Opposition calls for solutions

The Balearic government was yesterday urged to do something “after three years of falling tourism numbers.” Opposition Partido Popular spokesperson Joan Flaquer, making his debut as parliamentary party leader, said that in view of the seven per cent fall in tourism this year “the left wing coalition government “has to rectify the situation and do something because we all live off tourism.” Flaquer, looking back over the past three years of tourism in the Balearics said that he fears “it is too late for the government to get back on the right road, the figures speak for themselves.” Flaquer also claimed that Antich's new quality tourism plan is “a copy” of the Partido Popular's plan. “But there are two things a government can not do, damage the region's image as a tourist destination, for which we are paying, and dent people's confidence in the tourist industry by continually attacking the business sector,” Flaquer added. He said that this year, tourism figures have gone down while unemployment has gone up, “the results are all negative,” he said.