Panic in Spain as restaurants asking British tourists to pay £34 before arrival

jetting off to a number of popular Spanish holiday hotspots in how they pay for food and drink. An increasing number of restaurants are requesting that tourists including Brits pay before arrival with some establishments requiring £34 (40 euros) when booking.

More and more restaurants are asking visitors to commit to a certain amount when booking due to customers watching the bank balance meaning they are spending less, an increasing number of no shows and the hospitality industry struggling to find staff. A combination of high living costs and a lack of affordable housing is believed to be the reason behind staff shortages. have ravaged the popular island of Majorca in 2022, 2023 and 2024, forcing restaurants to even reduce their opening hours.

It is currently unknown how customers will react to having to put down a lump sum of money before they have even had a drink, a bite to eat or have entered the restaurant.

The staff shortages are also focing bars and restaurants to move to self-payment systems such as the option to pay via a QR code

President of the CAEB Restaurants Association, Juanmi Ferrer, beloves it is "the only solution to be able to stay open".

He added: "Another method is payment at a till. Referring to this as the Italian model, Ferrer explains that at 85% of restaurants in Italy, especially the day-to-day ones, orders and payments are made at the till when customers arrive. "The owner of the establishment is usually at the cash register."

The chaos of Covid was the real beginning of Majora's staff shortages as many of the eateries rely on the tens of millions of tourists who visit Majorca annually.

The changes to these methods could potentially limit payment options for visitors to Majorca, as it could lead to more cashless bars and restaurants. Tourists are advised to check whether paying using their debit or credit card will incur fees when they're abroad.

Anselmo Cardona, the manager of Can Joan de s'Aigo cafe in Palma, said: "In the hospitality industry, human warmth will always be necessary.", but also admitted that: "automation is unstoppable".

He believes that tech-based changes in ordering and paying will mostly influence casual dining spots, while high-end bars and restaurants are likely to maintain classic service models.