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TOURISM

‘Like Covid never happened’: Ibiza’s nightclubs are back with a bang

After being closed for two years, Ibiza's famous mega-clubs have reopened their doors to the usual throngs of partygoers, as authorities on the tiny Spanish island try to strike a balance between tourism and sustainability.

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People party at the Pachá Ibiza nightclub in Eivissa in June 2022. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)

On a warm June night, the pandemic seems a distant memory.

A crowd dances to the pulsing beat of electronic music, hands in the air, at the Pacha nightclub near the main marina on the Mediterranean holiday island of Ibiza.

“It is like Covid never happened inside here,” said Michelle, a 31-year-old British healthcare worker at the entrance to the club, which is packed with 3,500 people.

“It has exceeded our expectations,” said Paloma Tur, the spokeswoman for Grupo Pacha which runs the hulking white nightclub that includes a rooftop terrace and garden.

“We still can’t say for certain that the numbers will be better than 2019, but everything indicates yes.”

As in many other venues, almost all of the famous nightclub’s 150 staff received help from a government furlough scheme during the pandemic when Pacha was shut.

Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for 84 percent of Ibiza’s gross domestic product, for which clubbing is a major draw. The health crisis was “a real disaster”, said Juan Miguel Costa of the island’s tourism board.

The pandemic affected all sectors but the leisure sector — which employs over 3,000 people directly and indirectly — was the last to fully open up after virus restrictions were lifted.

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Ibiza was a ‘hippie’ refuge in the 60s and 70s, but now the island is world famous as a mecca for tourists in search of its wild and glitzy nightlife. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)

Mass tourism complaints

Roberto de Lope, the director general of nightclub operator Ushuaia Entertainment, said it was a “relief” to finally open their club on the island on April 30th and start selling drinks.

“But we are still affected, with a lot of loans that we must pay back,” he added.

On the southeast coast of the island, one of the group’s clubs Hi Ibiza, which can hold 5,700 people, was preparing to open at midnight.

But the party was already in full swing across the street at its other venue, Ushuaia.

As the sun set over the Mediterranean, more than 7,000 tanned partygoers danced around the swimming pools of this outdoor club, which last year was only allowed to open its doors for a few days and with a reduced capacity.

Scotland’s Calvin Harris, one of the world’s top earning DJs, was performing that night.

Tickets at the door cost 90 euros ($95), and cocktails sold for around 20 euros.

But while the mega-clubs draw deep-pocketed tourists from around the globe, many Ibiza residents argue the island does not need to rely on hard partying to draw visitors.

They point out that Ibiza and the neighbouring island of Formentera drew 1.9 million tourists in 2021, a little more than half pre-pandemic numbers, even though most nightclubs were shut.

“I think Ibiza has realised that we don’t just live off parties,” said Jaume Ribas, the spokesman of an association called “Prou”, or “enough” in Catalan, which has for years lobbied against mass tourism on the island.

READ ALSO: Mallorca restaurants ban poorly dressed diners to stop booze tourism

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Thousands of revellers party at the famous Ushuaia nightclub in Ibiza two years after it closed. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)

‘Feel free’

Blessed with scores of stunning coves and beaches, Ibiza is home to just 152,000 people but its population swells to up to 450,000 during the peak summer holidays.

The influx causes traffic problems and has been blamed for a rise in crime related to the drug trade as well as a shortage of housing for locals.

“The problems have accelerated this year,” said Ribas.

The regional government of the Balearic Islands, of which Ibiza is part, said it is working to strike a balance between tourism and sustainability.

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Tourism represents around 90 percent of Ibiza’s GDP. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)

“Ibiza’s tourism model is evolving,” said Costa of the island’s tourism board, citing efforts to close illegal rentals on homesharing sites like Airbnb and shut illegal raves.

“Obviously leisure is an essential product for us, we are a world-renowned brand thanks to electronic music,” Costa added.

“But it is not the case anymore that the tourism season started when the nightclubs opened and ended then they closed.”

Ibiza’s association with partying remains strong, however, especially as global tourism bounces back.

Sara Borrego, 32, came to Ibiza from Cadiz in southern Spain with a group of friends to celebrate her upcoming wedding, which was postponed due to the pandemic.

Dressed in white and wearing a crown that said “bride”, she did not stop dancing amid the crowd at Ushuaia.

“There are no more restrictions, we don’t have to wear a mask, we feel free,” she said with a huge smile.

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TRAIN TRAVEL

The new compensation rules for train delays and cancellations with Spain’s Renfe

Renfe, Spain’s national rail company, has changed the way in which you can get compensation for delays, as well as the amount of refund you are entitled to.

The new compensation rules for train delays and cancellations with Spain's Renfe

This changes will apply to Ave, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed and Intercity trains on journeys from July 1st.

This decision comes after a meeting of the company’s Board of Directors who wanted to introduce a similar commitment to punctuality as other competing companies such as Ouigo and Iryo.

But this is not necessarily good news, because now customers will only receive compensation when the delay times are greater and the amounts will be less. 

For example, up until now if an AVE train was delayed 30 minutes you would receive a 100 percent refund, now it’s only if the delay exceeds 90 minutes, a whole hour and a half delay.

What are the new refund amounts and how long do the delays have to be?

Here’s a full breakdown of the new amounts:

Until now, 50 percent was refunded for delays of more than 15 minutes and 100 percent if they were more than 30 minutes.

Now the refunds will be 50 percent for delays of more than 60 minutes and 100 percent for those that exceed 90 minutes.

This means for example that if your train is now delayed up to 45 minutes, you won’t receive any compensation from Renfe at all.

How will the new refund system work?

You will still be able to get your refund in cash or on your card, as always, but there are now other options too including greater refund amounts, depending on what you choose. These are:

  • A refund of 200 percent of the amount depending on the delay time via a new points system managed through the Más Renfe card ‘Renfecitos’. 
  • Compensation as a voucher to buy another ticket. In this case, the refund will be 150 percent of the amount for both delays of 60 minutes and those greater than 90 minutes.

If you choose the refund of the amount on your bank card, you can request it at renfe.com or at the station ticket offices and travel agencies.

If you choose the refund voucher, you can only get it online. In this case you have a maximum of three months from the date of travel to request compensation and a maximum of six months from when you have obtained the discount code to purchase the new ticket.

If you choose to be refunded with Renfe Points, you must also do this online. This option is only available for tickets purchased with a credit/debit card or cash. The points will be credited directly to your account and you have a maximum of three months from the date of travel to request compensation and a maximum of three years to use the points.

To claim delays on Avlo trains, you can do this through the automatic compensation system at www.avlorenfe.com or www.renfe.com. Compensation is paid through the same payment method as you used to purchase your ticket. You will have a maximum period of three months from the date of the trip to request it.

For compensation for delays on integrated tickets, you can apply for compensation at points of sale and customer service at the stations.

In 2023 Renfe paid out €42 million to its customers in compensation for delays. An amount that could have risen to almost €70 million if all affected users had requested compensation.

With this change, Renfe seeks to reduce the amount.

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