French tourism boom

FRENCH tourism is expected to increase by more than 40 per cent in Mallorca this summer.

Several airlines have boosted the number of seats on flights to and from French cities by more than 70 per cent with regards to last year and ferry companies are expecting to break all previous records.

More than 800,000 French visitors arrived on the island in the summer of 2022 by air and sea, with the figure predicted to rise to at least 1.2 million this year ­ possibly much higher, if ferry company Corsica Ferries finally increases the number of boats operating this year as expected.

Air Nostrum will move its connection between Nice and Son Sant Joan forward to the beginning of June ­ one month before schedule ­ and Volotea, Vueling and Air Europa from July will increase their weekly flights to Palma from Toulouse, Marseille, Strasbourg, Paris, Lille, Montpelier, Lyon, Nantes and Nice.

Mallorca travel operators and hoteliers reveal that France has become the fourth main tourism market after Germany, the UK and Spain.

Soller, Platja de Muro, Alcudia, Calvia and Palma itself are said to be the preferred destinations of French travellers.