Visitors to the Balearics “short of money” this year

The “only weapon” the Balearic tourist industry has to fight “German press propaganda and the rising level of competitiveness from other Mediterranean destinations” is quality, according to Pedro Vidal, the President of the Association of Balearic Discotheques and Nightclubs. Vidal yesterday hit out at his sector's illegal competition in the Balearics and said that the non-registered clubs and music bars are preventing nightclubs, cabaret clubs and discos from increasing their prices, “like the hotel industry,” and taking a sizeable chunk out of their profits. The President of the Association said yesterday that the damage caused by the illegal market and the drop in tourism this summer has had a marked affect on trade. While Vidal admitted that the drop in tourism has not been as “dramatic” as feared, he claimed that the majority of tourists coming to the Balearics this year have come “short of money and have not budgeted for going to the top clubs or shows, but instead have opted for the more economical option of going to music bars which do not have the correct licences.” Vidal also blamed the authorities for being “too slow and lackadaisical” over enforcing the law.