MAN IN SAN AN by Martin Makepeace

Over the last few years we have witnessed the biggest change ever to the Ibiza tourist demographic, especially in May, June, September and October when the weekend tourist has become the dominant  player in the market.

It’s the market segment that everyone wants a piece of, 25-50 year olds travelling without kids and focusing on a long weekend of fun with a pocketful of money to spend. 

Only a few years ago this was the scenario when booking a holiday

1. Book a 7 or 14 night package holiday with a travel agent. 
2. Buy a travel guide and read it before bed.
3. Arrive in Ibiza, go to welcome meeting and book an excursions/club tickets from your rep or local outlet. 
4. Discover Ibiza at your leisure via research or word of mouth/recommendations. 
5. Spend your hard earned money on a mixture of local restaurants, cheesy bars and world class clubs. 

Fast forward to 2018 and this is more likely be the scenario

1. Follow all major Ibiza clubs and events on social media
2. Identify dates when desired Ibiza events are happening
3. Pre-book all club tickets
4. Pre-book restaurant reservations and beach beds 
5. Book a dynamic package online, fly to Ibiza for long weekend with pocket full of cash

The social media age means that there are no secrets anymore plus everything is pre-planned and pre-booked for busy itineraries that leave little to chance in the short window of opportunity that a 4 day trip to Ibiza allows.

The big Ibiza players now spend millions on their social media, spoon feeding the herd with all the necessary calls to action: Big opening parties, special guests, one-off parties. The cyber-sell is constant and goes direct to your smartphone when you are on the bus in the morning, during your lunch break at work and just before you settle down to watch your evening soaps.

Once this demographic arrive on the island their itinerary goes into full swing with little time for anything else. No discovering delicious local restaurants or souvenir shopping for local wares, nothing that isn’t near the major tourist traps. Very little spontaneity.

And then it gets really strange. Enjoying yourself now ranks a poor second behind updating your own social media feed. After all you’ve spent the last 11 months being inundated with Ibiza spam directly to your smartphone and tablet and now it’s your turn to personally get involved. Facebook posts, check-ins, Instagram stories, posts and tweets. At any big event most phones are switched to live feed. And by the way I’m as guilty as anyone…”my name is Martin and I’m addicted to social media”.

The successful businesses in Ibiza are those that understand the need for social media, embrace it and force it down your throat, those that don’t are falling by the wayside.  Who doesn’t like an Ibiza summer pic on a cold rainy December day? This creates the desire to do it yourself, whether it be a sunset pic, feet up on a boat, a magnum of champagne at a beach club or body glitter at your favourite evening club, these are the things that are a quintessential part of Ibiza in the early part of the 21st century. Bragging rights now determine which businesses succeeds, Ibiza is social media gold after all.

No wonder the old school shake their collective heads at the Ibiza of 2018 because for the new generation, weaned on reality TV and smartphones, hedonism has now been replaced by ‘Instagramism’ and the search for that perfectly staged profile pic has become more important than the actual experience behind it.

Woohoo it’s October in Ibiza, one of my favourite months, and as we pore over the conflicting stories of the summer it’s time to look forward to winter and analyse what’s gone before us.

If you came to Ibiza this summer and hadn’t been for a few years then you would be amazed at the changing dynamic of the island. The quality is undoubtedly going up with more fine restaurants and 4 and 5 star hotels than ever before but with it has come sky high prices which has marginalised the ‘normal’ man or woman in the street gathering negative headlines.

A capital city with amazing super yachts but with a diminishing soul as the millionaires take over not to mention new noise laws that are killing live music, a staple that this wonderful island was founded on.

Ibiza is changing and it’s hard to see where it’s all going without a coherent plan. The island’s elections are here in May 2019 and you can’t help thinking that this is a pivotal time in the Balearic archipelago’s recent history. The current politicians have been favouring residents needs over the benefits of tourism and the next election will be fought along similar lines.

For the last 3 and a half years Ibiza’s island government along with the town councils of San Antonio, Ibiza and San Jose have been run by socialist coalitions who have found it tough going presiding over the biggest shift in Ibiza tourism since the 70’s bucket and spaders lapped up sangria and donkey rides. A seismic shift that Ibiza wasn’t prepared for, and still isn’t.

