After the best part of 30 years of having dedicated her career to promoting to the very best of Mallorca to the British and international travel media, Dominique Carroll has decided to retire. She will make the very most of her time enjoying the island she loves for herself, while also exploring the mainland and sailing, two of her other passions, and learning how to play the piano. Now that’s a retirement plan.
Dominique is a well-known face in Mallorca, not only in tourism circles but also real estate. But while we all think we know her, just how well do we? She was born in Southampton, her father was Irish and her mother French. Eventually she headed to London to work for one of the city’s leading public relations agencies. Her field was tourism, so even at a very early age she was making contacts in Mallorca.
However, when an opportunity arose to grab a sabbatical, she sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean where she met an Australian family sailing round the world and joined their crew for six months as they covered all of the Caribbean islands. She also learned to dive - “it was glorious”.
“I then returned to my old job in London but I just could not settle back into the London life - I’d done London. So my husband-to-be suggested moving to the Canaries.
“We went for a week to look about but I didn’t like it; it was too far away from my family. So we thought about Mallorca. I’d been on a few press trips, knew the Cathedral and parts of Palma but little else. But we had a friend who was restoring a finca in Portol. We had no roof, a shower, a BBQ, and the kitchen like the rest of the property was a work in project. At first I wondered what the hell I was doing. Had we done the right thing? But Mallorca gets under your skin.
"It’s just such a beautiful island, so in the mid-90s, we settled here and set to work. I had a few contacts which helped me and then I landed my first two big contracts, Monarch, who back then were doing day trips to Palma throughout the year, and Calvia Council with the Calvia Winter Campaign, which was a delight - it was a brilliant idea and it worked; winter tourism properly.
“But that was then, and this is now and winter tourism is struggling. There were hotels in Calvia which used to be open and full all year round, but now? Yes, on the one hand it’s chicken and the egg. Hotels will not stay open because there isn’t the volume and, as a result of that, the airlines will not put on the flights. The government has got to sit down with the hoteliers and the airlines, the industry sector as a whole, and work it out, come up with a plan.
“It can and does work, look at the Winter in Calvia campaign. It was lovely, we took them on the almond blossom walk, we organised a host of events and excursions and it worked, so what’s happened since?” Dominique wonders. Mallorca is still regarded as a sun and sea summer destination in general, but we know living here that there is so much more to the island. The Tramuntana and the fact it has UNESCO status is such a huge plus for the island. You’ve got 90 kilometres of protected territory from far north to the south west and it’s just fantastic.
“And then in the north, they been successful with the cycling programmes, the sports camps, Ironman, etc. So Mallorca has winter activities. This is the place which is only two, two-and-a-half hours’ flight and you can get out there and enjoy cycling, climbing, running, hiking. But I think much more needs to be done to promote and push that. The TeamSky would not have used the island as its winter training camp for over a decade if Mallorca hadn’t ticked all the right boxes.
“The island needs a long-term plan and it should be regardless of whoever is in power. We need to sit down and discuss where the island needs to be right now and where we want it to be 10 to 20 years time. The hoteliers, the tour operators and the holidaymakers will always be there. Governments come and go and sometimes I think politics should be kept out of all this. We need a plan for the future and people have to appreciate that the motor behind all of this island is tourism - directly or indirectly,” Dominique said.
“That is why over the next few years I want to rediscover mainland Spain because I’ve been so focused on here for years and I’m loving it. But when I come back to the island I still have this enormous affection when I see the Cathedral, the mountains - it’s very special to me, Mallorca. This is where I want to end my days for sure. I feel very much part of the community here.
“Yes it is getting expensive and everyone has be very careful when it comes to pricing. That said, for me, Mallorca is the top Mediterranean destination. Our geographical position makes us a key point - that’s why we were so popular after the pandemic. We were close, easy, safe and lots of people decided to give Mallorca a try again, and that was very positive for us. With all the troubles which are going on in the world, the areas of conflict, where is safe? Mallorca. This is such an important point. Our climate, winter, winter, winter - I love promoting winter as I’ve been doing this with the Fomento del Turismo, which is 120 years old and the oldest in Spain, for the best past of 25 years.
Palma is fantastic
“Palma is a fantastic Mediterranean city, cosmopolitan, four Michelin star restaurants, it’s a gastronomic destination, the culture, the hotels. We’ve got it all - the sun, the beaches, the mountains, but we have to protect the island’s interior and promote the produce and support the local producers - that is what tourists want: experience.
“Tourism does bring great wealth to people and destinations but the planning and protection are key: protecting the marine environment and the interior of the island, the history and heritage. In Mallorca, we’ve got a fantastic product. I don’t care what Albania is doing, or Morocco (which I love). Mallorca has got an amazing product; we’ve just to work on the quality making it better and better and better. We need to provide people with an experience. Travel habits have changed, more people want something original - it could be a lemon off a tree, fresh Soller orange juice, Es Trenc salt, Mallorcan wine, olive oil, the list goes on.
“The vineyards have done a fantastic jobs, as has the agrotourism market, which has grown rapidly over the past 20 years. That has done so hand-in-hand with local farmers and the vineyards, for example. It is an industry which has revived the interior of the island and created a great deal of income and jobs in areas which were facing uncertain futures.
“There are a lot of very clever and innovative people on the island in the tourist industry. But these people need to be involved in the conversation and planning the future, much more so than politicians. Politics should not be involved in tourism planning, not long term. Never mind emerging and competing destinations. On the one hand we need to get back to basics, quality service with a smile on everyone’s face, while also taking climate change and beach erosion seriously. Who knows, in 10, 20 years’ time the hotels will all be open in the winter and the summer will become the low season because it’s too hot; these issues need to be discussed. Where does Mallorca want to be in 20 years?