Viva España

The Balearic government is busy celebrating the fact that we are heading for a record summer season and it is right to be upbeat  and yes the Balearics can expect a record summer season. But a word of warning. Other competing holiday destinations on the mainland are also heading for a record holiday season and in fact some are doing better than the Balearics. Holiday sales to the islands are 20 per cent up at the moment but in the Canary Islands they are 37 per cent up.  The reason that Spain is doing so well is because North Africa has become a no-go area because of the security concerns and Spain is a safe holiday destination. It could be said that Spain will corner the holiday market this year so the record figures are not a case of the Balearics or other Spanish destinations being far better than their rivals; it is a question of safety. For the Balearics this state of affairs is a gift from heaven because as we all know they will be introducing the tourist tax in June and hoteliers have claimed that there is a major danger that bookings could drop. At the moment it is claimed that few people actually know that a tourist tax is being introduced so that hasn´t dented booking either. So it is rather an abstract holiday picture at the moment. Bookings are good but for other exceptional reasons. A record holiday season is fantastic news but it doesn´t mean that we can start celebrating already. There is still plenty of work to do.