MAJORCA RESPONDS WELL TO BRITISH TOUR OPERATOR'S WINTER CAMPAIGN

THE Majorcan tourist industry has responded well to Monarch airline and tour operator's commitment to operate six flights per week to Palma from Manchester and Gatwick airports.

The British tour operator has received the full support and backing of the Spanish tourist board Turespaña in London and the local Ministry for Tourism has also pledged to help promote and market the winter programme which already includes city break and golfing packages.

However, the response from the hoteliers has also been encouraging, said Hugh Morgan, the Monarch Travel Group's Managing Director of Tour Operations.
He said this week that a number of individual hotels have expressed an interest in getting involved and in the Port of Pollensa, a major winter cycling destination because the British team has its winter training camp in the port, there has been a great deal of support for the winter programme from the cycling holiday sector. “We've also made some special arrangements for cyclists to bring their bikes,” he added.
The golfing programme offers Monarch clients free green fees at participating golf resorts. Morgan said that passengers are already booking winter seats to Palma and also Mahon in Minorca which is also going to be served by a new winter service from Luton. “We've had good and constructive talks with the Balearic tourism authorities, they've pledged to help so it's now up to them to make it work,” Morgan underlined. “We're laying on the flights, over 51'000 seats during the winter, so we hope that Majorca will help us out and give us the support we need to make the winter season function properly,” he added.

The extra flights have also been welcomed by residents and second home owners who were left nearly stranded last winter when British Midland cancelled its daily Heathrow service, the tour operators closed down for three months and then low cost airlines scaled back their frequencies.

Monarch's winter initiative is going to give Majorca a serious opportunity to make winter tourism work and Morgan believes that the island has plenty to offer low season tourists apart from cycling and golf.

Monarch launched its Palma flight from Gatwick in July and Morgan said that the flights have been practically fully booked since day one.