The average stay on the island is now down to 4 nights which gives the paying clients only a small window of opportunity to do things and spend their hard earned money and in this social media fuelled world it’s the same old venues reaping the rewards of these short duration holidays.

Arrive, check in to a 4 star hotel, straight to Ushuaia or Hard Rock then over to Hï into the small hours. Up and out to Blue Marlin, followed by Pacha or Amnesia. Day at Ocean Beach or Nikki Beach followed by nothing much else then it’s almost time to go home. No time to discover this beautiful island or the scores of incredible restaurants for the Weekend Warriors but more than enough time to drop a couple of thousand euros at the same places, in fact the spend per person has never been as high but only a few are benefitting.

Whatever your political viewpoint the island has seen changes beyond our wildest dreams or worst nightmares. Some businesses have surged ahead while other predominantly small family traders are scratching their heads as their traditional market dissipates beyond all recognition as they struggle to come to terms with the changing market. It’s safe to say that 2018 has been a polarising year in many ways.

So as we relax a little in October and pick the bones out of another summer it’s difficult to envisage where it’s all going to end. With every boom comes a bust and with every VHS story there’s also a Betamax equivalent but also don’t be too fooled by the ‘Ibiza is 20% down stories’. Ibiza has experienced incredible growth in recent years and it was impossible to remain on this upward trajectory. A bad year in Ibiza is a good year anywhere else in Spain.

It’s an uncertain world out there and Ibiza is no different. Let’s hope the new breed of 2019 politicians address the real problems and come up with a coherent and focussed plan that protects locals but also embraces our only commodity although if recent history is anything to go by then let’s not hold our breath just yet. At least you can never accuse Ibiza of being boring.

October is here! Every month in Ibiza is completely different, here’s a snippet of my secret monthly diary from the White Isle, a snapshot of living here 12 months a year…..

January – Post Xmas blues are kicking in, kids are back at school and it’s cold (well 12 degrees). Funds running low after an excessive festive season so time to hibernate and plan for the summer. Must do those house jobs I meant to do in November.

February – Carnival time on the island but money running really low now, it’s cold outside (well 11 degrees) so my box sets are getting plenty of action. Thank god for Netflix and chill. Is it summer yet?

March – Weather picking up, bank account is on empty but past caring. Ryanair international flights starting so light at the end of the tunnel. Time to visit friends in UK (not that they are bothered) and try and convince them not to come in August.

April – Easter is here and the island is starting to come alive, Better start all the jobs I should have done in November. Island gets busy for 4 days then goes back to relative normality. Not sure I’m ready for summer….

May – Summer is finally here and who are those people walking around in shorts and flip flops on a chilly day (I’ve got a fleece on). I don’t want to share my island just yet but business is business so think of the money and crack on. Traffic getting bad.

June – Clubs are open and the island is getting busier by the day. Weather is great but the traffic is getting worse. Kids have broken up for nigh on 3 months (WTF) and the tourists are starting to annoy me a little but need to stay focussed. How long until winter?

July – Wow it’s hot! Island is busy busy and I’m now on autopilot. Need to get out and do more things or it will be winter soon. Oh no what’s that I see on the horizon, it can’t be surely but oh yes it’s Au…

August – The month that seems to last a year! The Island is FULL. International tourists are everywhere, are they scowling at me or am I getting paranoid? Must be the sun! Time to grit your teeth and get on with it between friends and family arriving on an almost daily basis (god bless them). Phone ringing every 30 seconds. Dreaming of winter…..

September – Can’t believe I got through another August without committing first degree murder, it’s such a relief but island still busy and everyone seems nicer (or is it just me?). Clubs are closing, it’s nearly all over and I haven’t done anything of note so time to panic and go on a 10 day drinking binge!

October – The beginning of the end of summer and everyone seems happier. Weather still good so will definitely do some things this month including those jobs. Clocks go back and now it’s dark at 6.30pm – how did that happen, it doesn’t seem like 2 minutes since August.

November – and breathe! But most of the shops & bars are closed and nobody is on the streets. Not sure I like this to be honest, bring back those pale folk in inappropriate clothes, I’m missing them (and their money) already.

December – It’s cold (well 13 degrees) and dark at 6pm. The central heating has been serviced and the firewood has been purchased. The tree has gone up by the fountains and Amazon is getting hammered for Xmas presents. Funds are running low already. Dreaming of summer….

