26/05/2012 00:00
TW
0

Palma.—Minister Delgado claimed yesterday at a Parliamentary Tourism Committee meeting that the tourist season this year will be “almost the same” as 2011 in terms of hotel occupation but that profits will be “greater”. The Minister was basing his comments on data provided by “Exceltur”, the regional institute for excellence in tourism.

Delgado said that although the number of flights to Majorca will be 1.4% less this season than in 2011, and 1.7% less to Ibiza, “this doesn't mean that the number of tourists will decrease owing to the greater capacity of aircraft.” The Minister also said that after consulting with experts, the hike in airport taxes is not going to impact negatively on the number of tourists visiting the Islands but he still wants to put a proposal to Central Government that the tax should be applied differently during the main tourist season than in the winter months.

Responding to critics, Delgado said the new Tourism Law currently wending its way through Parliament, is not going to give the public or private development sector “carte blanche” to eat into unspoiled island territory as some opposition parties had feared. Delgado said the new legislation was more to do with the reform of outdated properties and bringing tourist accommodation up to standard.

In the case of rural tourism, said Delgado, the new law will allow more rooms to be offered in already-existing buildings.
He said that whilst the economic crisis has created “difficulties” for the Balearics, it still remains the case that the regional tourist industry still largely depends on British and German visitors rather than on national tourism.