Balearic minister for tourism, Biel Barcelo, told the Bulletin that the British market was performing far better than they had originally thought. Despite a 20 per cent drop in the value of sterling against the euro the British are still heading for the islands.
Barcelo said that they would be seeking to promote low season tourism in London and he will be holding a series of meets with British tour firms.
At the Balearic stand at the fair, where the Bulletin 40-page extra on the joys of Majorca has been well received, the mood is upbeat. There is no mention of the tourist tax, which was an important theme at the travel market last year. The Balearic president, Francina Armengol, said that Britain would continue to be one of the principal markets for the Balearics.
But Brexit is featuring among seminars. Today there was a seminar entitled "Brexit, how will it change UK travel - inbound and outbound?" Speakers included Monarch’s CEO, Andrew Swaffield, Chris Mottershead, the managing director of Thomas Cook UK and Ireland, and Terry Williamson, the CEO of JacTravel.
However, recent reports have made it clear that Brexit is not putting Britons off going on holiday. New research reveals the number of people going on holiday in the 12 months to August 2016 has risen by almost 10% since the previous year: 86% of people took a holiday at home or abroad, compared to 77% in 2015. This is the largest number of the UK population taking a holiday since 2011 and almost a quarter (24%) of people plan to spend more on holidays next year with just 16% stating they will spend less.
2 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
I agree with you David lots of people are now considering different destinations to get value for money and even staying at home. High flight charges tourist tax low exchange rate is a recipe for disaster . People are more concerned about their quality of life for 98% of the year in their own country and holidays are not a priority at the moment.
Keep telling it long enough and people will believe it however the facts are holiday up by £400 exchange rate pathetic and tourist tax. On top of that prices are going up in the UK due to imports. Holidays abroad aren't a high priority.