also suffered with 72% taking less than in May last year.
Rural tourism is faring better, with 16.6% reporting increased turnover, and 33% maintaining last year's volume of business. Companies in the car hire and holiday accommodation sectors have seen similar results.
The drop in foreign arrivals has prompted many businesses to delay opening for the season and those that have opened, especially in the catering sector, have found themselves obliged to reduce their prices and provide special offers in order to attract customers. This sector has not only been affected by the decreased spending power of this year's tourists but also by the increasing number of all-inclusive deals being offered by the island's hotels in an attempt to stay afloat themselves.
A report on Arenal d'en Castell which appeared in this newspaper on Sunday showed a normally thriving tourist resort floundering, with many restaurants, shops and holiday accommodation complexes yet to open and few tourists in evidence. The magnificent beach, normally packed at this time of year, was practically deserted and, despite the good offers around, there were few customers in the resort's shops and bars.
Similar scenes can be seen in other resorts on the island, such as Cala en Porter and Son Parc, in spite of reports of increased bookings in the U.K., and businesses can only hope that the high season will bring an influx of visitors to the island and that their takings then will enable them to survive.
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