According to official figures, Ibiza and Formentera showed the second highest occupancy in the country during July, only beaten by Mallorca. However, it was not all good news with a survey out last week showing many visitors to the island left unhappy, with only 50 per cent satisfied with their holidays. Passengers leaving from the airport were asked to mark out of ten various aspects of their holiday; accommodation, the nearby bars, shops and restaurants, public transport and the environment, with Formentera, Mallorca and Menorca all scoring higher than Ibiza. In the main the accommodation was found to be satisfactory to good, but the cleanliness of the streets, the general noise, transport and sense of security were all highlighted as poor.
The President of the Hoteliers Association, Juanjo Riera, was surprised by the survey as he commented that the feedback which he receives from his members is generally very positive. He admitted that the usual problem of the lack of taxis at the height of the season is difficult to tackle, as the world and his wife want to arrive at the same place at the same time. He explained that most of the hoteliers realize the importance of keeping their product up to date and offering the most modern services available. One good example of this, he went on to say, is that ten years ago there was only one 5-star hotel on the island, but now there are six. However, the downside remains illegal accommodation, where there are no controls or inspections, as officially these establishments do not exist, and 25 per cent of visitors arriving on the island stay in private houses or apartments which they have found, either by word of mouth or on the internet.
However it was transport, and specifically taxis, which received the worst marks with many unhappy at the fares being charged during the day, as meters show €3.25 when you get in, the third highest in the whole country and only slightly lower than Tarragona and San Sebastián, when the average across the rest of the country is €.1.71 The cost per kilometre at €0.98 is also higher than most, with the average currently standing at €0.82. But, forgetting the price, the main complaints included the long queues at ranks, the fact the radio taxi office never answers, with some hoteliers having to resort to taking their clients to the airport in their own cars. Many taxi drivers are not keen to travel to far flung corners either, as they are not guaranteed to find clients for the return journey. The appearance of direct buses to both Santa Eulalia and San Antonio and the Bay has alleviated the situation to a certain extent, but many new travellers are not aware of the service when they arrive at the airport and all they want to do, especially in the middle of the night, is arrive at their destination!