New Year, New Elections, New Objectives for Ibiza

Happy New Year or ‘bon any nou’ as a local would say. 2022 was quite a year as Ibiza staged a monumental comeback, breaking records but with some of the same old problems rearing their ugly heads yet again (lets talk about taxis another time!).

The extended holiday season has been very busy on the Island with direct flights coming in from all over Europe. It was great to see so many tourists of all different nationalities although you could spot the Brits as they were the ones wearing shorts and flip flops whilst the locals wrapped up in fleeces & jackets. Ibiza really is a fantastic place to be over Christmas and New Year and the weather has been fabulous with busy beaches even at this time of year.

Now the holidays are over, thoughts turn to summer 2023 which is shaping up nicely although bookings have gone a little quiet recently which is to be expected. With so many different issues in the world, it remains to be seen if 2023 can keep up with the previous year’s amazing results but indications are positive. Investment is still pouring in and the appetite for all things Ibiza seems to be showing no signs of a slow down.

January and February will be relatively quiet but as March approaches, the Island will spring to life preparing for the busy Easter holidays and then the summer. Ryanair’s international flights start at the end of March and this is when you can feel a real change in the air with a sense of urgency as Ibiza awakens from its winter slumber.

Summer starts in earnest at the end of April and early May and with the super clubs and daytime venues already announcing earlier openings than before (Hï/Ushuaia opening 29 April!) the season looks like it will be an extended one yet again.

Expect plenty of ‘Bride Squad’ sashes and plastic tiaras in the early part of the summer followed by the usual peak season madness when the world class clubs really kick into gear with some unbelievable parties. Love them or hate them, the super clubs and beach clubs have proved once again how important they are to Ibiza’s tourism eco-system.

Local Elections will be held on 28 May, Ibiza has 5 town halls and an island council so that’s a lot of seats up for grabs (and a lot of politicians being paid with public money). The Balearics now have 80,000 more voters in 2023 than in 2011 which shows the growth of the Islands over the last decade.

This might not mean much to those who don’t live on the island but after 4 challenging years it will be interesting to see which way the voters go. Tourism issues will be front and centre for all political parties and the results will have an important bearing on major decisions that will affect the future, although the wheels of change are slow moving at the best of times.

The elections make up only one part of what will undoubtedly be a busy year. For Ibiza lovers and watchers it will be as interesting as always and as the Island continues to evolve, setting itself new objectives to try and keep ahead of the competition, you can be sure there will plenty of talking points along the way.