Overcrowding
“To begin with, tourists are coming to Mallorca for fewer days, but occupancy is the same, which translates into more overcrowding. Because all visitors want to see the most emblematic areas of the island, this is why they suffer more saturation. A family that comes to Mallorca for a week goes once to emblematic areas such as Es Caló des Moro or the Cathedral. However, if they go out twice, these places will receive two visits and this, multiplied by thousands of tourists, has a very important impact”. Therefore, he recognises that in Mallorcan society there is a certain unease about overcrowding and proof of this are the demonstrations against tourist overcrowding.
“However, I would like to ask the protesters two key questions. One, in what sector do they work; is it directly or indirectly connected to tourism? And secondly, have they ever been on holiday and if so have they paid great attention to whether their hotel or destination is sustainable, eco-friendly, promotes recycling, for example, and do they go out of season when the destination is quieter so not to add to the human footprint many other destinations in the world are suffering from? It’s not just Mallorca,” he made clear. “So, yes, hotel occupancy is good, but the rotation in guests is causing complications. The traditional one or two week package holiday is something of the past, so hotels have to fill the gaps with short stays and this leads to more flights and more transfer coaches or hire cars on the roads.
“But many of the island’s problems have simple and quick solutions. If there are not enough public buses to provide a proper public transport service for tourists and residents, then buy more buses, increase services. If there aren’t enough trains, well do the same. We don’t need to pay for expensive surveys and reports when the solutions are obvious. I have a foot in both camps. I work with incoming and outgoing tourists, domestic and foreign, so I see the full picture and hear the arguments from both sides.
I care deeply about Mallorca
“Furthermore, as a Mallorcan, contrary to what some of the protesters think about us in the tourist industry, I care deeply about protecting and preserving Mallorca. I live here and I want to enjoy this beautiful island, but we’ve all got make a living and that living, for the vast majority of people, comes from tourism. And I’m afraid the complementary sector has suffered this year.”
Fiol insists on the need for tourism to be respectful, while stressing the need for visitors and tourists to be able to live together in harmony. “We cannot forget that our main economic engine is tourism. Moreover, at some point in our lives we all like to be tourists,” he concluded. He also pointed out that it is not in Mallorca’s interest as a tourist destination to be identified with overcrowding, as it would lose part of its appeal. On this point, Fiol highlights the role of tour operators, as it makes the average stay on the island longer, although he insists that it is moving further and further away from the average of seven nights of a few years ago.
The Aviba president pointed out that 34% of the tourists who come to Mallorca do so by means of tour operators, and he adds that if it were not for this, “it would have averages similar to those of an urban destination”. He also stressed that “Palma city is dragging these figures down”.
This is due to the fact that people who travel on their own tend to do so for fewer days, while when they buy a package the stays tend to be longer, “thus reducing the feeling of tourist overcrowding”. Plus, inflation has risen across Europe. The pillars of the tourist industry, the UK and Germany, have been rocked by financial and political problems and that has a knock-on effect on tourism and spending.
Price is always king
“So, like I said, there’s a post-Covid hunger to go on holiday, but not everybody’s got the money to spend in resort, hence why restaurants, bars and shops are struggling and think it will be the same next year until everyone calms down. That said, we never know what’s gong to happen next geopolitically, so we always have to be on our guard,” Fiol stressed. “And when people are watching their money and price is always king for the majority of people when booking and budgeting for a holiday, they want value for money. What we can’t have is hotels and airlines putting up their prices by between 15 and 20 percent and then offering the same services and quality as the year before. We have to provide value for money and that is another area proving problematic because we’re facing a skills gap.
“Due to the high cost of living in Mallorca and across the Balearics, we’re no longer getting qualified staff from the mainland and if young Mallorcans don’t want to work in the service sector, many employers can’t be choosy. Even I’m having to look to Latin America for staff. So we have to start thinking about how as an industry we can attract more local residents into the sector, train them well and make sure they stay on the island and don’t flee overseas where wages and working conditions, more often than not, are more attractive,” he said. “The demographics are changing. Yes, the new Forum of Civil Society in Mallorca has been set up to work on addressing the problems Mallorca’s tourist industry faces but to be honest, it’s all talk.
