EDITORIAL

By Jason Moore THE Balearic government has gone into over-drive trying to persuade German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to come here on holiday. The leader of the Balearic government, Jaume Matas, is putting plenty of hard work and effort into the project. Balearic hopes of attracting Schroeder were given a boost this week after he cancelled his holiday to Italy following the “Nazi” row. While I welcome the energy of our new President I don't understand why the invitation is just limited to Schreoder. Why not invite Tony Blair as well? He is a close friend of Spanish PM Aznar and afterall Matas did serve in his cabinet in Madrid. I know the German market has its fair share of problems at the moment and I know that visitor numbers are in steep decline, but don't forget that it has been the British which have “saved” the Balearics over the last few years. If the number of British tourists hadn't increased to counterbalance the drop in German visitors then the Balearics would be facing a real crisis. The British are always going to come here because they simply love the place. But I just hope that the new local government isn't going to spend the next four years going back and forth to Germany and ignoring other markets. It is always nice to be remembered. It's like going to your favourite restaurant and being ignored by the waiter. What happens? However much you like the place you don't go back. So Sr. Matas invite Mr. Blair as well, he has a slight credibility problem at the moment and there is a danger that even if he did underline Majorca's assets no-one would believe him but he is the Prime Minister of the country which has saved the Balearics' bacon for the last three years if not longer.