Andrew Ede23/01/2014 00:00
TW
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By Andrew Ede
Palma—Sometimes the simplest statement or question can spark off a significant reaction and debate. “Do you think that Majorca has lost its shine?” was the question we asked on our Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon. Less than 24-hours later there had been over one hundred comments.
The question might have demanded a straightforward yes or no, but the responses went into very much more detail. Consequently, giving an exact score - yes or no - is not straightforward, but picking over the bones of the replies, the no’s had it over the yes’s to the tune of almost four to one. For the majority of people, therefore, Majorca is still shining.
To start with the yes’s and some qualified no’s, what are people’s reasons for believing that the shine has been lost or might need some polishing? Some of these have to do with themes familiar to other debates we have held on Facebook, and they relate to matters which have a direct impact on tourism.

Lack of Winter flights, all inclusive holidays
So, a lack of Winter flights, a preponderance of all-inclusive hotels, government inertia and a shorter Summer season were all cited as reasons for the shine having been lost.
But underlying these tourism-related concerns were those to do with increasing costs of living and the effects of  the recession. These two do, for many, go hand in hand, but when one drills down and analyses responses of this nature, they do not apply to Majorca and Majorca alone. Issues to do with the costs of being self-employed (one I sympathise with enormously), higher taxes or electricity are not confined to the island; they are national matters.  To what extent, therefore, do people’s individual circumstances influence the way they perceive Majorca today? Greatly, one would have to say, and this is perfectly understandable, but these are circumstances which are shared with other places and not only in Spain. However, to dismiss these circumstances with a justification that it is the same elsewhere would be wrong and to not dwell on them would be to gloss over problems that are being felt by many on Majorca and a resultant anger felt by some people. To give a flavour, one comment perhaps sums this up best: “Having lived here most of my life, I have seen the dramatic change in the last five years. Working here if you are autonomo is a joke. Even if you had no income during the month, you still have to pay out a whopping 260+ euros in social security plus taxes etc., etc. All we seem to do is pay, pay, pay. No help at all from the government. The island has lost its shine due to the fact that it is so bloody expensive to live here”.
There was further anger directed at policymakers. “Until the Majorcan/Balearic politicians actually start to run out of money and stop fighting with each other the islands’ decline will continue.”
 Local councils, hoteliers and airlines “are not getting their heads together to make the beautiful island be as popular as ever. The question is why? Perhaps the government and councils are happy in their bubble.”
Of the qualified no’s, improvements that respondents called for mainly centred on initiatives to boost tourism and to get rid of elements of tourism that have had a harmful effect, e.g. all-inclusives. One particularly well-considered qualification looked at how people need to adjust to changed circumstances. “Majorca cannot lose its shine, but learning how to adapt to living on the island has changed for sure. I think the issue now is ... for expats and even Spanish citizens to learn to adapt quick enough to keep their standards of living”. Whether these expats and Spanish citizens can do so is another matter, and the commentator felt that most couldn’t.
While many of the respondents were residents, there were also holidaymakers and part-time residents. “Living in Majorca and taking a vacation there are two different things.”
 “To live there yes (the shine has been lost), but as a holiday island it’s beautiful.” And then there were of course visitors and residents who were in no doubt.
 “It’s beautiful. I love it. Flying out three times this year. It’s never lost its shine for me.” “Great living in Majorca. Always something to do, even in the Winter if you are active. It’s paradise!” Reassuringly, there are people for whom the shine has not been lost and who are pulled back. “We are going back to Majorca after five years. It always pulls us back. Love it!” “I left for a while, thinking that the grass was greener elsewhere but came back because Majorca is a place to enjoy a wonderful lifestyle.”
To sum up then, where a majority of commentators on “The Bulletin’s” Facebook page are concerned, Majorca has not lost its shine, but where the shine has been taken off it is because of expense, harmful aspects of tourism, lack of help for business and political indifference.