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The local authorities are doing a first-class job in promoting the joys of this island during the winter season, but the airlines are not helping with their outrageous fares. As we have reported this week air fares between the mainland and the Balearics have trebled for the festive period and it is not cheap to go to Britain either. It is a rather outrageous state of affairs. Unless you booked in August (!) your Christmas expedition to Britain or the mainland could cost you a small fortune. It will even deter visiting tourists. As we all know there are not many winter flights to Britain, while Scotland doesn’t have a direct route to the island over the winter even though Majorca is one of the country’s most popular holiday destinations.

The local authorities need to work with the airlines and reach an accord which will make coming to the Balearics over winter an affordable option. There is plenty happening over Christmas on the island and I am sure that many tourists would ponder coming here as long as the price is right. Palma, which is probably the most viable option for winter tourism because everything is open, has a long list of festive activities and the Christmas lights are especially spectacular this year. But in the travel industry value-for-money is key and this is not the case with flights to the island at the moment. Big steps forward are being made to transform the Balearics into an off-season destination but there are still some hurdles to overcome, such as price.