Mallorca: Paradise no more?
Is Mallorca losing its charm for tourists?
I find the debacle engulfing Mallorca’s tourist industry rather sad. Generations of holidaymakers from northern Europe dreamed for most of the year of coming on holiday to Mallorca, where the welcome was warm and the prices were relatively cheap. Unfortunately, thanks to a small minority the welcome is not as warm as it once was. It is not as cheap as it once was either.
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7 comments
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8000 protesters in Palma on June 15. That is out of a population of 966,000. Go figure. It tallies with my experience of living in Mallorca. Most locals dont have any problem with expats, visitors or anything. They know what butters their bread.
I´ve lived in Majorca a number of years and know the attitude of locals to English speakers like myself. From everybody I know, have spoken to, or my local wife deals with, most of the people are not bothered about tourism. Most Mallorcans dont think about tourism. They know it happens and most locals know someone who has employment in something related to it. The press coverage is out of line with reality. Most spaniards have a home to go to, even if it is not their dream home. The militant protesters are indeed a minority. Even being generous, they are in the tens of thousands, eg the 8000 that gathered in Palma the other day. Compare that to a total mallorcan population of 966,000 and we can indeed see that widespread opinion has no problem with tourism at all. I would also add as a personal experience that whilst I could never call myself a true majorcan, nobody is bothered by my presence or that of other expats. If you dont make trouble, people leave you alone. What goes around comes around. Respect others and they respect you.
tranq tranquerYou must have made a success of it as you are still residing in Mallorca. Did you marry a local girl and settle down in the country ? I was just a twinkle in my Dad’s eyes back then. It would be interesting to hear the stories of other “ex-pats” who experienced living in Mallorca whilst Franco was in power and how they got on with life during those difficult times.
A problem with the emerging viewpoints, whether they be ‘perception’ or reality is that they will push away the more discerning traveller, who takes the trouble to be informed about where they intend to visit, has far greater choice about where they go, and most importantly brings the serious revenue to the island.
Richard PearsonDepends what you consider very young. 24 on a 750cc Honda Four, looking for fun, frolics and a new direccion in life. It was a great time to arrive, Franco was in Madrid , still in charge, the Guardia Civil second only to God with carte blanche to do pretty much whatever they wanted. Having said that as long as you weren't a lefty lawyer or a trades unionist as a foreigner they didn't bother you. Drunken Swedes lying in the gutter in Son Armadams at 8am as I rode down to the Club de Mar for daywork. Brandy at about 5 cents a tot, fags just as cheap, girls on holiday everywhere - just like now. Yep, Mallorca was pretty much heaven under the sun.
tranq tranquerFifty years ? You must have come when you were very young.
The biggest problem is perception. There is a school of thought amongst many Mallorcans that tourists will always come to the island because it is a paradise and whatever happens the millions will come to the island. Yes Jason that is the case and will continue to be the case. It has been so for the fifty years I have been here and I see no reason for that to change any time soon. Some years will be better than others but the tourists will continue to come. I continue to repeat the two major dangers to life on this island are factors more or less beyond our control. Increasing climate change and mass unstoppable migration from the vast continent to our south, most likely driven by the first problem.