The Balearic ministry for tourism has launched its campaign Better In Winter in an effort to increase the number of visitors to the island during the low season. The campaign was launched yesterday in Milan with local officials underlining the joys of the islands during October to May. Their timing leaves something to be desired, though, with the announcement that there will be no direct flights from Scotland next winter. Scotland is one of the principal tourism markets for the Balearics and the loss of the flights, which were only introduced a year ago, has come as a major blow.
Now, while I welcome the campaign, I do believe that the local authorities need to tackle the issue of the small number of flights to the islands during the winter months. This is a nightmare situation for Scottish tourists and second home owners. Also, there are not many direct flights from England during the winter months even though it is one of the principal markets for Balearic tourism. Majorca is a fantastic place to visit during the low season. There is plenty to do but challenges remain: only a handful of hotels open and most of the resorts become ghost towns. Palma is a fantastic city all the year round, there is always something happening. It could easily be a fantastic weekend getaway destination but of course we need the flights. Before we start launching new campaigns perhaps it would be a better idea if the necessary tools were in place first.