There is more to Mallorca than the beach and the sun...but that is the fundamental reason why the majority of tourists come here in the first place. Yes, I totally agree that we should also be promoting other activities but we mustn´t forget that beach tourism pays the rent.
Now, it could be argued that everyone knows that Mallorca has fantastic weather and great beaches but perhaps they need reminding and constantly! If we put a photograph on our social media sites of the island in the sun it will get hundreds of likes!
This week I was talking to a newspaper client in the UK. First question “what is the weather like!” Willie Walsh, the airline boss, once said that it was difficult to encourage more people to come to the island in the winter because of the weather.
Yes, it does get cold in the winter on Mallorca! Walsh at one time was the Chief Executive of a local airline so he knows the island well. Mallorca success story is that it get 300 days of sun every year.
This is why the island has been so successful as a holiday destination. Yes, promoting cycling, hiking and golf in the winter is a good idea, but beach tourism is king. The move upmarket by the tourist industry should be welcomed and the large number of new five stars hotels are certainly making a difference.
But, remember to pay the rent Mallorca needs its hundreds of four star hotels to be full. They make the difference. I was told by one respected member of the tourist industry that if Mallorca only wanted big-spending five star tourists then it could kiss goodbye to a sizeable part of the industry and thousands of jobs.