Tour operators all but give up on this summer

A new strategy is being used by some tour firms to sell Balearic holidays for next summer on the UK high streets. Not only are many tour operators offering highly attractive discounts for those who book this side of Christmas, family holidays are being advertised at just one price for four and few break the £1'000 mark and that, in some cases, applies to 14 nights next summer in Alcudia for parents and two children. Faced with a possible drop of 35 per cent in winter bookings, all the stops are being pulled out to sell next summer in the Balearics in the UK and on the German market in particular. All the leading UK and German tours operators have announced that tourism figures in Majorca this winter, November to March, will be well down on last year. This winter will be the worst for ten years, leading tourism industry sources in Germany said yesterday. The forecast total loss of tourists is currently at 1.2 million, but a dire winter, with a huge amount of hotels closed, could push the figure higher. Overall, all of the UK leading operators have admitted that, despite a good performance by British tourism to the Balearics this year, figures are going to be down on 2001. In Germany, with regards to Balearic holidays, some operators have all but thrown in the towel for this year; hence the massive drive to start flogging next summer.