Small steps

By Jason Moore
PRIVATE companies rather than the government are taking the first steps on what could be the start of a Winter tourism programme on Majorca. The British travel firm Jet2 will be operating services from Leeds and Manchester to Palma from next February and they are busy promoting Majorca as a Winter cycling destination. Full marks to them, it is a great pity that the Balearic government is not doing the same in Britain. Obviously, it is a small programme and involves just a handful of flights but it is a start and more airlines could follow. Manchester airport has come under pressure from travellers to operate more flights to Majorca during the low season. So slowly Majorca is becoming a Winter destination again. The hoteliers should take note, there are more flights so perhaps it might be an idea if some of them opened their doors over the Winter period. Cycling could be Majorca´s saviour over the the low season but the local ministry for tourism has already missed a golden opportunity to recruit Tour de France champions Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, who train every year on the island. Both Wiggins and Froome love Majorca. I am sure it wouldn´t have been difficult to get one of these sports stars to endorse Majorca. I think there are reasons to believe that we are heading in the right direction and thankfully private enterprise is leading the change and doing what the Balearic government should be doing.