Tourist chief tells hoteliers not to give in to tour operators

Balearic tourism minister Celestí Alomar, who has just returned from the World Travel Market in London, yesterday called on local hoteliers not to give in to pressure from tour operators who are seeking price reductions. He said that they should not take a step backwards, which would put the future of the islands as a tourist destination in danger. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Tunisian counterpart Mondher Zenaidi, Alomar rejected the requests of some tour operators who want hoteliers to reduce their prices to boost the market. “The islands are the destination which has the best quality-price relation in the world,” he claimed. He advised hoteliers to offer their collaboration, but to act with caution and not take steps which would reduce the quality of life of residents and tourists. Alomar said that there were other ways to reactivate the market. The Tunisian Minister, for his part, called on the Balearic tourist sector to invest in his country.