YOUR VIEWS

MAY I add a rider to my comments on the lack of self-catering licences.
I agree with Graham Phillips' last letter but he has assumed I wanted to purchase a holiday home, I wish.
My intention was to buy a property offering a home for us plus a couple of letting casitas.
Not only would this mean holidaymakers visiting local shops and restaurants it would also mean money generated on the island then stays on the island to be spent by ourselves and we pay our taxes there.

We have stayed in a Majorcan owned casita with all transactions done by mobile phone and e-mail and cash paid on arrival.
This casita is let constantly during most of the year and generates some considerable income none of which benefits the government.
If it were licenced some direct benefit could be gained by the government.
Those with holiday homes who wish to let them should be able to do so as again the tourists will spend locally, probably when self-catering more will be spent in smaller establishments and local shops helping that local community.

We would be only too happy to be officially licenced for commercial letting of villas/casitas on a self-catering basis and pay a fee or a percentage of takings in order to do so.

I realise the strength of the hotel lobby but feel the government is losing a huge potential income but it seems would rather have holiday homes standing empty for most of the year generating virtually nothing. As Mr Phillips says bureaucracy gone mad.

Any government comments welcomed! Yours

Philippa Coates
Cambridge