Happy October everyone!

The taxi situation in Ibiza is always a major talking point and like all businesses there are good and bad stories from most of us.

One of the biggest problems I encounter in my villa rental business is the taxis unwillingness to go to country villas or to do anything that isn’t straightforward especially if the location is off the beaten track.

I encountered this personally after an August party when I advised my guests to take the 5 minute stroll at the end of the night to the local sports centre and call a taxi, I ended up accompanying them and after calling the Radio Taxi service several times was told that this ‘wasn’t a location in our system’. This is the largest sports complex in San Antonio and next to 3 schools? If this isn’t on their route then what is?

Is it laziness, greed, inefficiency or always taking the easy option and is it any wonder that the ‘pirate’ taxi market and concierge minibus business is booming but then again it would be when that becomes the only option for a large segment of the Ibiza market.

Over the summer when I visited the breathtaking city of Moscow for the World Cup semi final (which I’m still in denial about btw) I was advised by a good friend to download the ‘Gett’ taxi app. This service is similar to Uber and the other technology based taxi services.

Having lived on Ibiza for more years than I care to mention (and therefore living a sheltered life) I hadn’t come across anything quite like it, I know I sound like a small island country bumpkin so please forgive me all you people who use these services on a daily basis in your busy city lives but I was spellbound.

You open the app on your smartphone, digitally hail a cab at an agreeable price then watch on the map as the taxi in the form of a blue dot makes it’s way to you. You have the name and telephone number of the driver, the make and model of the car and it’s licence plate number. When it comes to providing transparent information it doesn’t get any clearer or accountable than that. And here is the best bit – no funds are changed hands as the payment is via pre authorised credit card. You don’t even have to speak to the driver if you don’t want to which isn’t very polite but is always an option.

Let’s compare that to me and my friends standing next to the biggest sports centre in San Antonio at 2am on a busy August morning fruitlessly ringing a taxi service that doesn’t speak their language only to be told (after being on hold for 10 minutes) that the main road we are standing on is ‘not on their route’. It’s like comparing a super computer to an abacus.

Of all the places I have travelled to in the world I have never known a destination more than Ibiza that needs this Uber-type service and flexibility for it’s taxi service.

But as usual the taxi drivers union and the transport companies and the other self serving cartels continue to block any advancements such as this so they can protect their patch of the market whilst the majority of their members cherry pick the jobs they can be bothered to do.

All the while the clients in an Ibiza country villa or a more remote location continue to ring a number in the vain hope that when their call is eventually answered the person on the end of the line can firstly communicate with them and then provide them the courtesy of sending an over priced vehicle to move them safely from A to B.

Uber, Gett and other similar taxi services have revolutionised the way people travel and whether the cartels like it or not it’s only a matter of time until this type of service is available on the White Isle. Ibiza always catches up in the end so let’s hope it’s not too far away but in the meantime keep ringing that number that you scribbled down on a piece of paper and keep taking those Spanish lessons.

4 old blokes have promised to re-build the old ‘Ibiza Vibe’ in a massive village press conference witnessed by a few passers by and a couple of rags looking to create clicks.

Leader of the group Paul Pox said “when the Ibiza Vibe closed down a few years ago, the island wasn’t the same and even though I said I wouldn’t carry on with any residencies, money talks so I played a few one-offs in a row at the biggest club in the world and have banked enough dollars from gullible punters to be here today to announce that there will be an announcement soon and that the announcement that we can’t announce yet will be a very exciting announcement indeed”.

Ibiza Vibe founder, octogenarian Joe Rose said “we need to spread our roots and share the Ibiza Vibe around the globe because the punters out there want it and if they want it then we need to make money from it”.

Completing the dream team foursome are Johnny Stadium and Davide Marrón who are also really excited about the announcement about the announcement that they can’t announce yet.

As millions put smiley faces on social media, Pox said “Oh yes! This is gonna be amazing”.

Mrs Pepa Ribas from San Rafael said “Pox who?”.

Today’s blog is a personal view from a friend who is the manager of a luxury hotel on the island.

Most days, if not everyday, I hear my hotel guests say: “it’s OK it’s Ibiza” but “is it ACTUALLY OK because it’s Ibiza?”

