Ibiza Sends Out SOS For Staff
Written by Dan Kirwan
With nearly every restaurant on the island rammed, Q’s out the door and waiting lists of two weeks in some cases, Ibiza is experiencing a severe staff shortage at the moment, the worst I have seen in decades. With the clubs closed, restaurants and beach chiringuitos have become the hottest trend on the island. While demand for tables is high, supply of staff is low and many restaurants cannot keep up with the relentless pace of serving such high volumes of tourists.
Make no mistake, the island is very busy this summer with tourist footfall only 20% down on 2019 figures. Theres lots of disposable cash floating around and with no clubs open to relieve tourists of it, other sectors of the tourist industry on the island are experiencing a boom in trade, especially in boat and car rentals.
It’s impossible to find decent accommodation with many of the package tourist hotels closed due to the impact covid 19 has had on the mass tourism market and these hotels have been very slow to adapt to the new market trends emerging. Everybody is commenting on how crazy the island is right now, staff are very tired working double shifts just to keep up with demand as the usual influx of seasonal workers have failed to materialise this season, but this is a problem that lies squarely with the local employers. A leading restaurant in Playa Den Bossa, Sublimotion, has just launched its “Virtual Chef” dining experience, so maybe the island has found a way to work around the problem, we will keep you updated on this devloping poject.
Years of low pay and poor employment conditions, combined with rising living costs, especially with regard to accommodation, has seen experienced staff abandon Ibiza as a viable place to work. Many of the seasonal staff that normally come to the island would compensate for low wages with free access to the clubs and the villa parties, but that door is now closed. I have spoken to many staff, both local and international and all of them are tired and overworked and say the people are crazy this year. It’s definitely a season like no other, and reports that some of the island’s top DJs are playing private villa parties have been confirmed by staff on the ground, who claim Ketamine is the drug of choice this season and the one causing all the problems.
Sublimotion, has just launched its Virtual Chef dining experience…
If Ibiza is going to change its tourism model, and all indicators are pointing to this, it seriously needs to address its current staffing crisis which has been threatening to impload for a number of years now. I know of hotel and restaurant owners who will be forced to close early this season due to staff shortages, so if you are looking for work in the service industry in Ibiza, now is the time to come to the island as there are plenty of opportunities available for the next ten weeks at least. Contact us here on the blog for more details.
As we advised earlier in the year, September and October are still looking good as the months to travel to Ibiza. The Spanish tourists will have returned to work, the kids back in school and the island will be well on its way to having nearly 80% of its population fully vaccinated. So the good news for now is to start packing your bags for September.
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