Editorial: Tourist spending

THE more you think about all inclusive holidays the more you think that they are wrong for Majorca, especially on a massive scale.  I know people who have paid 32 euros a day for an all inclusive package and they have joked that they didn´t want to leave their hotel because it cost them money! Majorca is a beautiful island which is well worth seeing with some fantastic scenic coastline, great attractions and plenty more. But ofcourse to see the island you have leave  your hotel and if you are all inclusive you obviously think twice. What concerns me is the bar and restaurant trade in the resorts. They simply can´t compete and sooner or later they will be forced to close their doors. But nothing is said. Now, the opposition socialists on the Calvia Council are calling for an investigation into these prepaid packages. The socialists maintain that the only winners in all inclusive holidays are the hoteliers and the tour firms. And to an extent they are right. Now, I know that times are hard and money is short and everyone should be able to have a break in the sun but is it really in Majorca´s interest to go all inclusive 100 percent? Isn´t it time that the Balearic Government realised that while the islands are getting the tourist numbers their spending power is low and the bars and restaurant continue to suffer. Now,  thousands of people are employed in this trade and it would be very sad if they lost their jobs because of all inclusive holidays.