Like the weather is supposedly an obsession of the British, then flying is a Mallorcan obsession. Everyone's. For an island cast adrift in the Mediterranean it couldn't be anything other than an obsession. Yes there are ships, but ships don't move human mass in the way that aircraft do. Without planes, Mallorca would be sunk. Anyone remember the ash cloud?
PSOE, bless its coming-late-to-the-party heart, is to make connectivity an election pledge. Cajoled by Balearic socialists, Pedro Sánchez and PSOE national will apply a strategic plan which, they say, will compensate for the costs of insularity. Coming late to the party, why have they and other parties not thought to do likewise in the past?
President Armengol and her finance minister, Catalina Cladera, make repeated references to wishing there to be a redefinition of Mallorca and the Balearics in economic terms. The special regime that they talk about is an obscure topic for most of us, but inherent to it is, or should be, the appreciation of geographical disadvantages, ones which, for too long, have been ignored or swept into the background by the even more obscure discussions as to how the Balearics are financed.
A core element of this special regime should be a clear commitment to connectivity. The dependence upon it makes this essential. Quite what PSOE might dream up under its strategic plan (and there is, of course, no guarantee that it will form the next national government) is anyone's guess, but at the heart of it there needs to be an acknowledgement of the cost disadvantages for the island economy and of the imbalanced nature of connectivity. Palma airport breaks records each summer, and then partially closes in winter.
The island's political parties are once more making a plea to be involved with the management of Son Sant Joan and the airports of Menorca and Ibiza. They've been making this plea for years. At one time, it looked as if there was a commitment to allowing this (during Zapatero's time), but then, looming on the horizon came the process towards the Aena privatisation, a product, in part, of the need for government re-financing.
A combination of a PSOE-led national government and the regime as it is at present in the Balearics might just bring about this ambition for some control of the airports through a coalition of what the regional government describes vaguely in terms of political, economic and social interests. How this might all sit with Aena is unknown. Here is an airports authority whose share value and profits have risen staggeringly. This isn't solely because of its Spanish business as, for instance, Luton Airport brings in a tidy sum as well, but the authority does very nicely thank you from the Spanish network, despite the number of loss-making airports within it.
One airport which doesn't make a loss, or anything like it, is Palma's. Saddled with little or no debt financing (thanks to historic European largesse) and buoyed by huge summer demand, Aena rakes in the airport's profits: it isn't so much a cash cow as an entire beef herd. Aena might not take kindly to any interference in this profit source, but it is worth remembering that the state still holds the majority of the shares, with Aena in a halfway house - part privatised but under the ultimate command of the national ministry for development.
Putting to one side Aena and a model of airport management that might make Balearic airports cheaper for airlines in winter, there is the issue of vulnerability. Not so long ago it was Spanair. Now, it's Air Berlin. Its decision to close the hub is no surprise. The airline has been losing money hand over fist for some five years. Erroneously described as low-cost, it has struggled to compete, while the hub strategy has been rendered outdated because of low-cost flights by German competitors direct to the mainland. Without drastic cuts, it would go bust.
Ultimately, and despite the loss of jobs and an impact on ground services, the Air Berlin decision will probably not prove harmful, but psychologically it's a blow for the airport and for Mallorca, raising as it does the fears that come with insularity and so much dependence on connectivity. And to this has to be added the peculiar case of Air Europa and the residents' discounts affair. The airline, Mallorca-based, has arrived at an arrangement whereby it will pay the national government 13 million euros which were allegedly obtained through fraudulent means. There are criticisms of the lack of explanation and transparency regarding this apparent settlement, while the national travel agencies association, which first blew the whistle, suggests that this is only a fraction of the amount. A criminal investigation, meanwhile, is continuing.
PSOE's strategic plan should be detailed. Mallorca might just depend upon it.
Showing posts with label Air Berlin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Air Berlin. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Friday, October 04, 2013
Reliving Mallorca's Sea Of Experiences
Being an observer of matters Mallorcan can be potentially damaging to one's psychological well-being. One feels that one is constantly reliving a previous life or several lives. Haven't I, we, been here before? Once, twice or several times? What experiences have we had on the way that now come to be experienced once more? Can it be that we are tossed forever on a sea of experiences, washed ashore momentarily, only to be pulled back into the infinity of the sea and recycled by the waves of unrelenting repetition?
Right, well, enough of this flowery stuff. Let's get to the point. Hands up those of you who remember something called the "Sea of Experiences" (or "Mar de Experiencias" to give it its Spanish title)? You don't remember? Then let me remind you. This sea was launched in June last year. Mallorca's hoteliers were pretty pleased with it, as it was their idea. Along came the odd member of the regional government (though I'm unsure if the tourism minister was able to make it) and mayors from towns with a particular interest in tourism plus of course a whole load of hotel sorts. They all gathered at a golf club, were engrossed by the launch of the sea, had something to eat and then ... went home I suppose.
