01/06/2004 00:00
TW
0
By Jason Moore THE Queen Mary 2*s visit to Majorca was undoubtedly a great success but the local government shouldn't fool themselves; cruise liners will not solve Majorca's tourism woes. The local government are anxious to attract the big liners and naturally took delight at the Queen Mary 2 being in Palma last week. But I think a reality check is needed. The fact that all newspapers published photographs of passengers sunning themselves on the decks of the liner shows that some people elected not to go ashore at all, therefore they spent no money at all in Majorca. Many of those passengers who did go ashore were on excursions, organised by the ship itself, therefore their spending power would have been limited, also. There is also a perception that all cruise liner passengers are multi-millionaires. Not so. Thankfully, these days cruises are affordable holidays for all of us even on the Queen Mary 2. If Majorca is to cash-in on the cruise-liners then plenty of organisation will be needed. Passengers need to be tempted away from the ship and perhaps it would be a good idea if free buses were introduced to take cruise line passengers to the main shopping areas.

Bars and restaurants need to be made more aware that these passengers have a limited time on shore and therefore they must be ready to meet their requirements. Cruise liner passengers are an added bonus but they will not help resolve the possible fall in revenue which the island is facing. The Queen Mary 2in Palma gives the city plenty of prestige but let's not forget that the next day it was in Barcelona. I think we all loved seeing the liner in all its splendour but let's remember the Queen Mary or other giant liners will not save the summer season. We need tourists who are going to spend at least ten days not ten hours.