Feelings

As alluded to yesterday, this pow-wow at the British Consulate.

You may recall my reporting on a meeting that took place between the British Consul, Paul Abrey, and the Balearics President, Francesc Antich (9 January, "Our Man in Palma"), at which they discussed the boosting of tourism to Mallorca and the issue of winter tourism. From that meeting has come the "think-tank" that is the Consul, representatives of major tour operators and IBATUR, the promotional part of the tourism ministry; oh, and the bloke from Pirates, too.

I am still none the wiser as to quite what this all has to do with the British Consul. It is unclear as to whether it has fallen to the representative of a foreign government to convene a meeting designed to boost the island's tourism. If so, then quite what does IBATUR do? Moreover, I do wonder if there is not something slightly askew with priorities in terms of the promotion of British commercial interests. If the purpose is to somehow assist local British-run businesses (bars and so on), then maybe I can understand it, but I doubt if that is the case, and if it were the case, then why are those interests not represented?

Seemingly, the main point of discussion is the Holy Grail of tourism diversification, away from the simple message of sun, sea and sand. To this end, IBATUR have got themselves going with that strange "much more than golf/meetings/good food" slogan thing (13 May: "More Than Words"). According to the Consul, the promotion of Mallorca as a multi-activity destination is something that the local government and tour operators will be working on. Is it indeed? This all may be something that can be tagged on to summer tourism, but the winter season still needs a fair chunk of co-operation from another interested party - the airlines. Oh, and also the hotels. And the bars and the restaurants.

I have a horrible feeling in the pit of the stomach when the words think and tank are combined. Not that there is anything wrong with think-tanks so long as they are more than talking shops and, far more importantly, that they do not descend into exercises in "groupthink". And what is groupthink? It is the group dynamic by which the dominant idea becomes accepted by all; unanimity and consensus of view without conflict or the exploration of alternatives is the preferred group modus operandi. The point of a think-tank should be - to coin an awful cliché - to think outside the box. I fear that this think-tank has already fallen into the box marked conventional thinking, been closed up and taped over, typified as it seems to be by the old chestnuts of a bit of sport, a bit of nosh, a bit of a conference and a bit of a weekend break. It can hardly be called a think-tank if all that's coming from it is what has already been thought. One thing I do hope is that whatever thinking may have gone on, it had a whole-island perspective. The name of Palma and only of Palma is writ large over the winter market.

The reporting on the meeting, that at least that comes from "The Bulletin", is not very encouraging. It says nothing that we haven't hard numerous times before. The tank is due to be filled again in September when it will look ahead to how the winter market (this coming winter's market) can be boosted. Eh? Would this not be a bit late? Apart from anything else, the tour operators have already got their winter plans sorted out.

A horrible feeling in the pit of the stomach and a horrible sinking feeling, dropping lower and lower into a tank of thinking. Sinking, thinking, drowning.


QUIZ
Chain - The Isley Brothers to "Behind A Painted Smile" to the album "Smile" by The Beach Boys. And from The Beach Boys ... by one change of word, how do The Beach Boys connect with Nik Kershaw? Yesterday's title - Pink Floyd. Today's title - who did this first?

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