News has just come in that Ibiza will be hit-up by 55,000 old people from all over Spain this winter. The invasion begins this week as the advance party of grey panthers arrives to stay in six specially selected hotels in San Antonio and the bay area. By November there'll be a total of 11, possibly more, hotels on the island accommodating the talkative senior citizens.
Hotel managers freely admit that they don't make much money from the pensioners' visits – the costs are paid by the state and the old folks only make a nominal contribution – but they do
keep around 400 people employed throughout the winter who would otherwise be drawing unemployment benefit.
There is, of course, a small spin off in what is known as the complimentary offer – cafés, bars, souvenir shops – some of which remain specially open while the old dears fiddle for change
in their purses, telling everyone that coffee is 10 cents cheaper in Toledo.
Most pleased will be Ibiza's bakers, because the most popular souvenir of a visit to the island is the locally made ensaimada, which is purchased by the cartload as an ideal present for the folks
back home.