The "Sea of Experiences" is a document in which all aspects of off-season tourism activities are detailed. And it is a very detailed document, covering the usual suspects of golf, cycling, hiking, gastronomy, etc. At the time that the sea was launched, my reaction was ... "And?". I had rather hoped that the sea would contain some insights as to how it was going to break the vicious cycle of seasonality. It didn't. It was a document bursting with activities, names and addresses, routes for this and routes for that, and we are now being reminded of its existence.
The hoteliers had clearly found this document lurking in a drawer somewhere and thought it might be a good idea to bring it out in order to wave it in front of some other hoteliers and the man from Air Berlin who's now in charge of Spain and Portugal, Paul Verhagen. So, life was relived the other day. The sea of experiences was being experienced once again.
To be strictly accurate, the sea wasn't just sprung on the man from Air Berlin. He did have prior warning. So much so that Air Berlin will be participating in promoting the sea ("Ein Meer von Erfahrungen", one guesses), which is very nice of Air Berlin. It has shedloads of passengers who pore over the contents of its in-flight magazine plus further shedloads who subscribe to its e-magazine in addition to those who follow it on social media. Well over three million people, it would seem, and all of them likely targets for this array of out-of-season experiences in Mallorca.
Air Berlin may have been tinkering with its routes but it does account for some 50% of passenger traffic through Son Sant Joan in winter. It has had a special relationship with Mallorca that goes back to when it was founded in 1978 and it is the only airline which appears to be willing to make a great effort to bring people to Mallorca in winter.
Talking with the hoteliers and embarking on a campaign with them (the "Sea of Experiences") is intended, it is hoped, to address the all-too-familiar chicken and egg of airlines don't fly because hotels aren't open or hotels don't open because airlines don't fly. So the campaign would seem to be a positive step in the right direction, if only for German visitors.
The airlines do hold the key. But if they fly (and there is a wish to get other airlines on-board in a similar way to Air Berlin), they have to know that passengers will be flying to somewhere that is fully prepared to accommodate them.
The campaign sounds good, but are there not some fairly obvious points to be made? Air Berlin has been flying in winter to Mallorca for years. Yes, it has cut some of its winter routes but its flights have been and are numerous and regular. Has Air Berlin not been been promoting Mallorca previously? Where have those passengers who have been flying in winter been staying? In other words, for all the good intentions of the campaign, what will it achieve that Air Berlin hasn't already been achieving? Bring more German tourists is doubtless the answer. More but how many more? I wish them well.
Right, well, enough of this flowery stuff. Let's get to the point. Hands up those of you who remember something called the "Sea of Experiences" (or "Mar de Experiencias" to give it its Spanish title)? You don't remember? Then let me remind you. This sea was launched in June last year. Mallorca's hoteliers were pretty pleased with it, as it was their idea. Along came the odd member of the regional government (though I'm unsure if the tourism minister was able to make it) and mayors from towns with a particular interest in tourism plus of course a whole load of hotel sorts. They all gathered at a golf club, were engrossed by the launch of the sea, had something to eat and then ... went home I suppose.
The "Sea of Experiences" is a document in which all aspects of off-season tourism activities are detailed. And it is a very detailed document, covering the usual suspects of golf, cycling, hiking, gastronomy, etc. At the time that the sea was launched, my reaction was ... "And?". I had rather hoped that the sea would contain some insights as to how it was going to break the vicious cycle of seasonality. It didn't. It was a document bursting with activities, names and addresses, routes for this and routes for that, and we are now being reminded of its existence.
The hoteliers had clearly found this document lurking in a drawer somewhere and thought it might be a good idea to bring it out in order to wave it in front of some other hoteliers and the man from Air Berlin who's now in charge of Spain and Portugal, Paul Verhagen. So, life was relived the other day. The sea of experiences was being experienced once again.
To be strictly accurate, the sea wasn't just sprung on the man from Air Berlin. He did have prior warning. So much so that Air Berlin will be participating in promoting the sea ("Ein Meer von Erfahrungen", one guesses), which is very nice of Air Berlin. It has shedloads of passengers who pore over the contents of its in-flight magazine plus further shedloads who subscribe to its e-magazine in addition to those who follow it on social media. Well over three million people, it would seem, and all of them likely targets for this array of out-of-season experiences in Mallorca.
