WINTER TOURISM

By Jason Moore I have just returned from the east of England on holiday and guess what the majority of hotels, shops and other tourist business are open...yes, I said open. I was quite amazed. For years we have been told in Majorca that the weather is too bad to encourage more winter tourists. That small excuse doesn´t exactly hold water; it was alot colder in Britain than here. So what is the difference? In the part of England I visited businesses have been forced to make a major effort to attract trade; if they don´t they don´t survive. Weekend breaks with theatre tickets, mystery weekends, bird-watching, even hiking are all past-times which ensure that businesses stay open. The simple truth about winter tourism on Majorca I don´t think it is in many people´s interests that hotels and shops remain open. The fact that thousands of hotels workers can claim benefit over the winter period is obviously a major plus; during the winter months vital work can be done to hotels and even resorts. Also, in Majorca we are lucky enough to be in a state of affairs which allows many businesses to make enough money in the summer to survive the winter. This is a simple fact. Majorca could very easily be an all-round holiday destination but there are plenty of reasons why it can´t.