Ibiza Welcomes New 2007 Flights

Weekend clubbers from around Europe, and especially from the UK and Germany, descend upon Ibiza in the summer months for a week - and often two - of non stop partying.

Ibiza runs second only to the UK's main cities of London, Manchester and Liverpool in terms of popularity for clubbers, and some of the Ibiza clubs are as well known as any in the UK.

Demand for flights to Ibiza has been high enough in recent years for a low cost airline to start two new services from the UK to Ibiza, which should see the number of tourists on the island rise this year.

The two new routes are from Edinburgh in Scotland twice weekly, and London's Luton Airport with both routes offering a daily service.

Announcing the new routes, a spokesman for the airline said that the famous Ibiza club season gets going at the end of June, and is still the best place to party in Europe. For the quiet life, head inland to the north coast of the island, where you'll find some of Spain's most beautiful landscape rolling into the Mediterranean.

Talking about Ibiza's neighbouring island and equally well known holiday destination Majorca, where they have been offering a low cost service for some years, the airline said of Majorca's capital, Palma, that it is the elegant and cosmopolitan capital of Majorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, and is known for its beaches, climate, cultural and traditional influences. The warm climate of Palma makes it a popular destination, with something for everyone.

As well as Majorca and Ibiza, the airline also offers a service to the third Balearic Island, Menorca.

'Of the three Balearic Islands, Menorca is known as the quiet one, the type of island where you take your family on holiday if there aren't any mid to late teens who need entertaining, which would be more suited to Majorca. Ibiza is well known in Europe as a clubbing destination.' Say one travel guide for Menorca and Majorca.

Menorca villas are often let out to holidaymakers, with the season generally running from May to end September.

As part of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca has welcomed many visitors back to live full time on the island. Menorca property has proved popular too, for those looking for a gentler pace of life than big sister Mallorca.

Property prices in Mallorca are similar to Menorca property, with a range of apartments and villas in both rural and town locations, and with twenty golf courses plenty of golf course developments too on Mallorca.

Menorca has just the one golf course, recently extended to eighteen holes, and is located in Son Park, which has a choice of hotels, apartments and villas for holiday makers.

The three Balearic Islands of Menorca, Majorca and Ibiza might be close to each other, but they are all different in character and the type of tourist they typically attract.

A surprise is that the amount of time spent on Ibiza by each tourist is longer than on Menorca and Majorca - destroying the myth that Ibiza is primarily for long weekends or short trips for a couple of nights in the club.

The findings by the Balearics Tourist Authority show that after Ibiza, Menorca visitors stay on average for 11 days, with Majorca just behind. And the same pattern emerges for spending per day, with Ibiza top, Majorca second, and Majorca last.

The amount spent by Ibiza tourists averaged 94 Euros a day - a huge contribution to the island's economy, which could be furthered with the new routes from London and Edinburgh.