Air Berlin may have been tinkering with its routes but it does account for some 50% of passenger traffic through Son Sant Joan in winter. It has had a special relationship with Mallorca that goes back to when it was founded in 1978 and it is the only airline which appears to be willing to make a great effort to bring people to Mallorca in winter.
Talking with the hoteliers and embarking on a campaign with them (the "Sea of Experiences") is intended, it is hoped, to address the all-too-familiar chicken and egg of airlines don't fly because hotels aren't open or hotels don't open because airlines don't fly. So the campaign would seem to be a positive step in the right direction, if only for German visitors.
The airlines do hold the key. But if they fly (and there is a wish to get other airlines on-board in a similar way to Air Berlin), they have to know that passengers will be flying to somewhere that is fully prepared to accommodate them.
The campaign sounds good, but are there not some fairly obvious points to be made? Air Berlin has been flying in winter to Mallorca for years. Yes, it has cut some of its winter routes but its flights have been and are numerous and regular. Has Air Berlin not been been promoting Mallorca previously? Where have those passengers who have been flying in winter been staying? In other words, for all the good intentions of the campaign, what will it achieve that Air Berlin hasn't already been achieving? Bring more German tourists is doubtless the answer. More but how many more? I wish them well.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
The Next Big Thing: Winter tourism
So many are the initiatives, so many are the slogans that they become lost amidst their sheer welter. It's a good word "welter". Not one I have used that often, if at all. But I am making a note to be liberal with it in the future. Welter is, as my trusty OED informs me, "a state of general confusion" or "a disorderly mixture or contrast of beliefs, policies, etc.". It can also be a "big person or thing" (a colloquial use of unknown origin from the nineteenth century, if you must know). As a verb, welter can be "to roll or wallow or be washed about". Yep, it's a very good word indeed.
Because of this welter of initiatives and slogans (welter here meaning either of the first two quoted above), when another initiative or slogan comes along, one has to pause for a moment to wonder if it has in fact come along before. So it was with the announcement of a "sea of experiences", the slogan for an initiative that will, it is said (hoped), increase tourism in the low season, i.e. winter, by 10%. Sea of experiences? Where had I heard that before? Had I heard it before? I had. Last June. I had written about it under the heading "A Sea Of Clichés". Now I remembered. There had been a gathering of worthies, the outcome of which was a meaningless list of "experiences" that were already well known: golf, wine, gastronomy, I'll leave you to add all the rest as you will be familiar with them.
Nine months later, the sea of experiences has been washed up once more. Or is it that it is being washed about? Rolling and wallowing in the shallows of a state of general confusion? A disorderly mixture? The next big thing? Well, hardly the next big thing, unless you consider that experiences for contributing to an increase in off-season tourism which have been spoken about for a good thirty years constitute the next big thing.
What does appear to be slightly different about the sea of experiences, now that it would seem to have come to the end of a nine-month gestation, is that one set of worthies has been cast adrift, lost in the vast sea of its inexperience around the Balearics. The government worthies. They were there nine months ago. But they were not there when the newly born sea of experiences was revealed to a cooing world: only the director of the Mallorcan hoteliers federation and two important people from Air Berlin.
Why no government representatives though? I'm not sure, but is Carlos on honeymoon, he having tied the knot with the lovely lady of Lourdes last weekend and toasted the occasion at a sushi reception, attended by various acolytes from the PP who wouldn't normally choose to be in the same room as him? Whatever, it isn't necessarily a bad thing that the government is not in attendance. In fact, it is probably quite a good thing when the next big thing is being announced.
And, my goodness, what a big thing it is, too. The sea of experiences has thus far spoken with a few bodegas, five golf courses and two yacht clubs. Phew! The sea is only in its infancy, the experiences troika said. Of course it is, it has only just been born, nine months after its conception last summer. It will grow into a healthy child, though, one trusts. And this growth will be assisted by leaflets to be distributed to hotels this summer and on Air Berlin flights and by information on websites. Tourists, thus far ignorant of anything other than the beach, will now know of the sea of experiences to be had in Mallorca during the winter, most of them on dry land. And those tourists who endure the dark, long days of winter, such as the Scandinavians, will suddenly realise that "the winter in Mallorca is practically like the summer in Scandinavia", says one of the Air Berlin people. So presumably, mostly everything is shut in Scandinavia in summer and everyone disappears for several months.
To be fair, it is worth giving it a go. Hats off. And if it means going it alone minus the government, then so be it. The government hasn't got any money, so let the hoteliers and let the airlines do it all for them. Someone has to. But herein lies the rub: the hub of one airline, Air Berlin.
