Germans cancel Majorcan holidays

Germans are cancelling their Majorcan holidays because of the “smear campaign” against the island in the German media, the hoteliers association said yesterday. A spokesman said yesterday “there has been a wave of cancellations. Some hotels are down by up to 20 percent on last year.” As the Bulletin reported yesterday, a considerable number of Germans who came to Majorca last year are going to Turkey this summer, because it is cheaper. Sales to Greece are also buoyant. On Sunday the mass-circulation tabloid Bild gave ten reasons why Germans are not coming on holiday to Majorca. They included the tourist tax, and the water and power crisis. “We are concerned at the state of the German market,” the association said yesterday. But while the German market appears to be in recession other nationalities, including the British, appear to be coming in greater numbers. This weekend Palma airport will handle a record number of passengers. The local government has earmarked 50 million pesetas for a promotion campaign to try and lure Germans back to the island.