Editorial: Winter flights? I’m sorry...

YESTERDAY I had a long chat with the owner of a local travel agent who has been in the business for some 30 years and he was forced to admit that Majorca will never become a winter tourist destination again.
He did not blame the airlines, obviously no airline is going to operate empty planes, as is the case with the UK, although not so when it comes to the Germans or the Northern Europeans.
No, he pointed the finger at the government and the hoteliers.
He said that hoteliers not only have the governments where they want them, he underlined the fact that the government talks the talk but that is about it.
“Yes, there are a few hotels who have staff on full time contracts, so they stay open, it’s no extra cost to them, so they can operate through the winter and make money, but when it comes to the vast majority of hotels, they rely on part time, seasonal staff and would rather close in the winter than pay their social security.
“However, if the government was to help cover the costs of social security payments for hotels which stayed open, then fewer hotels would close during the winter and that would generate demand and make it cost effective for airlines to operate more planes.”
We all know the island has plenty  to offer visitors during the winter, not to mention Palma, which does not close. But hotel chains with newly built establishments in competing winter sun destinations would also rather have those hotels full.