"Above all, tourists want to be surprised. Away from beach tourism, they want to get to know the culture, traditions, gastronomy, shows. They want to go into an artist's studio and get to know him. But tourists on a guided tour of Palma can be surprised by the graffiti, how dirty some streets are, the LED lighting of the old town which has taken away its charm, the number of shops that are closed, the smell of pee. They ask how social security works. They ask about the hospitals, who governs us, what people's salaries are. We can see that they are surprised, and not for the better."
There are the positive aspects - the character of the old city mansions and the courtyards - but in general Miguel Ángel is left feeling somewhat concerned about how a certain sector of the political class does not understand that "here, either directly or indirectly, we all live off tourism".
"We depend on it. It is the motor of our economy, but from what we see there is an impression that they want to weaken it; burden it even. Worst of all, they don't give any alternative."
Miguel Ángel is hardly a radical. He would like there to be a middle ground and is in favour of tougher regulations, such as for illegal holiday lets and all-inclusive hotels - "the complementary sector (bars, restaurants, etc.) is paying the consequences". "And because of the permissibility of illegal selling, the survival of small businesspeople is made more difficult. You find illegalities everywhere, be they on the beach or in the city. How do you deal with them? More police, more surveillance, more sanctions, more measures. Yes, and meanwhile drunken tourism continues in Palma and in Magalluf without anyone taking action against it.
"But then they mess with cruise tourism, when the cruise tourists are the perfect tourists - they arrive, spend a few hours in Palma, spend money, which means creating jobs, and leave. Yes, this type of tourism may produce a certain sense of being overwhelmed, but that's only in specific places like around the Cathedral and on C. Sant Miquel. If you go to parallel streets, you will hardly find anyone other than everyday people. That's why I think that this phobia towards cruise ships is nothing more than an electoral measure, as no one believes this type of tourism is negative for the city; quite the contrary."
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Well, a gecko is far more dangerous than a snail. Good reason to run whenever you see one. Regarding this topic, I'm in agreement with Miguel Ángel Beltrán. Mallorca is so wildly popular, that tourism really needs to be managed. But *properly*. *Some* politicians just don't get it. They want to use a chainsaw to cut flowers. Far too blunt an instrument for the task. Managing this needs to be more detailed, and appropriate for achieving the management that's needed. It needs to be thought through carefully. Luckily, the politicians who don't get it aren't likely to last long. They're working on the presumption that their ideology is popular and broadly accepted. However, their approach will hurt a lot of ordinary people, both directly and indirectly. And you don't have to be a genius to see that.
Stephen Perriman'Not safe at night!' I've lived in Palma for over 30 years and have never had any problems at all. Maybe if you live in a hamlet with 10 houses and a hundred sheep it might seem scarey, but as far as cities go it is one of the safest in Europe. Try walking round some inner cities or sink estates in the UK or if you're brave enough the equivalent in Eastern Europe, then you'll see what dodgy places are like.
Yeah Palma is so bad all those visitors keep coming back. That's strange! And as for graffiti, it's no worse than any other European city of a comparable size. I doubt the Germans would complain as their cities are covered in graffiti and stickers.
As a property owner we have stopped visiting Palma completely and do not take our visitors there either. It’s filthy dirty, covered in graffiti everywhere and not safe at all especially at night. The Paseo Maratimo is distinctly unwelcoming and unsafe with all sorts of hustlers offering a very sordid variety of services. The Tour Guide in this article is quite correct in everything he says and hopefully in the May elections Majorca will get party who will be galvanised into restoring Palma to a graffiti free safe and thriving city it once was.
Well.....at last ...someone who KNOWs the situation and hes RIGHT in wat he says..."WE ALL LIVE OFF/AND FROM TOURISM"..listen to this Man..YOU( THE POLITIANS..) might JUST learn something from Him...hes talking REALITY....!!!