Damage limitation exercise in Germany

The Balearic government intends to open a special office in Germany with the principal aim of trying to improve the region's image and persuade German tourists to come back. Balearic Minister for Tourism, Celesti Alomar, made the announcement yesterday on his return from a mission to Germany to repair the damage done to the tourism market by the tourist tax. Alomar also used the visit to try and explain the heavily criticised tourist tax to the German tourist industry and politicians. At the invitation of the German socialist party, Alomar addressed the Bundestag (German parliament), where the tax received the full support from the socialists and Greens, but was rejected by the Christian Democrat party. The tax, which has been panned by the German media and is being cited as the main reason for this year's slump in German holiday bookings, has also received the full approval of Germany's Environment Minister, Jürgen Trittin and the Association of environmental non-governmental organisations in Germany.