The minister for tourism at the Govern Balear will target illegal accommodation available within the Balearics. It has been estimated that over half of visitors now coming to the islands are staying at non-registered accommodation.
According to the minister “unofficial accommodation” increase is affecting hotels business as every year numbers of visitors have been steadily increasing whilst hotel occupancy has been constant.
Controls over unregistered private apartments, guest houses, bed&breakfast, and unlicensed accommodation will be soon carried out by the Consell Insular.

Tourist figures up to the end of August have been finally released. Ibiza registered an increase of 12.6% the highest within the Balearics islands with a total of 1,445,094 passengers arrived until 31st August.
The highest increase was in the month of August, which saw 16% more than the previous year. The British market is still number one (+10%) followed by Spanish tourists (+39%). The Italian market is now the third strongest with 206,528 arrivals but recording a fall of 0.9% from last year.
The numbers, although encouraging, highlight the problem of a shorter and shorter season with most of the arrivals concentrating mainly in the month of August…

According to a survey on the online edition of local newspaper Diario de Ibiza 60% of business based in Ibiza recorded poor results comparing to the previous year.

Results are not surprising if we remember that in June three of the major clubs were shut down for a month by authorities and at the beginning of July a ship loaded of oil products sunk in front of Ibiza port causing oil slick over three of the most popular beaches. To not mention the bomb hoax at Ibiza Airport widely reported by the international press…

More than half of the victims who have lost their lives on the roads in the Balearics islands this year were not wearing a seatbelt or crash helmet. As Government is about to launch another safety campaign has been reported that 74 people that have died so far in 2007, 38 were not wearing a seatbelt or crash helmet.
Remember always to fasten your seat belt!!!

The total number of cruise ships which docked in Ibiza during the first six months of the year compared to 2006 has increased by 32% to 45 ships. The actual number of passengers also increased by 18.50%, to 28,451 people. It is estimated that the positive figures would continue during the rest of the year.

Last June a total of 696,239 passed through the airport on a total of 7,252 flights (12 per cent up from last year). The most frequent passengers through the airport were the British with 239,824 travellers, closely followed by the Spanish with a total of 219,271 and finally German travellers who came in third with just over 90,000 passengers. The most popular airport of origin and destination were Barcelona and Madrid, followed by Gatwick, Manchester and Milan. (Source Aena, Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea).

The operator Balearia has recently inaugurated the high speed boad “Espalmador Jet”. The new 42 foot boat has capacity for 360 passengers and connects Ibiza with Formentera with a journey lasting less than 30 minutes reaching speeds of 31 knots.

In the last five years sales of tourist excursions in Ibiza have fallen 30% according to a recent survey. This is not surprising as public transports have improved and more and more people repeat their visit to Ibiza getting to know the island better and better.
All inclusive hotels and major tour operators should consider to stop selling excursions like driving people by bus with a/a around Formentera (causing more traffic and pollution), or offering trips by boat to Es Vedra (with paella and sangria included) and begin offering new creative ways to enjoy the best the two islands offer. Have you enjoyed any package excursion in Ibiza or Formentera lately? Have your say!

We report the latest news of the Conseill Insular de Eivissa in regards of the cleaning tasks of the 3 beaches affected by the oil slick.

“The City council of Eivissa has informed about the reopening of the beaches of Talamanca and Figueretes. It means that, after the reopening of Playa d’en Bossa beach last Tuesday, the tourist resort directly affected by the fuel spill of the freight-carrying ship Don Pedro, it is back to its normality only 7 days after the sunk.
With respect to the small beach of s’Estanyol, in Santa Eulària, the area City council has informed that yesterday evening ordered its closing to facilitate the cleaning tasks of the rests of material coming from the Don Pedro, which had arrived at the beach. The City council has announced this morning that the works have finalized and that they are just waiting to reopen the beach to swimmers today as soon as the approval is received. (Show me more…)

180 passengers of a Vueling flight Paris Ibiza enjoyed the first ever Dj gig on a commercial flight.
David Guetta played on the flight a 40 minute set treating the passengers and the cabin crew to some funky tunes.
The Airbus A320 had to be specially adapted to hold a DJ booth at the front and a nightclub vibe was recreated with shutters pulled down and lights dimmed.
Apparently some of the passengers decided to keep the party going following the Dj to superclub Pacha where he was scheduled.
This is not the first time Spanish airline Vueling provide alternative in-flight entertainment for its customers.