The other day, a German journalist phoned me to speak about the British cycling "boom" and what it meant for Mallorca. A key issue, I suggested, was that of flights. Air Berlin, despite having cut its winter routes, still flies daily from several German airports to Palma through the winter (and not necessarily just one flight per day). It is an airline with a very strong association with the island. The same cannot be said for British airlines. 'Tis ever thus that flight availability holds the key. Perhaps, therefore, the sea of experience needs to bring the government back on board, but what good has this done in the past? A welter of initiatives. A state of general confusion. Wallowing. The next big thing?
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Because of this welter of initiatives and slogans (welter here meaning either of the first two quoted above), when another initiative or slogan comes along, one has to pause for a moment to wonder if it has in fact come along before. So it was with the announcement of a "sea of experiences", the slogan for an initiative that will, it is said (hoped), increase tourism in the low season, i.e. winter, by 10%. Sea of experiences? Where had I heard that before? Had I heard it before? I had. Last June. I had written about it under the heading "A Sea Of Clichés". Now I remembered. There had been a gathering of worthies, the outcome of which was a meaningless list of "experiences" that were already well known: golf, wine, gastronomy, I'll leave you to add all the rest as you will be familiar with them.
Nine months later, the sea of experiences has been washed up once more. Or is it that it is being washed about? Rolling and wallowing in the shallows of a state of general confusion? A disorderly mixture? The next big thing? Well, hardly the next big thing, unless you consider that experiences for contributing to an increase in off-season tourism which have been spoken about for a good thirty years constitute the next big thing.
What does appear to be slightly different about the sea of experiences, now that it would seem to have come to the end of a nine-month gestation, is that one set of worthies has been cast adrift, lost in the vast sea of its inexperience around the Balearics. The government worthies. They were there nine months ago. But they were not there when the newly born sea of experiences was revealed to a cooing world: only the director of the Mallorcan hoteliers federation and two important people from Air Berlin.
Why no government representatives though? I'm not sure, but is Carlos on honeymoon, he having tied the knot with the lovely lady of Lourdes last weekend and toasted the occasion at a sushi reception, attended by various acolytes from the PP who wouldn't normally choose to be in the same room as him? Whatever, it isn't necessarily a bad thing that the government is not in attendance. In fact, it is probably quite a good thing when the next big thing is being announced.
And, my goodness, what a big thing it is, too. The sea of experiences has thus far spoken with a few bodegas, five golf courses and two yacht clubs. Phew! The sea is only in its infancy, the experiences troika said. Of course it is, it has only just been born, nine months after its conception last summer. It will grow into a healthy child, though, one trusts. And this growth will be assisted by leaflets to be distributed to hotels this summer and on Air Berlin flights and by information on websites. Tourists, thus far ignorant of anything other than the beach, will now know of the sea of experiences to be had in Mallorca during the winter, most of them on dry land. And those tourists who endure the dark, long days of winter, such as the Scandinavians, will suddenly realise that "the winter in Mallorca is practically like the summer in Scandinavia", says one of the Air Berlin people. So presumably, mostly everything is shut in Scandinavia in summer and everyone disappears for several months.
To be fair, it is worth giving it a go. Hats off. And if it means going it alone minus the government, then so be it. The government hasn't got any money, so let the hoteliers and let the airlines do it all for them. Someone has to. But herein lies the rub: the hub of one airline, Air Berlin.
The other day, a German journalist phoned me to speak about the British cycling "boom" and what it meant for Mallorca. A key issue, I suggested, was that of flights. Air Berlin, despite having cut its winter routes, still flies daily from several German airports to Palma through the winter (and not necessarily just one flight per day). It is an airline with a very strong association with the island. The same cannot be said for British airlines. 'Tis ever thus that flight availability holds the key. Perhaps, therefore, the sea of experience needs to bring the government back on board, but what good has this done in the past? A welter of initiatives. A state of general confusion. Wallowing. The next big thing?
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
MALLORCA TODAY - Incentives for hotels to open in winter called for
The boss of Air Berlin in Spain and Portugal, Alvaro Middelmann, has called on the regional government to introduce incentives to allow hotels to remain open in the winter off-season. Without being specific, Middelmann is alluding to the type of incentive that has been consistently called for over several years, one that might, for instance, see a form of tax break.
See more: Ultima Hora
See more: Ultima Hora
Thursday, April 05, 2012
MALLORCA TODAY - Asian market opened up by Air Berlin's co-ooperation
Thanks to co-operation between Air Berlin, with its hub in Palma, and Etihad Airways, Mallorca opens itself up to possible Asian tourism not just from the Middle East but also further afield, i.e. China.
