You Spin Me Round Round

Groundhog Day. Winter tourism. The editor of “The Bulletin” calls for a forward-thinking tourism plan that embraces all the seasons. But doesn’t offer any clues as to what that plan might include.

We can and do talk till blueness enters the face about the lack of meaningful winter tourism. There is no point talking any longer about the problem. Everyone knows what the problem is. The only point of talking is to find a solution. If not, then best just shut up. And perhaps shutting up is the only solution, both physically (bars etc.) and orally.

I have an email from Seamus at No Frills Excursions. It was apropos the little Antich-Abrey “summit”. The gist of the email was that their get-together was for appearances’ sake as they have no influence over the number of people coming to the island (and as I pointed out, in the case of Mr. Abrey I don’t quite know what it has to do with him anyway).

What actually do the leader of the Balearic Government and the British Consul to Mallorca know about what tourists want? They are too remote to know, and so come up with some vague declaration about doing something (culture in Palma it would seem), and that something – like “The Bulletin’s” regular similarly vague calls for something – is neither here nor there; done for appearances or to fill copy.

Perhaps the politicians should try talking to people who do know what tourists want; people like Seamus for example. People who operate at the tourism sharp end. And not even the tour operators, as the tour operators do what makes money for the tour operators, which does not include an abundance of fortnights in Mallorca in January.

But ultimately, there needs to be some realism – a point Seamus also makes. And the sources of that realism are only too clear – the alternatives to Mallorca in winter being foremost. I spoke about a grand delusion where winter tourism is concerned (2 November 2007, “Wishful Thinking”), and this delusion will persist until reality is accepted. Once it is, then we might move on. We might even find a solution. Otherwise, the problem will just keep on being repeated. We will keep spinning round and round.

Really major attractions, such as that planned for the desert near Zaragoza, hotel stock converted to all-year use (along Center Parcs lines). I’ve said it before. Most of the rest – the culture stuff, the history stuff, the shopping stuff – is of little consequence, and I’ve said that before. Groundhog Day.


QUIZ
Yesterday – Will Powers. Carly Simon sang on it. Today’s title – “like a record, baby”. Who originally?

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