Rosana Morillo, Spain's secretary of state for tourism and a former Balearic government director-general for tourism, is working on enhancing air routes between Asia and the main Spanish airports, including Palma and Ibiza.
The first objective is direct flights with China, which is expected to recover over 90% of pre-pandemic connections during this low season. Madrid and Barcelona would be the principal destinations but the intention is to explore the possibilities of flights to the Balearics.
The interest in strengthening tourist ties with long-haul markets is not limited to China, as there are also ambitions for Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Morillo explains that at the most recent meetings organised by the UN World Tourism Organization in Riyadh and Samarkand, there were discussions with Saudi and Qatari authorities. "We began to talk about direct connections with Mallorca and Ibiza. The islands' brands are recognised by them, and they feel that it would be important to have direct connections in the high season as well as in the low season."
An element of this strategy for long-haul markets would be inter-island packages to take advantage of visitors who typically stay for longer than most tourists and also have higher spending capacity. "There are many possibilities because of the ease of movement between the islands and the strong brands that each of them has."
The Balearic government's Aetib tourism strategy agency recently announced that it is exploring the possibility of direct flights from China to Mallorca. Its director, Pere Joan Planas, says that this is in the embryonic phase. Airlines with which there have been talks are studying the feasibility.
As with efforts to expand connections with North America, the main focus is the low season, but it is clear that there is also great interest in the Balearic high season.
3 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
You know, it's easy to assume that there's one central control, in government or otherwise. It's the basis of many conspiracy theories. But that's not actually how it works. The government aspires to better manage tourism. The airlines and tour operators however, just see an opportunity. And frankly, why not? Are the Chinese "bad" tourists? How do you know? Let's find out. Tourism is tourism. Maintain a high standard of quality and you'll generally attract a better quality of tourist. Perhaps fewer of them, but we really don't have a demand problem. Demand is at an all time high. It's why the airlines are ramping up. And why the government seeks to better manage it.
Where’s the strategy? Is there a strategy for sustainable tourism here? Or, as seems the case, it’s all just hot air and the reality is they will just keep chasing the tourist dollar/yen or in this case the Yuan without any thought to how the island will cope with even more tourists. All this when mostly everyone accepts that there should be less, especially at peak season.
Just what Palma needs hordes of Chinese tourists all in a line following a tour guide.