After a strong start the Ibiza summer season has settled into a groove and although it’s not an unfamiliar cry, the word on the street is ‘quiet’…..and not in decibels.
April and May started brightly as it often does but once the island opened up completely things started to tail off a little especially for the secondary businesses such as bars and restaurants not on the frontline.
I’ve often written about Ibizas ‘top table’, those businesses that appear to be bullet proof – places that perform year in and year out fuelled by social media and spin and these have been busy although some are showing signs of lethargy.
The introduction of a new high capacity super club has changed the night time dynamic and it would be naive to suggest that this hasn’t affected other businesses in that sector. After a strong opening there’s now plenty of freebies flying about for workers and residents and it stands to reason that a new establishment that has spent tens of millions can’t take the risk of being empty, it devalues their brand and investment and more importantly it deters genuine payers from walking through the door. Perception as opposed to reality is everything in Ibiza.
The official stats show that the average stay in Ibiza is now a little over 3 nights and this continues to have a massive impact on the island. The modern day tourist is ‘cash rich and time poor’ with 72 hours for their White Isle experience, most have their holidays planned months in advance fuelled by social media. This is good news for a few (the top table again) but bad news for the vast majority.
72 hours isn’t enough time to sample anything apart from the same few places that appeal to their demographic so the other establishments that aren’t on the A-list remain quiet even going into the peak season.
Price is also playing a big part. Ibiza is steadily edging up from ‘expensive’ to ‘downright ridiculous’. These are the prices that go with world famous brands however the good news is that increased competition has motivated some clubs to start offering drinks deals that makes the entrance ticket more reasonably priced.
It’s not panic time yet and it’s not unusual to have a lull in the first half of July but there will be a few worried businesses. August is around the corner and then the countdown is on for the end of season. September is historically a strong month especially with the club closings now at the start of October but is that enough time to claw back any early season losses?
As is usual with Ibiza, it’s all gone in a blink of an eye and it remains to be seen whether 2025 will be viewed as a success, the mid term report is still very much undecided.
MAN IN SAN AN by Martin Makepeace 