PALMA
THE President of the Balearic Islands, Francsc Antich, will be in London today, attending Balearic Day at the annual World Travel Market, one of the world's most important international travel fairs .
Antich will be accompanied by the Balearic Minister for Tourism, Joana Barcelo, and both are scheduled to visit the Balearic stand at the fair.
The Balearic President is also expected to take part in a wine tasting which is being introduced as a marketing promotion, open to the British press and any other interested parties visiting the stand.
Regional wine experts Joan Mora Palou and Bartomeu Hernandez Mats will be presenting seven types of wine produced on the Islands.
In the afternoon, Antich and Barcelo will be holding meetings with key British tour operators, airline representatives and tourist associations of the United Kingdom.
It is expected that Antich and Barcelo will hold talks with representatives of two leading British tour operators - Bobby Ritley, Buying Director for TUI-UK, and Lisa Birchall, Buyer for the Balearic section of Thomas Cook.
In acknowledgement of the growing body of holidaymakers organising their own trips as opposed to making reservations through a package holiday deal, Antich and Barcelo will be meeting Oliver Broad, the President of the Association of Independent Tour Operators and Specialised Trip Agents, and with Tracy Mills and Charles Weller, marketing directors for TTA Worldchoice, the second most important company of independent travel agencies in the United Kingdom.
From the airline companies, the Balearic leader and minister will be discussing the holiday market with Hugh Morgan, Managing Director of Monarch's tour operations, Ian Doubtfire, Managing Director for Jet2.com, Steve Heapy, director for Jet2 Holidays and Catherine Read, Managing Director of Easyjet.
Talks will also embrace representatives from major on-line booking agencies such as Lastminute and Lowcostholidays.