Climate change is a serious matter which the tourist industry has got to take into account looking to the future. Travel companies are already reporting there are changing trends with more people heading to cooler climates during the increasingly hotter summer months in Southern Europe, like Mallorca.
But it’s not just the summer. This winter, while having apparently been slightly warmer than usual, has been devastatingly wetter for some parts of Spain and extremely windy in the Balearics, and this plays havoc with travel connections; it brings home the fact we live on an island.
Incidents of fog have caused flight disruptions and the wind has hit shipping. While travelling by ferry to the mainland is much less hassle than having to negotiate the monolith of Palma airport - no worries about luggage restrictions etc., just pack up the car - but it all depends on the weather.
The weekend before last I was due to sail from Alcudia to Barcelona on Saturday but due to heavy sea and wind, we set sail 36 hours later, so that’s a day lost in hotels and skiing. That said, all involved compensated us with a free extra day. And coming back, most people had their heads over the side! Fortunately I slept through it all. But the changing weather patterns will have an impact on island life and business in the future.