The economic void that the pandemic has left in Ibiza and Formentera is massive. Even while August was considerably better than the terrible one a year ago, it did not reach, by any means, the digits of tourist spending in 2019, before the covid swept over the world. We can see the glass as half empty: tourists spent 202 percent more in the first eight months of the year than in 2020. But we can equally regard it as half-empty: spending during this season has been half of what it was in 2019. Yes, we are better, but how far are we from the previous normalcy?
According to data published this week by the Balearic Institute of Statistics (Ibestat), tourist spending in Ibiza and Formentera amounted to 1,239.6 million euros, which, while 800 million more than a year ago, represents 49 percent (nearly half) less than those recorded in 2019: the cash registers have scored 1,199 million euros less this summer than before all humans began to protect ourselves with masks.
August appeared to be a busy month, despite the traffic bottlenecks, the fact that many restaurants were overloaded, and several beaches were congested. However, the facts show otherwise: tourist expenditure was 484.5 million euros, up 153% from 2020 but down 32% from 2019. In instance, during a full heatwave two years ago, they moved 228.5 million euros more than this. Some of the causes for this downturn include the fact that the entire hotel plant was closed, that the clubs hung the sign ‘closed by order of the Governor,’ and that British tourism had another season of (very) low hours.
What a British person spends in Ibiza and Formentera
Until 2019, the United Kingdom was the main issuer of tourists, but Boris Johnson’s government’s obstacles prevented, for the second consecutive year, the massive arrival of one of the travellers who most compensate the Pitiusas due to their high spending: 1,214 euros per trip (on average in 2021), compared to 674 euros for a Spaniard or 1,062 euros for a German. Despite the fact that Britain eased some of these limitations in August, its residents spent only 86 million on these islands, 106 million less than two years before. They have already disbursed 184 million in total for 2021: in 2019, they had about 648 million by this time, which is nearly 464 million more than today.
Even in August, domestic tourism has been our savior. That month brought in 134 million euros, 56 million more than in 2020 and 47 million more than in August of this year. That is, it has really improved since the pre-pandemic period. And it has already reached about 318 million euros in the first eight months of 2021, 29 million more than two years ago.
Germany has also not come close to matching the 2019 figures. Its total spending for the year is €123 million, €92 million less than in August 2020, but it recovered 242 percent more.
In 2021, the average spending per person (per trip) is 985.3 euros, which is 57 euros less than in 2019, but 166 euros more than in 2020. It was €1,025, 187 less in August than it was two seasons earlier. Because daily spending in 2021 is 146 euros on average, 20 euros less than before the pandemic, the lowest in the last five years, along with 2020. (138). It was 154 euros in August, a long cry from the 174 euros it was two years ago, the previous high.