CHANGES FOR 2011

WELCOME to 2011, a year which will see smoking all but banned in bars and restaurants and major price rises for electricity and other public services. It should also be the year when Spain finally pulls clear of recession but only just. Then there are the local elections in the Spring which could see a major change in the political landscape after four years of coalition government.

It should be an exciting year and one which could see major change in the Balearics. The Spanish government are desperately trying to raise cash from anywhere they can in an effort to pay the enormous cash burden of 4.5 million unemployment.

I get the impression that Spain is ready for change and my hunch is that we are going to have a new centre-right Balearic government after the May and the party, the Partido Popular, will probably win the general elections the year afterwards. On the tourism front, things surely can't get any worse! I would love to see a major recovery in British tourism and fingers crossed that the pound continues to rise against the euro this year.

So let us hope that the price increases will not hamper the Spanish recovery and that 2011 will be a good year for Spain. Above all, the tourist industry needs to start to recover because the tourist millions are badly needed in the Balearics.