Any fears about Brexit hitting the Balearics hard have been clearly dispelled at the World Travel Market tourism fair in London. In fact the news just gets better for the Balearics. Holiday sales for April and May have risen by a record 20 per cent on top of the eight per cent growth in summer holiday sales for summer 2017.
Balearic minister for tourism, Biel Barcelo, told the Bulletin that the British market was performing far better than they had originally thought. Despite a 20 per cent drop in the value of sterling against the euro the British are still heading for the islands.
Barcelo said that they would be seeking to promote low season tourism in London and he will be holding a series of meets with British tour firms.
At the Balearic stand at the fair, where the Bulletin 40-page extra on the joys of Majorca has been well received, the mood is upbeat. There is no mention of the tourist tax, which was an important theme at the travel market last year. The Balearic president, Francina Armengol, said that Britain would continue to be one of the principal markets for the Balearics.
But Brexit is featuring among seminars. Today there was a seminar entitled "Brexit, how will it change UK travel - inbound and outbound?" Speakers included Monarch’s CEO, Andrew Swaffield, Chris Mottershead, the managing director of Thomas Cook UK and Ireland, and Terry Williamson, the CEO of JacTravel.
However, recent reports have made it clear that Brexit is not putting Britons off going on holiday. New research reveals the number of people going on holiday in the 12 months to August 2016 has risen by almost 10% since the previous year: 86% of people took a holiday at home or abroad, compared to 77% in 2015. This is the largest number of the UK population taking a holiday since 2011 and almost a quarter (24%) of people plan to spend more on holidays next year with just 16% stating they will spend less.