Brits have been warned that a popular holiday hotspot is being impacted by major staff shortages – with restaurants having to close their doors.

People in Majorca are reportedly prioritising “living over working”, which is having a damaging effect on the hospitality industry, particularly restaurants, which are struggling to find staff.

As a result, many are having to resort to closing two days a week and reduce their number of tables, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.

“The restaurant sector is not growing as much as it could do because of the lack of professionals,” said the president of the CAEB Restaurants Association, Alfonso Robeldo.

He said: “This in fact started before the pandemic; now every year it is more difficult to be able to get all the staff who are needed.

“But Covid did mark a before and after; people now prioritise living more than working.”

Robeldo insisted, however, that the lack of workers was not due to pay, as he claimed: “We have the best hospitality agreement in Spain.”

A typical salary is 1,500 euros (£1,248) net per month in 14 payments.

He did, nevertheless, point out that tips have been reduced considerably, given that more and more customers now pay by card.

“When everyone else is partying, you are working,” Robeldo said, which is one of the reasons why young people are turning their backs on the hospitality industry.

He explains that restaurants are increasingly looking at hiring people aged 50 and over, who can have problems finding employment in other sectors: “We are hiring them as they have experience, and they know what they want.”

Robeldo also pointed to one familiar issue as to why people from the mainland no longer want to come to work in the Balearic archipelago – the high cost of living, especially for housing.

In Andalusia, which supplied many seasonal workers, there is now much higher demand for hospitality professionals. Brexit has also played a part, as this has resulted in young Brits no longer travelling to Spain to work as waiters.

It was reported earlier this year that staff shortages that were evident in the restaurant industry in 2022 and 2023 have worsened this year, leading to a reduction in opening hours and some businesses being forced to close at certain times of day.

Juanmi Ferrer, also of the Restaurants Association, said that there had been a lower spending, with a 30 percent fall in turnover, adding that a weak high season minimises the possibilities of staying open beyond the peak summer season, especially in resort areas.

In 2023, the total number of tourists to Majorca and the other Balearic Islands increased by a staggering 1.3 million to 17.8 million, with estimates in May suggesting that it was not inconceivable that the total for 2024 could increase by a further two million, reaching 20 million, twice as many as at the start of the century, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.