The tourism containment debacle

There again, looking back and the desire to apportion blame are the stock in trade of tourism management discourse. Since entering government, the Partido Popular have consistently blamed the previous government for eight years of mismanagement which resulted in 115,000 more tourist accommodation places. The coalition government headed by PSOE blamed the PP for growth in places enabled by the 2012 tourism law. If one wishes, one can take further steps back in time, e.g. to a PSOE rationale for the 2002 ecotax - a PP preference for quantity over quality. Or return to the 1960s, when neither party existed (not officially in the case of PSOE at any rate), and to the unleashing of the development that came to be dubbed ‘Balearisation’.

Gabriel Escarrer of Meliá Hotels International responded to the decree by presenting an article widely reproduced in the media that was headlined with the question - ‘Towards a Second Balearisation?’. This he defined as, inter alia, “destinations on our islands overflowing, filled with low-cost tourists rolling suitcases through the centres of our towns ... and with collapsed infrastructure - roads, beaches, transport”. Highly unimpressed with the decree, Escarrer’s principal target, except for the government, was the holiday rentals sector.

The Habtur association retaliated, accusing Escarrer of cynicism and pointing out that he had inherited “one of the largest empires in the state, built on a Balearisation that devoured the coastline, territory and public resources”. While much of what Escarrer had to say made good sense, he had set up himself for the Habtur charge by the very reference to Balearisation. In addition, the full-on assault against holiday rentals was interpreted by more than just the holiday rentals sector as looking after his interests and those of other hoteliers. And it requires little prompting for hotel critics to pile in and point fingers. It was nevertheless interesting to note that the Balearics travel agencies association, which doesn't have a similar vested interest, said much the same thing as Escarrer.

An association triumphalism as a consequence of the decree and an easily deflected historical reference by one of the chief spokespeople for the hoteliers thus exposed two sectors at each other’s throats in a manner not previously as overt. Dirty washing was being aired for consumption by a public which, according to President Prohens in the past, has been “clamouring” for measures.

The government was meanwhile hauling out the familiar accusation regarding the growth in the number of accommodation places. The actual numbers were now varying, both government and opposition confusing everyone with apparently conflicting figures. But no matter, let’s accept around 100,000 as a compromise. Core to the decree, and continuing with the historical reflection, how could the opposition defend the fact that they had indeed overseen an increase in the number of places of this magnitude?

Oh well, the idea was for them to gradually fall by the wayside. Which begs the question why they were ever made available in the first place. Yes, there was the talk about the ‘democratisation’ of tourism by facilitating registered apartment holiday lets. But this was on the basis of there being future regulatory and natural wastage. More than this, though, there was that constant government charge, repeated over and over by the president, the vice-president Antoni Costa, and the tourism minister, Jaume Bauzá, of an additional 115,000 places. Given this charge, why did the government choose not to do anything about these places, as this is the upshot of the decree?

Containment, argued Prohens. “I’ve never spoken about a decrease.” But the constant harping-on about these places had inferred that there should never have been the increase. Maintaining the moratorium would have equated to genuine containment. The government can’t have it both ways, but this is exactly what it has got.

A debacle because the desire for consensus as to a future tourism model, as envisaged by the sustainability pact, has been held up to ridicule. Political differences, business differences. Where is the possible consensus? The ridicule is intensified by Prohens’ volte-face on a tourist tax increase stemming from the renewed hope of Vox enabling the government to finally push through the 2025 budget.

Sins of the past, starting with the Balearisation, should be consigned to the past in working from the situation as it now is. It does no one any service in raking over past legislation, and it certainly helps no one if there is such antagonism between the two accommodation provider sectors.

Més have described the decree as smoke and mirrors. One of Mallorca’s foremost tourism commentators, Javier Mato, has referred to sleight of hand. It is unsatisfactory, a decree that offers nothing, bar not allowing more licences for apartments and the usual assertion of getting tough on the illegal supply. Reducing the number of places - hotels and holiday rentals - is the only meaningful course of action. Meanwhile, the public has been clamouring. Debacle.