YOUR VIEWS

I thought that those of your readers involved in tourism would be interested to read these comments and quotes in a newspaper:- “Those hotels willing to open over Easter appear to have had good occupancy rates, but a combination of the unusually early holiday this year and worries over tourist numbers caused many operators to keep their inns shuttered.

About 50 percent of hotels chose not to open for Easter
However, we are optimistic about the summer season” a spokeswoman said. “And, judging from provisional bookings, we believe we can match last year's occupancy numbers.” When people make early bookings they always worry about the weather adding the chain's policy has never been to open all its hotels at Easter, especially if it falls early, given there are no charters and international tour operators do not start bookings until early May. “Those that criticise hotels that don't open do not realise the high cost of opening up, basically, for a weekend, then closing again until the season starts properly,” she said, adding pools have to be filled and other facilities prepped. “We are expecting good results from Europe, except from the UK due to the drop in the pound.” These are not from a local paper but from the Athens News.
Perhaps the only piece of encouragement for local businesses in this recent report in the Greek newspaper was:- “Our upper market is good, but our middle and lower market could go down as UK tourists opt for cheap deals in Spain, North Africa and Egypt.” Yours, John Rule, Sol de Mallorca

DEAR SIR
WHAT a superb, well argued letter from John Lance on the subject of legalizing privately owned fincas for holiday lettings.
Will Joana Barcelo have the courage to take on the hoteliers, who are the powerful lobbyists preventing the Balearic government allowing the licencing of finca holiday letting? It is the short sighted, tunnel vision of the hoteliers, not all but most, with their greed & lack of business flexibility, that is ruining this beautiful island
Please Tourism Minister, read the letter, study it, and grab the opportunity spelt out for you by John Lance & his offer of PROFESSIONAL advice.
Yours sincerely,

Leslie Watson, Puerto Pollensa