11/10/2013 00:00
TW
0
STAFF REPORTER MAJORCA has not had much joy so far in attracting visitors to the Island under its European-wide “senior tourism” programme this year. The travel agency charged with commercialising an out-of-season campaign to attract the “older” visitor from European member states, Viajes Zoetrope, confirmed yesterday that although some travellers had come to Majorca during the first weekend of October, the numbers had not met the expectations either of the hotel companies, the regional Ministry for Tourism or even the Secretary of State for Tourism. According to hotel company sources, Majorca will have less than a hundred tourists this month who have booked holidays under the “senior tourism” programme. They don't yet have final figures for Ibiza or Minorca.


Those visitors who have come so far are from Greece, Romania and Poland, most of them are staying at the Barcelo Pueblo Park in S'Arenal.
Viajes Zoetrope said yesterday that the senior tourism offer, firmed up in July, didn't go out on the market until September. “That's very late,” a spokesman said, adding that there is reportedly a lack of direct flights between the client countries and the Balearic Islands. Another factor, he claimed had been the weather - September in the Islands had been quite wet. Andalucia, which is also signed up to the programme, is better connected to its client countries.