Jason MoorePalma07/09/2018 20:09
TW

The Balearics will go to the polls next year to elect a new regional government and of course the local councils. For the first time in almost two decades, it is very unlikely that British citizens will be able to vote because of Britain's exit from the European Union. These will be important elections and I suspect that the main issue will be the tourism industry and how the coalition government has handled this vital industry over the last four years.

No one could accuse the socialist-led Balearic government of doing nothing on tourism. They introduced the tourist tax and have since doubled the rate; they masterminded the crackdown on illegal holiday rentals and at the same time made a big effort to try and increase the number of winter visitors. The coalition government did get lucky: the ongoing security concerns about Turkey and resorts in North Africa meant that the islands enjoyed record seasons in 2016 and 2017.

But the same can't be said about this year. There has been a drop in tourism as competing resorts have recovered and I suspect that the "blame game" will start as soon as the season finishes with the Balearic government coming under fire. Now, there are some who believe that the islands should aim for fewer tourists but the majority want more tourists because it means more revenue. These will be interesting elections, and it is said that the Brits will not be able to have their say, especially on the tourism industry.