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Dear Sir,

I found the article published in Thursday's edition regarding the fact that 40% of visitors coming to the island are staying in ‘illegal property'. I don't quite understand what the Ministry of Tourism is trying to do, they say they are going to hand over websites and penalise both visitors and homeowners who have ‘substandard' accommodation and have not registered their properties and paid tax etc, how on earth can they do this when the greedy hotel unions have forced the government to put a ban on granting licenses. I think these ‘ dinosaurs' need to move to the 20th century, if the facts are correct and 40% of visitors are staying in holiday apartments/villas, what will happen if they are barred from booking again, they will simply go to Portugal, France, mainland Spain, Italy, Turkey etc etc where there are no such ridiculous bans - do the government not think what will happen to the bars, car hire companies, restaurants that so desperately need the support of visitors who are not trapped in the ever increasing all inclusive high rises that the government so seems to favour. I also believe that most of the accidents/problems seem to occur in hotels anyway!! I appreciate that there can be problems with unregistered properties, but let them have inspections, pay their taxes and problems solved, more revenue for the government and tourist standards assured. I know I would rather stay in a luxury apartment/villa over a high rise all inclusive named after some famous beach resort not located in Majorca.

Have any hotels done focus groups to work out if their guests would go to an apartment instead, doubt it and in all honesty there are different types of tourists, some who want to experience the local scenery, nightlife, culinary scene and those who want to drink themselves stupid in an all inclusive and then jump off a balcony! Please be reminded that the Canaries and Balearics are the only places in Europe with this ban on holiday letting and I believe it goes against the European Court of Human Rights which stops people doing what they want with their properties, if these measures are taken and people fined, I would hope that visitors turn to another country where the government is not so beholden to the hotel unions.

Name withheld

Dear Sir,

And the Gold Medal for Stupidity goes to.....Majorca!!! WTF is the island's government thinking when it decides the best response to the news that 40% of their visitors don't stay in hotels (and therefore provide substantial income for local shops, bars and restaurants) is to put a stop to it all in the expectation that they will say “ok, let's go to one of those all-inclusive hotels instead!”.

Well, they wont, those people understandably hate that type of holiday - so Majorca, if this absurd ruling is policed and thousands of otherwise unsustainable properties are no longer rented out, put up for sale even, then don't be complaining next year when half of your bars and restaurants (to the great satisfaction of your greedy hoteliers) have the shutters down year-round, - because if that's what you want, that's what you're gonna get! James Brent

Brighton