We can’t sell everything
“The trouble is that Mallorca has lost a bit of control of the market, what it offers. There is so much ‘on sale’ if you like, from sporting tourism, nautical, activity, well-being, the Tramuntana, culture, gastronomy, off-season, residential, urban, weekend breaks, the list goes on. We can’t simply sell everything, that will only lead to more massification and confusion in the market. We need to sit down and redefine what tourism in Mallorca is. Reach a clear decision on what we want and then sell it properly. We need to adapt to the changing market while also keeping a very close eye on competing and emerging destinations. We need to have a clear roadmap for the future
Transmit the right message
“But in the short term we have to make sure we transmit the right message because perception is crucial. What we can’t afford is to have double standards, double morals. Yes, there is a lack of affordable housing and wages which are not in line with inflation. These should be the slogans for the protests which are anti-government policy, not anti-tourism.
Perception
“But the perception overseas and in the international media is that tourists are the root cause and are therefore not wanted. This is certainly not the case and someone senior in government, for example the president of the Balearics, should go to the UK and Germany and address the media and make this clear.
“The United Kingdom and Germany are the foundations, the pillars of our tourist industry and we have got to make sure they remain strong because we can’t afford to see the tourist industry falter. So we need an honest debate and, where possible, quick and simple solutions.
Double standards
“And talking about double standards and morals, we have a section of the community which does not want cruise ships. The trouble is, and I know because it’s part of my and my members’ business, that the most popular holidays for Mallorcans are cruises departing from Palma, so let’s put our cards on the table,” he added. “We can’t afford to cheat tourists, we have to be clear and honest, we need to know in which direction we want our industry to go for the benefit of everyone,” he stressed.
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“ I love irony” You have no idea how much.
Richard PearsonYou've quite accurately described the historically verifiable behaviour of the "far right". Sure, there's plenty of moderates on all sides of the political spectrum, but anyone not "far right" are obviously "commies". They're all rubber boat foreigners anyway. Just ask the average UK voter. Oh, and don't forget to send Nige a donation. He's loaded with bob now, but needs as much as he can get to continue to fight "communism" in England. He works tirelessly on that anti-communist yacht. Yet, I do appreciate that in your insularity, you wouldn't know the difference, nor be able differentiate from the isolated little English world you surround yourself with, so you could be forgiven on the basis of pure gullibility. Besides, if you ever have doubts, you can always pick up a copy of the express or GB news and you'll be validated again. No worries. I love irony. Great job, Richard.
Pro communism, pro extreme left wing socialism, even left wing socialism, what’s the difference ? They all want to control the masses and equal everybody ‘s lives downwards. Except of course that of those running the show. You’re the one who is confused. Nowhere have I, or for that matter Berlingo, said that Spain is a communist country. We may though be of the opinion that it is certainly becoming more authoritarian and less free than it was since “democracy” became the system under which our lives are regulated. You don’t believe me ? Ask the average U.K. voter of the opinion about what is currently happening in the country that gave the world the Magna Carta.
Richard PearsonI don't think I've ever made any pro communist comments on here. If you think Spain is anything like a communist country you must be very confused.
Zoltan TeglasThat may be so, but judging from your comments, you appear to be suffering from the Stockholm syndrome of the system you supposedly abandoned.
Richard PearsonI used to live in a communist country, so I know a thing or two about it. Anyone who thinks that Spain is a communist country either doesn't know what they're talking about or is not very intelligent, probably both.
Morgan WilliamsYou are assuming Berlingo is English. Why ? On what basis ?
The hotels are not overcrowded , the roads and the hot spots are, where the social media brings all the people hired rental cars to visit them...Just restrict the rental cars , limit them, add a polution tax that the local goverment to earn money from it and make an restricted laws against them, because is not normal, when we claim the island is ecological, at the same time visitors to share in the groups how they had 1000km around the island for 6 days...Otherwise we all fight for t decarbonisation and low polution in this case seems not when the people are on holiday ...and we all suffer from this , causing huge traffic jams and frustration in the local people. The hotel beds has not been doubled after Covid, but the rental cars they did or even trippled ! Keep the tourists local or bring back the old school bus excursions, where the bus transport will carry 40 passengers instead of another 20 cars driving around ...
BerlingoThis isn't England. It's Spain. We don't do the same things as in England. The same grievances don't apply. Go back to England if you want to complain about that. But when you're here, don't assume it's all a bunch of "commies". You'll look really stupid to the rest of the world when you do that. Spain (or any "foreigners") may be the English definition of "commies", but it has little to do with the actual definition in the rest of the world. And it's probably wise to be aware that the rest of the world is over 100x the size of England, not the other way around.
Zoltan TeglasSince you obviously aren’t able to explain what communism is to Berlingo and myself, could you recommend any books that we can read to brush up on the subject ? Please don’t include anything written by Marx. Been there, done that. Maybe something more recent, such as something published by a South American leader ? Thanks.