The debate over more winter flights continues but there doesn´t appear to be an easy solution. The bottom-line, unfortunately, is that we expats are not travelling back to Britain enough to warrant more flights during the low season. Steps in the right direction have been made and there are probably more flights this winter than last year but they are still not enough, and according to the airlines it is our fault. The expat community on the island has declined over recent years. How many expats would want to return to Britain during the winter period? Well the answer is very few. During the Christmas period there are more flights to take festive travellers back to Britain but then nothing. Obviously, if there were more winter tourists the problem would be partly solved. But at the end of the day it is the expats who will make or break a route for the airlines over the low season. The cost of the fare is a major incentive and lower fares will mean lower travellers. But as I mentioned in this space last week Britain is now exceptionally expensive for those who have euros. I think we can still call for more flights and at the same time call on the local authorities to get their act together over winter tourism, but I sincerely doubt that the airlines are going to come to our rescue any time soon. It is a question of demand and supply and over the the winter there is little demand and this is clearly evident.
Winter blues
Palma09/11/2015 00:00
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Just an observation - the other day I drove round a great deal of Palma Nova, Son Matias and Magaluf: in the 34 years I have been coming to Mallorca I have never seen such a big winter shut-down. Huge swathes of closed hotels, shops, bars and entertainment facilities. Yet this week there have been several top quality concerts to suit fans of classical music, the weather has been amazing, and on the 'plane to the UK today there was a large group of UCL students who had an excellent field trip in the Alcudia area this week. Very much more can and should be promoted through the winter - but the politicians and those in charge of tourism to Mallorca don't seem to have any functioning brains.
We used to come over to Puerto Pollensa in January each year. Other than Kings Festival and a few some reasonably warm days, there is very little open in the way of restaurants, bars, hotels etc. The biggest risk we found was being run over by tumble weed. So, the issue is not the flights. If Mallorca wants winter tourists, it must be open for business. Airlines will fly people if there is demand.
The Balearics need to get realistic. People want to spend their hard earned cash on summer holidays at beach resorts. People want to spend Christmas in the UK and there are no school holidays apart from Christmas and a short half term November to March. Those who can afford it will go to the Canaries or further afield in winter. The Balearics have nothing to offer.