07/07/2000 00:00
TW
0
Dear Sir, My wife and I had the great pleasure of spending the last two weeks on the Island in Puerto Pollensa, our fourth visit since first discovering Majorca in 1995 on a package tour. This time we joined the growing number of visitors who are turning their backs on the tour operators and instead taking advantage of the new low cost scheduled services to the Island from the UK. We chose to travel with easyJet which now operates a choice of daily flights from both Liverpool and Luton Airports, all year round because of the inflexibility of the large tour operators, who either do not offer flights on the days or at the times customers want, do not offer flights from the preferred UK airport or to the preferred accomodation in many cases.

In your newspaper you report the concern expressed at the fall in the number of tourists flying with the big tour operators but ignore the fact that one of the reasons for this fall is the growing popularity of do it yourself holidays, using the new scheduled services. The hotels, owners of rented accomodation and tourist offices on the Island need to respond to the increased popularity of the internet in the UK and sell themselves directly via the web to the growing band of people wanting to book direct from home.

Since the launch of daily low cost services to Palma from Liverpool Airport in April, there is an expanding market for weekend and short break holidays which will continue throughout the Winter months.

Our most recent holiday was the best yet despite the threats of, or problems with power cuts, water shortages, industrial action and air traffic control crisis.

I would assure residents who feel that life is becoming impossible on the Island that you don't know how lucky you are and suggest you spend a few hours on the magnificent beach at Formentor or strolling the Pine Walk at Puerto Pollensa to appreciate what you have. We will be counting the weeks until we have another chance to.

Peter Mawdsley
Liverpool