Taxis – my guests battle most nights to leave the hotel on time to get to their extremely expensive restaurant reservation. The answer we get from drivers: oh there’s not enough drivers in Ibiza. My point is WHY? My guests response….. “it’s OK it’s Ibiza”

Restaurants – there are some amazing restaurants on the island at reasonable prices but the majority of the ones my guests go to are hugely overpriced. I have heard of one charging 130 euros for a plate of lobster pasta. If this was anywhere else outside of a major city in the world it wouldn’t be acceptable, but hey “it’s OK it’s Ibiza” I hear them say.

Superclubs – it’s been well documented over the summer that some clubs on the island charge 20 euros for a soft drink. How can that be allowed? The party goers this year have finally started waking up, I saw a tweet in August saying ’16 euros for a Fanta, thanks Ibiza!’ But all I hear from my guests is “it’s OK it’s Ibiza”

Hotels – this is my area of knowledge and our pricing is similar to airlines. It’s supply versus demand, what our competitors are doing whilst throwing in the weather forecast but in my opinion the extreme prices such as the month of August makes Ibiza a very expensive place to stay. This is why companies such as Airbnb are becoming more popular, so rather than booking a traditional hotel room people are starting to look for places with character, smart apartments or even staying on moored boats in marinas. Saying all of that I spend a lot of my time in my hotel lobby and upon check in people spend even more money by upgrading to a sea view, or one with a terrace. Upgraded rooms can start with a supplement of up to 200 euros per NIGHT and guess what words get uttered between couples at check in: “it’s OK it’s Ibiza”.

However recent reports are showing a slowdown in the number of visitors to island year on year. Why? In my view there are many reasons such as other destinations becoming more popular again, global weather is becoming better (just look at the UK this summer – over 30 days of temperatures similar to Ibiza) but the one major reason IMO is that the island in some parts is becoming almost inaccessible to the ‘normal’ person.

I acknowledge that the top end of travel is booming on the island. For example large villa rentals and the super car hire companies have reported a 10% growth year in year but this is niche market. I spoke to one private bodyguard who says he is turning away work as he is so busy and the expensive restaurants are still packed but the genuine rich and famous don’t worry about money…. or do they?

So is it really “OK because it’s Ibiza” or is it time for the authorities to take a long hard look at itself and start re-evaluating whether this amazing island is sustainable for the future or will it just be a playground for the rich and famous in August while conveniently forgetting it’s original roots as an affordable holiday destination for all?

The verdict is still pending…..

Finally! After nearly 12 weeks the kids in Spanish state schools are going back today.

It’s not been easy, it never is without the luxury of family around you. Juggling a busy summer working in Ibiza with keeping your kids sufficiently stimulated and off the sofa is always a challenge.

For those UK people who grumble that 6 weeks is too long, just imagine doubling it. Whenever I mention 12 weeks holiday to my British friends they look at me in horror but over here it’s a way of life.

Fortunately in Ibiza there’s plenty of options for kids in the hot summer months. Summer schools, sports halls, sailing clubs, kayak, beach days, camping, all designed to keep your kids busy whilst their parents are out earning the money to continue living on an island that gets more and more challenging every year.

I always get asked about how my children get through the summer and the answer is relatively easily (for them anyway) however this summer we have had a new challenge to overcome: namely physically prising them away from the PlayStation.

The on-line game of ‘Fortnite’ has become a phenomenon for all ages and both sexes and the easy option would have been to let them spend all day glued to a screen whilst talking to their friends on headphones however we insisted that they did activities for at least half of the summer.

There is a line of thinking that says that 12 weeks off is too much but I have to admit that I quite like not having to get out of bed to get my eldest to school for 8am even if the school is only 5 mins away (ahh island life).

So today after the best part of 3 months we get back to early mornings, routine and copious amount of daily homework. It’s been a long hot summer but it’s time to get back to relative normality and of course seeing the odd ‘walk-of-shamer’ on the school run. This is Ibiza after all.

“All inclusive’ holidays have always been a polarising subject in the Balearic Islands and it’s now become a political hot potato after the Balearic Government in Palma announced plans to outlaw the serving of alcohol within the all-inclusive package.

‘All inclusive’ is a flat fee where you can eat and drink as much as you want on a daily basis for the duration of your holiday, it mainly appeals to those who want to manage their budgets, such as families.

