It appear that airlines operating domestic flights in Spain are cashing in on the Middle East conflict despite assurances of no hikes in air fares. Friends of mine have been looking at flights from Madrid to Palma for a long weekend in June and prices for two are between 400 and 500 euros return, so as things stand, they are not going to bother.
And Pedro Fiol, president of the Balearic Islands Travel Agents’ Business Association (Aviba) has told the Bulletin that is it cheaper for residents on mainland Spain to holiday long haul than in the Balearics this summer.
“The Caribbean, for example, is much cheaper for the national market than any of the Balearic islands. The domestic market is stronger in the low season because it’s cheaper and more often than not they come for a short stay or to visit friends and family. But in the summer, fewer visitors are coming from the mainland because of the cost of flights and hotels.
“And right now, we’re not just talking about the Caribbean, we’re talking about Cape Verde, packages with charter flights to islands in the Indian Ocean – Zanzibar or Mauritius where premium hotels are offering much better value for money. You can quite easily have two weeks for the price of one in the Balearics.
“But there is another important factor and that is for years there has been a lack of interest in the domestic market, so there has been less promotion and fewer tour operators offering package holidays to the islands so the cost of having to book flights and hotels is much higher than packages with preset charter fares.
“However, due to the current uncertainty in the market due to the conflict in the Middle East this summer will be a late booking domestic market. Most people are opting to wait and see what’s going to happen before booking.
“There is a lot of offer in the domestic market still and since Covid the long haul charter market has taken off in Spain. For example we have packages to Thailand with flights included for 890 euros, so prices are becoming much more competitive.
“And this is how the majority of our European neighbours come to the Balearics, on a package holiday because it offers the best value for money. The Europeans know that if they want to come to Mallorca and stay in a beach-front hotel, it’s much cheaper to book a package than independently.
“Plus they know they have the back up and support of their tour operator should anything go wrong and certain cover and protection under European Laws – especially when it comes to the UK market because the issue of travel insurance is very important because they no longer have the cover they did when they were part of the European Union,” Pedro explained.
“And today we see Spanish couples, families and older travellers looking for organised experiences, comfort, safety and unique hotels. Asia experienced a real tourism boom in 2025 and everything points to it remaining one of the major players in the international market. Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Bali are no longer seen as distant destinations reserved for a select few adventurers,” he added.