Month: July 2019

Seeing as you can only visit during the peak summer weeks (allegedly) here’s the rules…

1) You are getting a FREE holiday, if you want a lift from the airport then please don’t book a flight that arrives at 2am so you can save 20 euros.

2) I am not God, the weather is nothing to do with me.

3) If you lay in the sun without protection you will burn; if you don’t wear a bikini top someone will stare at your t*ts, get over it! 

4) There is no such thing as a self-replenishing fridge – the occasional pack-of-beers, bottle of wine or bag of prawns is most appreciated. 

5) I am not a taxi service, if you intend to explore the island then bring your licence and rent a car, even if it’s only for a day. 

6) Switch off the damn air-conditioning in your room when you’re not in it, have you seen the electricity dial spin like mad when the air-con is on? 

7) NEVER say “what are WE doing today” as you will be physically removed from the premises.

8) SuperClubs are expensive hence why they are called ‘Super’. I’m not going with you, I can’t get you guest list or free drinks and don’t wake me up at 5am when you come back in.

9) If you insist on having drinks at a frontline or sunset bar please do not complain to me that you were charged 15 euros for a gin and tonic – I really don’t care plus it’s only 5 euros in the local bars I frequent.

10) If you have enjoyed your holiday and your FREE stay with friends, why not take them out for a nice dinner? Not a pizza or a Chinese takeaway but a proper restaurant with linen tablecloths and waiters in crisp white shirts; go on, you know you can do it.

Yours sincerely

Grumpy Island Resident

Adapted from an article in the Majorca Daily Bulletin by my good friend by Frank Leavers

You have to be careful not to talk yourself into a mini-recession but 2019 is turning into one of those strange summers for Ibiza.

On the outside the Island may look busy but scratch a little below the surface and you can see that there’s a definite dip in business compared to previous summers.

No sympathy is required though as Ibiza has seen massive growth over the last decade and has income streams and a spend per capita that other holiday resorts can only dream of but it’s important to recognise and analyse trends within the tourist market.

Northern Europe’s continued hot weather isn’t helping but hotel and villa bookings are down especially during peak season so expect some last minute bargains if you haven’t already booked. There’s several reasons for this and it may signal a change of direction for some businesses.

There’s no doubt that Ibiza has many more competitors than ever before especially in the important family and mid-range segment of the market.

Turkey has made a big return to form offering spectacular prices with Greece and it’s islands such as Mykonos also proving very popular. Croatia is still knocking on the door with its natural beauty and laid back charm. Dubai is proving strong for those wanting a smart getaway although it doesn’t get the heavy summer traffic due to extreme temperatures. Egypt and Tunisia are on the way back too plus many more emerging destinations offering good value for money.

Looking inwardly Ibiza’s VIP obsession shows no sign of stopping as many 2 star hotels build a roof top pool and upgrade to 4 stars charging prices that marginalise a major segment of the market. In the space of 5 years Ibiza has morphed from mid range hotels offering good value to high end hotels with eye-watering prices. When the majority of hotels are chasing the same business there’s going to be winners and losers.

Price is the dominating factor when making decisions and Ibiza is slowly strangling itself by cutting diversity and only going for a certain affluent segment of the market. Brand loyalty is all good and well but it’s a 2-way street and many regulars are feeling hard done by when the hotels they have stayed at for many years raise their prices to levels that are difficult to justify and it’s these people who are now turning to other destinations.

It’s not all bad news though as Ibiza is still one of the most beautiful places in the world and does have an affordable side, albeit not as glamorous but highly attainable as long as you tread carefully but more concerning is that the entry level market is diminishing so less new blood is coming in, when this happens there’s a finite end to the cycle.

Not quite a crisis just yet, more of a blip, so no doom-mongering here but in the modern day Ibiza with so much investment riding on results all trends are over-analysed from bars to boardrooms. Things can change quickly but as we hurtle towards August there’s a few concerned people out there.

The Stormzy 2 day festival not only created challenges in San Antonio but also created much debate about the right and wrong type of tourist for San Antonio.

Stormzy brought the mighty Glastonbury to its knees only 2 days previously and, in the words of a friend of mine who was in the crowd he was “un-f***ing-believable” seamlessly crossing over to mainstream without so much of a hiccup. There’s no doubt he is a talented entertainer but he wasn’t the only one performing at the ‘Merky’ festival and the crowd that is associated with this scene seemed to be seething with attitude trying to make there stay memorable for all the wrong reasons.

I don’t know enough about that scene to make an informed opinion but I do know what I saw with my own eyes in my little town and it wasn’t pleasant. San Antonio has often been accused of not knowing what it wants but I can safely say that we don’t want big sinister groups roaming the town with attitude even if they have got a few quid in their pockets. We already get that for a few weeks in August and that’s more than enough thank you.

But can we afford to be choosy as to the type of tourist we attract? All tourists bring spending money with them and there’s no such thing as bad business right? Wrong! When your little town is getting headlines for all the wrong reasons then you are walking on a tightrope. Some of us still remember the boom after the ‘Ibiza Uncovered’ years followed by a resounding bust.

The organisers of Stormzygate (as I’m now named it) were called before the Mayor to explain themselves so expect an imminent announcement on whether the festival will be repeated in its current format. I have some sympathy with the organisers as this was their 3rd edition and the previous 2 were a big success before being hijacked by the testosterone brigade.

What Stormzy and his amigos have done is present a nice little test for new mayor Marcos Serra who has always been an advocate of live music but who has also been vocal about improving the image of his town in the wake of the previous councils much maligned strategic plan.

Life is nothing if not a learning curve and the Mayor is already at the sharp end and as Stormzygate becomes a mere distant memory San Antonio has other pressing matters to focus on, namely peak season where the heat will rise and other challenges will rear their heads. That’s just how it is on the White Isle. Watch this space.

Stormzy may have triumphed at Glastonbury last weekend but his #Merky festival in San Antonio this week has not been so well received.

On paper it looked like a good idea but San Antonio has been put on full alert as reports of rival south east factions arriving on the white isle leading to a tense atmosphere on the streets of San Antonio.

Videos of sporadic fighting breaking out at the daytime concert did the rounds on social media yesterday coupled with conflicting reports that an unofficial after-party event at a local club was closed down by police the previous night due to lack of security after scuffles inside the venue.

Music festivals are all the rage but large groups in small resorts can be problematic as we have seen here with a big backlash from local residents who are deeply concerned with what they are seeing on the streets of their small town.

Those responsible for organising the event have met with the Mayor to discuss the situation as the festival is now officially over but many will continue to stay and enjoy the island for the rest of the week.