LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Sir, WHEN reading in the Spanish press that hoteliers are being paid 20 euros for each person per day, when their costs are between 25 and 30 euros, should, (in theory) mean that for next year, many of those hotels on “all inclusive” will opt out of the scheme. It may be too late for many small bars/businesses who are suffering this year, as Majorca competes with the “cheapest of the cheap” holidays on offer in Europe, to attract foreigners. Also reported is the increase of nationals (Spanish) coming from the mainland for holidays here in July and August due to successful promotions, and these are known to be a free/high spending type of tourist, good for the island in general, but not for those businesses which are British-orientated. For decades, it has been obvious that it is not hoteliers or the Ministry of Tourism that controls the destiny of tourism in Majorca, but the overseas tour operators, whose only interest has been to go for volume of visitors at the cheapest price they could get. When Majorca has been reduced to the lowest level, tour operators will just “pack their tents” and move on to new (cheap) locations. One can only hope that there is someone in a position of authority sufficiently professional and/or intelligent enough to take the necessay steps to stop this downward trend before matters become even more serious. Graham Phillips, Palma de Majorca.