Viewpoint: Mallorca’s global reach

On a recent staycation in Mallorca, something I have began to enjoy a great deal as a result of the pandemic - exploring the island’s hotels and visiting new hideaways, I found myself surrounded by a multitude of nationalities, although only a handful of British holiday makers I have to admit, but they have to be staying somewhere because they have been and are continuing to come.

But what has struck me most this year is the number of American visitors. Back in May I met many at a hotel near Pollensa, but they were based in Europe. This time around I bumped into the Kennedy family. The parents and their two grown up children are from New York. “Are you travelling Spain or doing Europe?” I asked. “No, we’ve come over from New York on a ten-day holiday to Mallorca,” they replied. Yes, they came over to the explore the island, which they had never visited before, and said they absolutely loved it and could not wait to tell all of their friends when they got back to New York.

Sadly they left the next day, so I never found out how they got to hear about Mallorca but thanks to the Kennedys, many more New Yorkers will, so perhaps the tourism authorities should start thinking about the bigger picture and not just Europe.