Our Man In Palma

It must be a pretty good gig – being the British consul to Mallorca. If one were part of the diplomatic corps, there would be worse places to which one could be assigned. In Mallorca, bar having to assist the occasional miscreant, it would be an agreeable round of meetings, dinner parties and special events. Does a consul get an allowance for a black-tie outfit?

The consul does have a commercial role as well. To this end, the current consul, Paul Abrey, has been in discussion with Balearic leader, Francesc Antich, regarding how to boost short-break and winter tourism. It is good that Antich is seemingly taking an active role in this most important economic sector. But what more can be done than just “discussing”? The consulate may wish to help in promoting tourism, but what can it actually do? Will it be launching its own website offering holidays and special deals? I very much doubt it.

According to “The Bulletin”, Antich feels that the “message” regarding short-break and winter tourism is not getting through. It goes on to say that an emphasis will be placed on packaging Palma as a cultural destination.

That the message is not getting through will come as no surprise. Antich may be in regular contact with the UK tour operators, as Abrey says, but I fancy that they are going to need a good deal of convincing. That Palma would be the point of emphasis is hardly of much relevance to businesses in Alcúdia and Pollensa. It may make sense to home in on Palma, but this suggests that the consul (and the government) are turning a blind eye to the rest of the island. Palma-centricity. As always, Palma-centricity.

But there is something odd about this. A representative of the British Government is discussing ways of taking people out of Britain. Should the commercial role of the consul not be to promote exports from Britain of goods and services other than that of tourism to another country? Does promoting Mallorca benefit the British economy? The tour operators and airlines maybe, but otherwise? The actual sale of overseas tourism may have a positive effect on the British economy (though quite how positive, if at all, I couldn’t possibly be sure), but it comes with one certain negative – the flow of consumer spend that is then not employed in the home economy and in the home economy’s own tourism industry. Selling a few more short breaks and a bit more winter tourism (and a few more and a bit more would be about right) would not represent a major job- or wealth-creation scheme for the home economy.

Were it the case that increased tourism, of the type they are discussing, directly assisted British interests (and businesses) on the island, then fine maybe, but that would be a very vague consequence. We may exist in an entwined economic community, of which Britain and Mallorca (Spain) are very much parts, but I think it reasonable to ask what Britain gains from its local consul being actively engaged in the support of the local tourism economy, other than creating good relations. Are they also discussing ways of promoting more tourism from the Balearics into Britain? Sorry, I want more winter tourism, but something doesn’t sound quite right here. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.


QUIZ
Yesterday – “Goodness Gracious Me”, Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren. Today’s title – something a bit different. Palma has replaced which capital city in the title of a novel by whom?

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