HISTORY has an uncanny ability of repeating itself, or being repeated, and, although it pains me to say this for the sake of the Balearic economy, the region is on the verge of making the same mistake it did last year with its short-lived pilot scheme to experiment with allowing German tourists to Mallorca during what appeared to be a ‘window’ in the pandemic.
It failed and we all went back into lockdown. Yes, there are a lot of conflicting stories, business-generated ones pushing positive messages of holidays earlier than expected, while the scientists and medical experts, including the WHO, are warning of third and fourth waves of the virus.
With Covid figures creeping up again across Europe and some countries either back in lockdown or being advised to, including Germany, I think the Balearics needs to rewind a few months and stick to what was said over Christmas - Easter is off this year in order to save the summer.
And, at the time, most of the large hotel chains, etc. agreed. However, the likes of TUI, which one local paper referred to as being the new owner of Mallorca over the weekend, now appears to want to have its Easter egg and eat it - despite what leading health and governments are saying in the UK and Germany.
We can’t have a vaccine passport because there are not enough vaccines yet, so for everybody’s sake, let’s hold the line, be sensible and wait for summer.