MP´s back calls for all inclusive watchdog

By Humphrey Carter THE Balearic government is going to have to set up a new tourism watchdog to monitor the all inclusive holiday market after local MP's yesterday voted unanimously in favour of a motion tabled by the parliamentary socialist group. Despite claims by the local government that the number of all inclusive hotel complexes in the Balearics has fallen this year, concern over the negative effects the growing tourism sector is having on resort trade and economies is rife and now the government is being forced to creating a new body to monitor the all inclusive market, demand and the region's ability to compete with other emerging destinations. Apart from the governing Partido Popular, all the opposition political parties believe that all inclusive complexes are bad for the Balearic economy and yesterday, even PP MP's voted in favour of the new control body being set up. A clear indication, according to socialist MP and former Tourism Minister Celestí Alomar, that even the PP know that all inclusives are not good news. Alomar accused the PP of having failed to recognise the threat posed to the local economy and trade by the all inclusive boom and warned that, as far as he is aware, there are tour operators planning on introducing 24-hour all inclusive packages next year. The former Tourism Minister added that all inclusive holidays is a “low quality product” which is not only harming the resort retail and service sectors but also restricting the Balearics tourists industry's flexibility when it comes to competing with other cheaper destinations. The Balearic government was yesterday urged to get a swift grip on the all inclusive sector as opposition MP's warned that any further growth in the market will cause serious damage to the Balearic economy and the tourist industry as a whole.