Jet2 CEO warns Ibiza and Mallorca British holidaymakers will turn to cheaper Greece and Turkey
‘Be careful what you wish for’: Jet2 CEO warns Ibiza and Mallorca British holidaymakers will turn to cheaper Greece and Turkey if their politicians give the impression they are unwanted
Holiday boss Steve Heapy has issued some words of caution to the travel destinations seeking to attract ‘higher end’ German tourists – and repel the British.
Speaking at a conference in Mallorca last week, Mr Heapy, CEO of Jet2, said he disagreed with restricting tourists and said British travelers would go to cheaper countries, such as Greece and Turkey, rather than Spanish ones locations such as Ibiza.
Lanzarote’s president, Maria Dolores Corju, recently said the German market was better suited to the holiday hotspot’s “higher end” tourism intentions.
In what appeared to be a bit against British tourists, she said the island had reached its ‘tourist capacity’ and needed to turn against ‘mass tourism’.
But days later she went back on the statement, saying it was “categorically false” that Canaries don’t want British tourists.
Mr Heapy (pictured) said politicians in the Baleriacs and Spain should be very careful about sending out the message that they have ‘too many tourists’
Lanzarote’s president Maria Dolores Corju has said the island’s aim is to attract ‘higher quality’ tourism
Heapy said politicians in the Balearic Islands, Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza, and other Spanish destinations should be very careful about spreading the message that they have ‘too many tourists’.
‘Be careful what you wish for. If you give the impression that you don’t want tourists, they will go somewhere else anyway.’
He added that British tourists are eyeing Greece and Turkey for their summer holidays because they are “strong and have fantastic value.”
The Majorca Daily Bulletin reported that the CEO of Jet2 said: ‘Shortly after the next elections, the elected rulers must speak out and make clear their intentions with regard to the tourism industry.’
He said the main problem reported by tourists was a lack of staff in hotels, rather than overcrowding.
A tourist dances on a table during a night out in Mallorca in 2007. The island has long been a favorite of German holidaymakers
German tourists enjoy a drink near Mallorca beach. Jet2’s CEO said tourists don’t mind the crowded islands
‘Tourists love coming to Mallorca, even though there are a lot of people, because it’s a busy island and for many that’s part of the experience – finding busy bars and restaurants.
“There must be a proper debate between the government, airlines, hotels and the public, who must find a compromise solution, because it is a difficult issue.”
He predicted Britons would give up other luxuries before sacrificing some time in the sun, including Netflix and lottery tickets.
Lanzarote has an annual influx of 1.3 million UK holidaymakers who contributed to annual tourist income of £2.1 billion last year, according to the Lanzarote Data Centre. About half of all tourists visiting the island are British.
British expatriates make up five per cent of Lanzarote’s 130,000 inhabitants.
In March, following criticism of her perceived tourism plans, President Corujo urged in an open letter in the island newspaper La Voz de Lanzarote: ‘It is categorically false that we do not want British tourism in Lanzarote or that we want to reduce the number of British tourists. .
“I’ll say it once and for all. British tourism is, is and always will be welcome on the island of Lanzarote.’
Earlier this year, British tourists landing on the Greek island of Rhodes were offered sweets and honey, and the municipality’s philharmonic band played local music as the island continues to build its tourism industry in the wake of the pandemic.