"Sandwich Tourists" Sends Waves of Panic to Mallorca Restaurants as Visitors Dipped

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Restaurant owners in Mallorca, Spain, are panicking over the sharp decline in the number of customers, with figures worse than pre-pandemic levels. According to the restaurant owners, this is due to the 'sandwich tourists' phenomenon, which describes a group of budget-conscious travelers.

Streets and beaches in Mallorca are crowded with tourists, but they are not stopping by restaurants. These tourists are instead bringing their own food or eating store-bought meals. 

Juanmi Ferrer, the President of the CAEB Restaurants Association, expressed concern that hundreds of restaurants will close this year. "The situation is very difficult. We are very worried about businesses’ bottom lines. Many won’t be able to survive," he told local media, as quoted from Express UK.

Number of Tourists Dropping

Juanmi explained that May was exceptionally quiet, mostly due to bad weather. Even in June, there is no improvement. So far, there has been no significant improvement in July, especially as lunch services throughout the island are still hampered.

Nighttime trade has improved, but the numbers remain lower than previous summers. According to Juanmi, on average, the number of customers has dropped by 5-6 percent.

However, in popular tourist spots such as Port Soller, Sant Elm, and Port d'Alcudia, the number of visitors has plunged by up to 40 percent. "We've gone from being fully booked to struggling to reach 60% occupancy," he added.

On the popular Paseo Marítimo in Palma, the number of restaurant visitors reportedly dropped by 20 percent compared to last year.

Although the city seems crowded with visitors, Juanmi noted that most of them do not spend money on eating out. "Tourists still come, but they’re not going to restaurants, they’re eating sandwiches," he said.

Restaurants Potentially Closing Down

With the surge in airfare and hotel prices, tourists come with less disposable income, thus forcing reductions in overall restaurant food, drink, and expenses.

Average spending per table has decreased by 10-12 percent. In addition to higher operating costs, including higher taxes, higher food prices, higher rent, and new collective labor agreements, also require higher staff wages.

Juanmi warned that many restaurants will not be able to meet these demands.

Last year, 370 restaurants closed in Mallorca. He predicts that more restaurants will close this year. Some companies have taken emergency measures to survive, including putting staff on leave during the busy tourist season. 

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