A golden opportunity

IT will be a case of best foot forward for the Balearics this weekend with almost 1'000 travel agents heading to the islands for the annual convention of the Association of British Travel Agents. It is said that the bookings to the place where ABTA held their last convention usually rise the following year because the delegates have a greater feel for the product they are selling.

For the sake of the Balearics I hope this is the case. The local ministry for tourism should be making an almost super-human effort to show the islands to the delegates in a good light. This is a golden opportunity for the Balearics to shine. This is a smaller ABTA than previous years.

There are not so many delegates and the event doesn´t last as long. But there are some very important guest speakers. The Bulletin is also doing its bit by producing a special supplement on Monday for delegates and ample coverage during the weekend. British tourists are vital for the Balearics. Millions of British tourists come here every year. The local authorities need to underline the fact that they will receive a very warm welcome. Years ago the Palma City Council, had a campaign which was called quite simply A Tourist, A Friend. It would have been a good day if this campaign was reintroduced for the convention. It would have been a good idea if the local ministry for tourism had gone round and thanked the delegates personally. Afterall, these are the people who can make or break Majorca as a holiday destination.