Letters to the Editor

Taking note of the various representatives attending, it seems that tour operators are given a prominent place as are the representatives of the many hotel groups. Nowhere in your article is there a mention of representatives from any of the low-cost airlines which serve the Balearics so well in the summer time. It appears that it will be yet another case of the hotels, the tourist board and the tour operators saying the same old thing and deciding that no one else needs to be involved.

Not trusting statistics in general and in particular when they are concerned with tourism, I would like to make the following simple observations for whoever might feel disposed to look at them. Should visitors wish to come to Majorca in winter they must have somewhere to stay, something to do and a means of getting here other than by sea and road or rail.

Taking note of Malta, which has many similarities to Majorca, the number of UK winter visitors (the five months from November to the end of March) is 24% of the summer UK visitors. For Majorca, over the same period, the figure is close to 5%. Malta has very similar winter weather to Majorca but unlike Majorca it does not have so many attractions, such as mountain walking, golf and cycling and nor does it have the wealth of ancient buildings, museums and cities, nor the wealth of fine dining restaurants, cafes and bars which are available in Palma. There are more British-related historical sites in Malta, but this is the only winter advantage over Majorca.

Before this discrepancy can be addressed, it has to be accepted that Malta is an independent state and therefore has complete control over labour laws, hotel and private accommodation regulation, restaurant and bar regulations, tourist budgets and certain aspects of airline operations, owning its own airline for example. This, no doubt, makes it difficult for the Majorca government to make alterations to national regulations which would solely benefit Majorca. With this in mind, perhaps consideration can be given to the following points.

While still operating within the labour laws, perhaps hotels could stay open, on a rotating basis for about nine months of the year: all open from April to end of September with half staying open until mid-January while others close at the end of September and reopen mid January. That is not carved in stone but something similar would ensure that sufficient winter accommodation will be available.

Malta reports that 54% of all visitor spending is on food and drink with restaurants accounting for 31%. Shopping and recreational activities account for another 16% each. The abundance of “All-in Hotels” would no doubt make it difficult for Majorca to match these figures.

The airlines must be brought into any discussions as early as possible; they need to be looking at their flight schedules twelve months ahead of implementing new services. If this is not an option then the formation of a locally based airline should be considered. This option, which has been addressed in detail before, can take up to eighteen months to put into operation and the cost will be in the region of 16 million euros.

Tom Leeming