The tourism minister Bel Busquets appeared before the parliamentary tourism committee yesterday and stressed that there is to be regulation of the all-inclusive (AI) hotel offer.
Busquets appeared at her own request and also at the request of the opposition Partido Popular. The regulation of AI, she said, is currently being worked on. The draft will be presented some time during the first half of this year. She insisted that AI has to be "made compatible with the complementary offer (bars, restaurants and other non-hotel business)" and that it should not take away value or quality from the tourism product. In addition, "it should not alter the quality of life of residents".
The minister explained that consensus for AI regulation is to be sought with business and unions as well as with town halls and political parties.
Referring to the Balearic Tourism Agency's 2018 action plan, she highlighted the need for improved seasonal balance in tourism activity. The 'Better in Winter' campaign, she noted, needs to be promoted in order to combat seasonality.
Other objectives of the agency, she observed, are improved distribution of the income derived from tourism; greater understanding of the demand for and positioning of the Balearics in foreign markets; improvements to the quality of tourism and to public-private sector cooperation.
Busquets added that further aims are to increase tourists' average spending and the length of stays.
*The main discussion of all-inclusive regulation has centred on limits to free drink. It is expected that reform of the tourism law will only allow drink to be made available at meal times. However, might hotels (and tour operators) redefine what is meant by meals? The regulation and the inspection will have to be pretty tight in order to enforce this.
If the government is serious about improving quality, it might wish, for example, to consider a demand that was made years ago in Alcudia - that there can only be AI in hotels of four-star rating and above.
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So how will this effect the Holidays already sol by the tour operators as All Inclusive, no doubt that the holidaymaker will have a fight on their hands to get a refund before their holiday!! I tried it one year but decided I didn't drink or eat enough to warrant the extra outlay.
surely Majorcan hotels that offer all inclusive than refuse to honour the all; inclusive deal are guilty of miss selling and should be sued for the short fall example a family of 4 will; be £800 out of pocket for a 14 day holiday
So will AI Hotel bookings already paid for be honoured as per the “Old” AI rules ie Free drink All Day and not limited to meal times?? If these new Regulations are in force I can see many AI tourists going to Holiday Ombudsman for compensation and winning as their AI holidays were not as per the Package purchased! The Mallorcan Government is surely killing Tourism in Mallorca it’s cheaper to go to the Caribbean or Mexico. 2019 I will be going elsewhere The first time I haven’t been to Mallorca for my summer holidays in 30 years! I’m sure many loyal holidaymakers will be following suit!
So here we go again destroy the tourist industry in your own country. Then wonder why they are going elsewhere for their holidays.