A major blow

By Jason Moore THE fact that Majorca's premier beach which graces the frontcover of many local government promotional booklets has been stripped of its blue flag should get the alarm bells ringing at local government headquarters. Many of Majorca's beaches pride themselves on their blue flags, awarded for excellence by the European Union every year. The fact that Es Trenc no longer has one is a major blow. The official line is the EU inspectors take into account all beach facilities and Es Trenc, being relatively unspoilt, has few because it would rather ruin its natural appeal. But lets not forget that Es Trenc did have a blue flag and its facilities, such as showers, beach beds and public toilets, have never been an issue before. Lets remember that we live from tourism and if the jewel in the crown is devalued then some people should start worrying. I am no fan of Es Trenc, give me Palma Nova, Camp de Mar or Cala San Vicente anday, but I do appreciate its significance to the island. There was some good news for the island; with a record number of beaches getting blue flag but Es Trenc's loss was far more serious than the other gains. There is obviously a problem which the local authorities need to resolve. This is not good publicity at all and comes at a time when so tourists are starting to question the excessive building on the island which they claiming is ruining its natural beauty.