Dear Sir, I have been coming to Majorca for two months at this time of year, for 18 years. I have seen a lot of changes, the majority for the good, but I have to ask what has happened over the last three years? Is it your intention to close Majorca during the Autumn/Winter/Spring months -because unless you start working very hard to change the trend, this will happen automatically.
The Bulletin recently quoted the Minister for Tourism as saying, He was slightly concerned with the Winter season. What winter season? Everywhere outside of Palma is closed. The hotel I have been going to in Santa Ponsa for years has closed this year for the first time, and Santa Ponsa could be a ghost town.
The holiday companies have a lot to answer for. If you speak with any of the people in the remaining hotels, a lot will tell you that when booking Majorca, they asked was it as busy as, say, Benidorm, and were told yes. On arriving here and finding it the total opposite they have vowed to spread the word not to come to Majorca in the Winter period. I have tried to tell many people that Majorca has not always been like this and that it must be the governmental policies which have caused such a large change, the main one being the Tourist Tax.
Would the Minister for Tourism please take a trip around the resort areas of Majorca and then fly to Benidorm and see the difference, and see what he might be able to learn for Majorca's benefit.
Just for information, a lot of people I have spoken with feel that the award for the Tourist Tax was a back-handed one, ie making Majorca think they are doing the right thing whilst all the other countries, including mainland Spain, profit on the back of Majorca's loss.
I think everyone can see that the throat of every business in Majorca is being cut at the expense of a very costly experiment, which might still prove to be illegal.
It would appear it has been forgotten that Majorca has grown up as a tourist haven and whilst it is a lovely place, people who have worked all year to have a holiday of their choice, are finding better deals further afield and that is what everything boils down to -value for money.
The Tourist Tax is a huge bone of contention and to have introduced it the same year as the euro, and the increases and rounding up that has occured, has shown little thought or understanding of tourists.
Maybe it is time to learn from the up and coming countries that are being pushed by the tour operators and who are offering real value for money and service. Majorca, don't sit back on your laurels and expect the tourists to return to their favourite destination, they are as fickle as any other industry and once tempted away, with better conditions, service (no strikes), etc, will be almost impossible to get back. Act now, before it is too late, would be my advice.
Eileen Woodstock
Ipswich
Suffolk
England