Mallorca’s Tourism Angst, Biz Travel’s Bounce and Delta’s IT Woes

Skift Take

Today’s podcast looks at Mallorca residents’ anger over tourism, business travel’s projected return, and Delta’s ongoing IT outage issues.

Rashaad Jorden

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, July 23, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

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Episode Notes

Mallorca recently saw another large demonstration against mass tourism, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.

More than 20,000 protestors marched the streets of Palma de Mallorca on Sunday as Spain continues to emerge as one of the hottest destinations in Europe. Demonstrators called for more affordable housing, fair wages, better conservation of natural spaces, and respect for local culture.

The protests have not reduced the popularity of the destinations this summer. International flights bookings for Mallorca are up 6% for July and August. For Barcelona, they’re up 18%. 

Next, business travel spending worldwide is expected to hit an all-time high by the end of 2024, reports Senior Hospitality Editor Sean O’Neill.

The Global Business Travel Association said that global business travel spending is projected to reach $1.48 trillion by year-end. That would top pre-Covid levels for the first time. The GBTA found that 68% of business travel managers report spending more in 2024 than last year. 

The association projects global business travel spending will surpass $2 trillion in 2028.

Delta Air Lines canceled roughly 20% of its schedule on Monday as it grapples with the aftermath of the recent major IT outage, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 

CEO Ed Bastian said on Sunday that Delta’s crew scheduling system was unable to process the large number of changes caused by the IT outage. Delta is also experiencing difficulties locating its crewmembers, which is helping cause the ongoing disruptions. Meanwhile, rivals American Airlines and United Airlines have restored their operations since the outage.