Tourist companies in Mallorca are backing the SOS Turismo campaign in droves.
The campaign has the support of a wide range of businesses, including the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca, Agrupación de Cadenas Hoteleras, Federación Empresarial Balear de Transporte, taxi employers, Agrupación de Agencias de Viajes de Balears (Aviba), Afedeco, Association of Food, Beverage & Cleaning Products Distributors (ADED), CAEB Catering, Balearic Association of Tourist Activities (Abactur), Balearic Golf Federation, Balearic Golf Association, Balearic Leisure Association Nocturno de Balears (Abone), Asociación de Empresas Náuticas de las Islas (Aenib) and Asociación de Guías Turísticos.
CAEB and PIMEM say they understand why companies are frustrated and that they are launching the SOS Turismo project “to try to unblock the situation, save the island's economy, the Tourism Sector and thousands of jobs.”
"More groups are expected to join, as well as citizens who also want to express their dissatisfaction and promote all kinds of action,” said the SOS Turismo Promoters.
“The Tourism Sector is in a critical situation and it is necessary to give firm answers, hence both FEHM and ACH agree with the objectives and demands of this initiative,” said FEHM Vice President, María José Aguiló.
Banners
The business community claims that the necessary conditions to revive the economy are not being met and that the Administration's vaccine programme and financial aid scheme are not enough to reverse the current economic crisis.
Digital printing companies in Mallorca have been inundated with orders for lettering for promotional material with the SOS Turismo logo. Canvases measuring 5-12 metres wide and 1.5-7 metres high will be hung on the facades of buildings this Friday to create a massive impact in the media and gain maximum visibility at local and national level.
“We want to make the Balearic Government and the Central Government aware of what is happening in the Balearics and what can happen if we don’t have a tourist season. There is maximum concern,” they said.
“After a year of the pandemic, you can no longer be without direct aid to mitigate losses,” said Aviba President, Francesc Mulet. The Government and the Central Government must act because otherwise the Balearic economy will go bankrupt and thousands of jobs will be destroyed."
“We will place the SOS Turismo posters next to the transfer notices,” said Abone President, Jesús Sánchez. “We have reached our limit and another year without a tourist season is unfeasible.”
The Government has refused to make any kind of statement on the SOS Turismo campaign indicating that it will react on Friday.
Support
Vaccines, Health & Economy Platform Spokesperson, Miquel Munar pledged support for the SOS Turismo initiative on Tuesday after a meeting with CAEB, the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca and the Agrupación de Cadenas Hoteleras.