Jason MoorePalma18/08/2020 09:17
TW
1

For the last two weeks I have been a tourist on Majorca. One of the lucky few, I am afraid to say. It is easy to see why Majorca has been so successful as a holiday destination; the standard of the hotels is very good and the welcome is warm. Who would have thought that this multi-billion euro industry would have been brought to a standstill by a cruel and vicious virus?

Majorca is open for business but I am sad to report that you can count the tourists on a single hand. The travel warning from the British and German governments has meant that the industry has ground to a halt, leaving the island rather shell-shocked. It is a sad state of affairs because the majority of businesses were claiming, just weeks ago, that they were on course for a relatively good season, shorter than usual but still good. The season is now over, really, unless there is a miracle. There is no light at the end of the tunnel, and hoteliers and their associated bars, restaurants and shops, are pondering whether to close. You can see their point.

No-one, bar the evil virus, is to blame. But the big question is how will thousands of businesses survive over the winter. The money made in the summer tides them over for winter. But this summer no money. I feel very sad for the hotel staff. Their smile and welcome was brilliant; nothing was too much trouble but now their very livelihood is at stake. Majorca will have to dig deep this winter and hope that times will improve sooner rather than later.