The Balearics have had to deal with a huge decline in the sale of cigarettes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and missing tourism, reports Euro Weekly.

The sale of cigarettes generates a large amount of tax revenue as well as profits for tobacconists and is therefore important for the local economy. According to figures released by the Balearic Ministry of Finance, 77.7 million packets were sold in October 2019 whereas only 47.2 million packets have been sold in the same period this year. The 40 per cent drop, which translates to a loss of around EUR 150 million (USD 179.5 million), is being blamed on the lack of tourists, reports Euro Weekly. In particular, British tourists usually stock up on cigarettes in places like Mallorca where the average pack costs EUR 5 (USD 5.98) versus the cost of EUR 13.75 (USD 16.45) in the UK.