19/04/2013 00:00
TW
0

Dear Sir,

Re the report on Tuesday that “Majorca is still cheaper than the UK” I would advise that I have just come back from the UK after a five day visit and the Thomas Cook figures are a load of b'*****s.

Try getting a pint of John Smiths over here in a pub for £1.75 (or 1.92 euros) - no chance. Try buying a 70cl bottle of Baileys over here for £10 (or 11 euros) - no chance (and don't forget, it is taxed to the hilt over there). Try getting a full English breakfast over here, including tea and toast for £1.99 (or 2.20 euros) - no chance. Try getting four meals, four pints of beer, two large glasses of red wine, and two Martinis for £49.00 (or 54 euros) - no chance.

Thomas Cook, like so many of the Majorcan/Spanish bar owners, have still got their heads in the sand. I heard a story this week of a Santa Ponsa bar owner (Mallorquin) charging 4 euros for a bottle of San Miguel. Here we go again ... “we're going to lose money this year so what do we do - put prices up”. Oh boy! Will these guys ever learn?

The Balearic Government is now spending a few bob on promoting the Balearics ... that well know phrase containing the words “horse” and “bolted” immediately springs to mind. Why didn't they do it eight years ago when the warning signs were on the wall. Oh! no, they ignored proper tourists and targeted “Quality Tourists” ... it didn't work eh?

Let's hope, that when the Government eventually gets around to spending all this money promoting our islands they don't launch a campaign promoting “Illes de Baleares” because, believe me, the majority of the people (i.e. “proper” tourists) haven't a clue what Isles de Baleares means. Let's get promoting Majorca, not Mallorca (because most tourists think they are two different places), Ibiza (not Eivissa) and Minorca.

This letter is probably all a waste of time, like many others of mine over the past ten years or more, but, maybe at long last, the people with authority, will now realise that they all need “feeding” and the only way to do that is with tourists.

Remember that corny slogan they came up with a few years ago: “A tourist is a friend” well, that was never quite true, because they have never made tourists all that welcome. But maybe they should come up with a new one: “A tourist is our salvation”.

Ian Morrison
Porto Colom