YOUR VIEWS

As a frequent visitor to Majorca I follow with interest the articles in your bulletin. On Saturday, however, I read with bemusement a piece entitled “Historic August for Tourism after Four Years of Recession”.

I say “bemusement” because one section of the article concentrated on the evils of illegal rentals on the island but it was very difficult to understand the reasoning therein.

The tourist industry is booming and hotels are full – what is there to complain about? Particularly confusing is the fact that the writer seems to be unaware that, under pressure from the hotel industry, the local government refuses to grant licenses for short-term rentals, however high the quality might be. This is a very shortsighted policy, because many well-heeled tourists would much prefer a comfortable and well-appointed apartment to a pretentious and overpriced hotel.

My husband and I had spent memorable holidays staying in beautifully equipped apartments, where we were treated as honoured guests by the owners. Then one year we arrived at rather short notice and were obliged to take a room at one of the so-called grand hotels, where standards left a lot to be desired and the accommodation, for the high price paid, was minuscule.

Again, if your writer really had the welfare of the islands' businesses at heart, he (or she) might have a thought for the restaurant owners who are losing customers to the hotels, because the latter reap the benefit of the all-inclusive rates that they offer to their guests.

As a last point, you might do your homework and find out what the situation really is in the rental market. Existing licensees may well benefit from the lack of competition, but recently arrived house and apartment owners are unable to let their properties and have no choice but to follow the illegal route or else to leave those properties empty for long periods of time. In the meantime, potential visitors sometimes have to turn elsewhere to find a suitable residence.

Audrey T.
Majorca