Crackdown on hotels without permits

Hotels which do not have all their permits in order will lose their contracts with tour operators. That at least was the aim of members of AVIBA, the Balearic Travel Agents Association, expressed at Fitur 2001, the travel trade fair which was opened in Madrid by Prince Felipe. Eduardo Zamorano, the association's president, said that no official agreement had been made as yet, but something had to be done following the collapse of the Hostal Tivoli and the discovery that it was being marketed as a three star hotel by a tour operator without having the necessary permits of the Ministry of Tourism. He said that what happened with the Tivoli was a warning to everyone, and he added that the problem had to be solved by the tour operators, as it was the obligation of whoever contracted the hotel to insist that all the papers were in order. He went on to say that contracting for the coming summer season is already well underway but a crackdown would be enforced for next year. Following the opening of Fitur by Prince Felipe, representatives of Turespaña said that bookings for the Balearics from the German market had recovered and there would be no reduction in figures, as had been predicted in November.