Mallorca’s Tourism Angst, Biz Travel’s Bounce and Delta’s IT Woes
Skift Take
Key Points
- Mallorca sees major protests against mass tourism, with demands for better housing, wages, and conservation.
- Global business travel spending is projected to hit a record $1.48 trillion in 2024, exceeding pre-Covid levels.
- Delta Air Lines faces significant disruptions from an IT outage, while competitors have restored operations.
Summary
Recent events in the travel industry include significant protests in Mallorca against mass tourism, with locals demanding better housing, wages, and conservation efforts. Despite the unrest, tourism remains strong, with flight bookings up for Mallorca and Barcelona. Meanwhile, global business travel spending is set to reach a record $1.48 trillion by the end of 2024, surpassing pre-Covid levels. Delta Air Lines is struggling with ongoing disruptions due to a major IT outage, while its competitors have restored their operations.
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Episode Notes
Mallorca recently saw another large demonstration against mass tourism, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.
More than 20,000 protestors marched the streets of Palma de Mallorca on Sunday as Spain continues to emerge as one of the hottest destinations in Europe. Demonstrators called for more affordable housing, fair wages, better conservation of natural spaces, and respect for local culture.
The protests have not reduced the popularity of the destinations this summer. International flights bookings for Mallorca are up 6% for July and August. For Barcelona, they’re up 18%.
Next, business travel spending worldwide is expected to hit an all-time high by the end of 2024, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.
The Global Business Travel Association said that global business travel spending is projected to reach $1.48 trillion by year-end. That would top pre-Covid levels for the first time. The GBTA found that 68% of business travel managers report spending more in 2024 than last year.
The association projects global business travel spending will surpass $2 trillion in 2028.
Delta Air Lines canceled roughly 20% of its schedule on Monday as it grapples with the aftermath of the recent major IT outage, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.
CEO Ed Bastian said on Sunday that Delta’s crew scheduling system was unable to process the large number of changes caused by the IT outage. Delta is also experiencing difficulties locating its crewmembers, which is helping cause the ongoing disruptions. Meanwhile, rivals American Airlines and United Airlines have restored their operations since the outage.
Photo Credit: Bathers on a beach in Ca’n Pastilla in Mallorca. Adobe Stock / Wendy
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