This week, Mallorca is enjoying one of the busiest weeks of this year’s temporada alta (high season). The tourist season 2009 does not seem all that bad for Mallorca considering what might have been. The weather is hot, almost too hot with the recent heatwave with temperatures around 40° C, and sometimes even above. Many hotels are filled to near capacity in July and August or so one hears, at least in the main tourist areas.

So, all is well, or is it not?

Passenger figures at Son Sant Joan airport in Palma de Mallorca (PMI) are reported to be 9,057,375 for the period January – June, 2009, a shortfall of some 8 % when compared to the same period last year. Hotels offering an All Inclusive package have gained in popularity, but to the detriment of restaurants, bar owners and shopkeepers who complain that tourists stay in their hotels and do not spend money in tourist related establishments. Tourist numbers are down, and tourist spending is down, or so it would appear.

Many shopkeepers did not even make it to the season’s peak; quite a number of shops and bars closed down for good earlier in the year. La crisis, I suppose. It might have been worse, but it seems that the tourist season is pretty bad nevertheless.

Fingers crossed.

The photo was taken in Port de Sóller, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: July 9th, 2009. The time was 14:06:33.