Difficut Times

Now, I believe in being upbeat and I sincerely hope that the tourist season will get underway in March, but I have my doubts. Now, I completely understand that the local ministry for tourism wants to be upbeat and also keep Mallorca on the map during these difficult times but at the moment it is almost impossible to travel to the islands as a result of all the tests and paperwork which is required and I can't see much changing in the short term.

One of the biggest battles the local ministry for tourism faces is trying to convince an increasingly sceptical general public that it is safe to travel. Then there are obviously the restrictions. No-one is going to want to go on holiday to a resort if there are plenty of rules and regulations regarding their stay and what they can do and what they can't do.

This is a nightmare time for the travel industry and as I have said on numerous occasions in this space, price will be key. You must remember that both Britain and Germany, the two principal tourist markets, will be in recession. The Balearics can´t outprice themselves from the market, prices will have to be competitive to say the least.