Broadening Majorca's Appeal

The boss of Pirates Adventure was interviewed recently in the local English-speaking newspaper, "Majorca Daily Bulletin". He had some prescriptions for helping the island in its quest for more all-year tourism and different forms of tourism. One of these was more flexible working to enable shops to stay open.

His interview has been picked up, a correspondent to the same newspaper calling for the formation of a sort of Quango to advise on tourism development, something comprising businesspeople and others both indigenous and foreign.

All this is fine in theory. In some respects, the latter suggestion is not a million miles away from a suggestion I made on the alcudiapollensa blog that the authorities could well learn things by talking to those at the tourism sharp-end. But I fancy that it might just be theory.

One wonders to what extent the Majorcan authorities might wish to seek advice from foreign businesspeople or foreign anyone come to that. They might reasonably argue that they are best placed to decide, though politicians are not always best to decide. However, I would support the idea for a "foreign" perspective. There is a degree of parochialism here both in terms of the composition of advisory groups and in terms of what is actually thought of. Much is made by the authorities of niche areas to attract a more diverse tourism, but many of these niches are mere trifles and wishful thinking, such as Majorcan culture and history. They are romantic notions, the consequence of being too near the problem and not seeing a bigger and more dynamic picture.

The suggestion of more flexible working is also probably theoretical, as there are issues pertaining to unions and the Church. In Germany, attempts to liberalise shopping hours have run up against precisely these obstacles. Moreover, and here I would disagree with Mr. Clemence from Pirates and with others, such as the editor of "The Bulletin", that shopping is really that much of an attraction.

Majorca does need to address its tourism diversity and its all-year tourism basis, but my view is that far more radical thinking is required. The development of the Gran Escala casinos and theme parks near Zaragoza on the mainland is, in my opinion, more in line with how the thinking might proceed. Majorca has much to offer, but it needs to develop its offer on the back of what it is best known for, which is fun and sun. That's the island's image and it should be the starting-point.

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