Tourists shy away from Punta Ballena touts

Tourists are doing their very best to avoid walking up the Punta Ballena because of the wall of ticket touts. Some bar owners fear that they are losing trade and both residents and holidaymakers alike are making detours in order to avoid walking up the hill. One bar owner said yesterday that many people used to catch a cab to avoid the ticket touts, “but even that's been impossible over the past ten days because of the strike, so some have just stayed away.” While Calvia Council has brought in legislation to control the touts and force bars and clubs to provide proper employment contracts for their public relations staff, the situation appears to have got out of control, again. Angry business people say that neither the council nor the local police are doing anything about it. “As soon as the police appear, most of the lads and lasses scarper, so you know they're doing something illegal, but as soon as the squad car has gone, they all come back,” a bar owner said. But she was forced to admit that while she did not intend to employ any public relations staff, in order to keep up with the competition, her bar has had to employ one on contract. The quiet start to the season is not helping and the battle for clients is as fierce as ever. For many people, walking up Punta Ballena of an evening is a daunting affair. “Calvia council has done so many good things for the resort, but there are still a few fundamental issues that need to be sorted out in Magalluf and Palmanova,” a bar owner said. “I agree that we should have to close the doors at midnight and get people off the terraces by 3am; some people forget that there are residents who live in Magalluf, but visitors should be able to wander up and down Punta Ballena and go for a drink without being constantly bothered by gangs of pushy ticket touts, many of whom are illegal.”