It goes without saying that coronavirus has been devastating for both the music and tourist industries so far, and it’s unlikely that the situation will improve by summer. According to a report by Diario de Ibiza, the party paradise is set to have a quiet few months during what would have been its peak season, with no tourism expected until August of this year at the very earliest.
Iago Negueruela, the Balaeric Islands Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industry, has said that he hopes to see the tourists gradually return from August onwards. However, for that first month the capacity will be just 25% compared to the same time last year and would only increase to 50% in the months following.
When talking about tourists returning to the islands, the Minister said, “There are countries like the United Kingdom that have taken too long to adopt confinement measures and that also puts us in a different situation with respect to them.”
4000 Jobs at Risk
With clubs closing, the future of thousands of Ibiza’s venue staff is looking increasingly uncertain. Head of the Ibiza leisure association, José Luis Benítez, told Diario “In Ibiza, there are currently eight superclubs and in each of them work between 300 and 350 people, plus another 100 in less direct ways.”
"I don't know if we'll ever get back to normal," he added. "I don't know if we'll recuperate the same levels of tourism we've come to expect."
Hï and Ushuaïa to Close Doors in May
In response to the outbreak, Hï and Ushuaïa—two of Ibiza’s most iconic clubs which are both run by The Night League— announced that they have officially cancelled all scheduled parties for May 2020.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the clubs confirmed that they would be pushing back the party season, but it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll reopen in June.
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