There is going to be plenty of soul searching about the state of the tourist industry if predictions of a poor season actually become a reality. So what sort of tourism does Majorca want?
Well, there is a school of thought which says that fewer tourists, spending more, would be enough to keep the island economically secure. It would also ease the so-called tourism saturation and it could be said that Majorca would be a better place to live. Yes, the island could very easily go upmarket, in fact in some areas, it already has. No more so-called booze tourism in the more popular resorts could be just the ticket. But wait a minute, fewer tourists means fewer jobs. Fewer jobs equals less spending power and many of the commercial centres which have been thrown up around Palma would no longer be needed.
So to be honest Majorca needs mass tourism. It has been built on bucket and spade tourism and if people are not coming here on holiday then there is a problem. I would say that the industry needs a reality check. The majority of tourists who come here are on a budget and can’t really afford some of the prices which are on offer.
Over the year there has been a steady rise in prices, especially in central Palma, so much so that many can no longer afford to eat out or have a drink in central Palma. So what is the future? We will just have to see but unless there is a radical change Majorca can forget the fewer-tourists-spending more theory.