The concept originated in long haul destinations such as the Caribbean with isolated hotels in remote places having to offer the service as there was limited food options within the area.

Hoteliers soon realised that having a captive audience was good for the balance sheet so rolled out the concept worldwide however it greatly affected surrounding businesses in European resorts where whole areas became ‘all inclusive’.

In the Balearics the anti-All Inclusive lobby has been around for years but nothing has ever been proposed on a political level until now.

As is usual in these fractious political times the announcement has been welcomed by some and berated by others. In the Balearic Government the opposition PP party has accused the socialist coalition of harming Balearic competitiveness saying “All-inclusive is not a problem, the problem is being created by the (Balearic) Government “.

PP deputy leader Miguel Jerez went on to say “To try to modify this situation by punishing all the hoteliers who choose to offer this regime is not only unfair, disproportionate and interventionist but is like killing flies with cannon fire”.

In Ibiza it has also led to a political crisis after the coalition island government asked for the White Isle to be excluded from the new law seemingly without approval from their governmental partners.

This led the ‘Guanyem’ party to issue an official statement asking the island government to refrain from announcements until the subject has been debated in chambers.

The left wing Guanyem are strongly in favour of this initiative and have been highly critical of Ibiza’s tourist minister Vicent Torres Benet’s stance saying “we consider that the practice of All-inclusive constitutes an attack against the interests of the local economy, of small commerce and of the working class in general”.

Miquel Vericad the Guanyem leader in Ibiza went on to denounce this type of tourism for linking alcohol consumption to family holidays “where children can watch their parents drink without control”.

Vicent Torres Benet explained that “this regulation is out of place in Ibiza because All-inclusive is a minority on the island and is focused on family tourism and, therefore, it does not generate any problems”. According to Torres its application would greatly harm family tourism on the island although he acknowledged that “Mallorca does suffer from this problem”.

Cuando el primer teniente de alcalde del tripartito de izquierda de Sant Antoni, Pablo Valdés, obligó mediante una ZPAE a cerrar todos los bares y discotecas del “West End” antes de las 3 de la madrugada, estoy seguro de que su intención era buena.

Después de todo, un electorado ferviente y apasionado (y principalmente joven) lo colocó en su actual posición política cansado del ruido constante y los problemas asociados en un área ya famosa por … el ruido y sus problemas asociados.

El Sr. Valdés parece ser un idealista que busca soluciones rápidas a problemas enquistados desde hace muchos años y cuya solución requiere del largo plazo. Por ejemplo: ¿Cambiamos el modelo de turismo de San Antonio? Es fácil, simplemente cerremos todas las empresas que no encajan con el ‘plan’ …. Pero no tan fácil cambiar de un dia para otro cuando no se tiene la infraestructura adecuada para mejorar la calidad de la oferta destinada al nuevo cliente que se quiere atraer. Cerrar y prohibir sin tener nada en la reserva sería un suicidio comercial. Sin nada para reemplazar lo actual no tiene ningún sentido.

¿Demasiado ruido en el West End? ¡Eso es fácil otra vez! Cerremos todos los bares 2 horas antes y el ruido simplemente desaparecerá, ya que todos se irán a la cama rápido y de forma ordenada. Una solución relativamente simple para un problema importante que ha evolucionado durante más de 50 años. Como hemos visto durante todo el verano y especialmente esta ultima semana, esta decisión ha fracasado derivando en circunstancias dramáticas y trágicas.

En lugar de resolver el problema del ruido para un centenar de residentes, la decisión de cerrar los bares y discotecas antes ha tenido 2 importantes consecuencias para la comunidad local. En primer lugar, obligó a miles de personas a salir a la calle al mismo tiempo, por lo que en lugar del filtro natural de años anteriores donde la gente empezaría a abandonaba paulatinamente los bares a medida que se cansaba de la fiesta y la ciudad se iba poco a poco apaciguando, hoy la multitud animada sale toda ella a la calle exactamente a la misma hora lo que conlleva que los niveles de ruido ahora se salen de la escala sonométrica, exactamente lo contrario de lo que la nueva ley pretendía.

En segundo lugar y más en serio, este cierre adelantado ha empujado a la multitud expulsada de los locales a encontrar nuevas formas de continuar la diversión. En lugar de permanecer en una zona controlada, lo que inevitablemente sucede es que se dirigen a espacios públicos como las fuentes, la playa, el puerto o de regreso a su hotel. Como Hemos visto, las 3 de la mañana es demasiado pronto para terminar la diversión en una isla que realmente no cobra vida hasta la medianoche.

Y aquí viene la gran advertencia que no parece haber sido pensada adecuadamente: empujar a varios miles de personas a las calles oscuras de Sant Antoni en las primeras horas de la madrugada tiene consecuencias, especialmente cuando esas calles no son el lugar más seguro en el mundo. No me malinterpreten, no estamos hablando del Bronx de los 70, pero hay personas sin escrúpulos que buscan aprovechar la situación.

Por supuesto, la multitud de la fiesta siempre podría volver a sus camas o a un club y algunos residentes locales pueden decir que si los turistas se emborrachan y se ponen en peligro, son ellos mismos los que tienen la culpa, pero como hemos visto durante las últimas dos semanas el obligar a las personas a salir de un entorno razonablemente controlado dejando que se las arreglen solos, con poca presencia policial puede tener repercusiones trágicas.

Como hombre honorable, estoy seguro de que el primer teniente de alcalde de Sant Antoni reconocerá que debe haber una mejor solución a la situación actual que es insostenible. Un político sin escrúpulos podria intentar aprovechar la situación y culpar aún más a las empresas legales locales por las molestias que sin duda genera el ocio, pero eso sería como culpar a los jóvenes por tener la audacia de tratar de pasar un buen rato mientras están de vacaciones y nadie es tan estúpido … ¿verdad?

When San Antonio’s left-wing Deputy Mayor Pablo Valdés quickly pushed through a new law to close all ‘West End’ bars by 3am I’m sure he did it for all the right reasons as he saw it.

After all he was put in his current political position by a fervent and passionate (and mainly young) electorate tired of the constant noise and associated problems from an area famous for…..noise and it’s associated problems.

Sr Valdés appears to be an idealist looking for quick solutions to long term problems. For example: Let’s change the tourism model of San Antonio? That’s easy right, just close down all the businesses that don’t fit in with the ‘plan’……but actually not that easy when you don’t have the right infrastructure to improve quality overnight. Closing and prohibiting with nothing in reserve is comercial suicide, diminishing your product with nothing to replace it with doesn’t make any sense.

Too much noise in the West End? That’s easy again! Close all the bars 2 hours earlier and the noise will simply disappear as everyone files home to bed early in an orderly fashion. A relatively simple solution to a major problem that has evolved over 50 years but as we have seen this week this decision has backfired in dramatic and tragic circumstances.

Instead of solving the noise problem for a few hundred residents the decision to close bars earlier has had 2 massive knock-on effects for the local community. Firstly it’s forced thousands of people on to the street at the same time so rather than the natural filtration of previous years where people would start drifting off after 3am and the town would wind down gradually the lively crowd all hit the street at exactly the same time so the noise levels now go off the scale, the exact opposite of what the new law intended.

Secondly and more seriously it has pushed the party crowd to find new ways of carrying on the fun. Instead of remaining in a controlled zone it means that they inevitably drift to public places such as the fountains, the beach, the harbour or back to their hotel. As we have seen, 3am is way too early to finish on an island that doesn’t really come to life until midnight.

And here comes the big caveat that obviously wasn’t thought through properly – pushing a few thousand people onto the dark streets of San Antonio in the early hours of the morning has consequences, especially when those streets are not the safest place in the world. Don’t get me wrong we aren’t talking about the New York Bronx of the 70s but there are unscrupulous people out there looking to take advantage of the situation.

Of course the party crowd could always go back to their beds or on to a club and some local residents may say that if tourists get blind drunk and put themselves in a position of danger then they only have themselves to blame but as we have seen over the last couple of weeks forcing people out of a reasonably controlled environment and letting them fend for themselves with little police presence can have tragic repercussions.

As an honourable man I’m sure the Deputy Mayor of San Antonio will acknowledge that there must be a better solution to the current untenable situation. An unscrupulous politician may take advantage and heap further blame on to local legal businesses for creating this environment but that would be like blaming youngsters for having the audacity to try and have a good time whilst they are on holiday and nobody is that stupid…..are they?