See more: Ultima Hora
See more: Ultima Hora
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
MALLORCA TODAY - Air Berlin joins Oneworld
The German airline Air Berlin has become a member of the Oneworld alliance, thus opening up the possibility of increased air connections for Mallorca with Asia and the Americas. Air Berlin, for some years Palma's most important airline, have in the past hoped for better connections with the USA in particular, an example being with California where there is the historical connection with the island because of Fray Juniper.
See more: Diario de Mallorca
See more: Diario de Mallorca
Thursday, March 17, 2011
MALLORCA TODAY - Air Berlin increases Palma traffic this summer
The German airline Air Berlin will increase the number of potential passengers coming into Palma airport this summer by over 160,000; 5.9 million in total.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Taking The Flak: Airlines and winter flights
A canard can mean different things. It is a misleading story or it is an added-stability surface on an aircraft. It is also, in French, a duck. Get ready to duck, everyone; the flak being fired at aircraft and airlines is flying.
The story of flights to Mallorca during the winter is not a canard. There may be more of a plot to the story than the simple "tourist authorities must do something" narrative, but it is not essentially misleading. Hence the rumblings of discontent expressed in "The Bulletin", as opposed to the rumblings of engines as aircraft land in Palma; rumblings coming, in particular, from all points northwards in the UK.
The assertion that "there are plenty of winter connections to Faro, Alicante and Malaga" (from Scotland) is not wrong. Nor is the suggestion that Palma is badly served. Take, for example, easyJet and Ryanair. Over a period from 15 to 26 February, there are, from Glasgow, six easyJet flights to Faro and four with Ryanair. For Alicante, seven easyJet connections, five Ryanair. Malaga? Nine and five respectively. The picture is rather different, when it comes to Palma. The number of flights is zero and zero.
These are just two airlines from one city, so the story is not complete, but you can get a flavour of the story by looking at these numbers.
It is hard to compare like with like, but let's just consider what happens with flights from Germany. Take a city such as Nuremberg, a fair-sized place but smaller by about 60,000 people than Glasgow. Air Berlin, over the same February period, is flying from Nuremberg 18 times to Faro, 17 times to Alicante, 31 times to Malaga and 23 times to Palma.
I make this, therefore, 23 more flights over a twelve-day stretch than from a larger UK city. Moreover, Air Berlin's flights to Palma cost way more than do those of easyJet and Ryanair to the three Iberian destinations: 250 euros one way is about its Palma average. EasyJet's basic charge across the three averages out at 85 euros; Ryanair's at 49 euros.
Notwithstanding differences in airline markets in the two countries, the comparison is stark. It is that stark that you are entitled to ask what the hell's going on. You could put it down to stronger business links between Germany and Mallorca and to there being a larger German presence on the island than that from the UK. But the greater German population, roughly double the size of the British, is still not 23 flights worth greater. And these are Air Berlin flights from only one airport; it flies from many others with similar regularity through the winter.
The example of Air Berlin and its Nuremberg flights has to be treated with one caveat, and that is that, apart from a hugely expensive and circuitous trip to Palma with Lufthansa, it has sown up this connection. Which probably explains its prices. Nevertheless, it still manages, if you believe the availability information on its website, to more or less fill these flights. But the sowing-up of the route is itself instructive. Air Berlin's relationship with Mallorca goes way beyond its flights. Its director in Spain and Portugal is the former president of Mallorca's tourism board. The island and the airline are pretty much joined at the hip. Contrast this amicable arrangement with, for example, Ryanair's often frosty relationship with both the Spanish and Balearic governments.
If you go back to the easyJet and Ryanair flights to the peninsula, why are they going there and not to Palma? Much of the explanation has to do with population. In the Alicante province, the official number of UK residents is 127,561. In Mallorca, it is in the region of 16,000. In Malaga province, the number is 40,700. Only in the Algarve is the official figure lower than in Mallorca. So why the flights to Faro? Maybe they're all to do with golf. Mallorca may want a winter golfing tourist, but it does not have the Algarve's reputation for winter golf.
In terms of tourism, Malaga serves not only the Costa del Sol. There are also the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and the ski resort. In Alicante, where the winter climate is much like Mallorca's, there are concerns that the Costa Blanca is losing its winter trade. Yet in the province as a whole (50% or so larger than the area of Mallorca), 392 hotels have been open this winter. Mallorca doesn't come close.
Despite Alicante's UK population and more of a winter tourism tradition, compare Air Berlin's Nuremberg flights and easyJet and Ryanair's combined Glasgow flights. There are five more Air Berlin flights. But what is the German population in Alicante? Nothing like that of the British. Just short of 30% of the size at 36,000.
All of this leads one to conclude that both in Mallorca and on the peninsula, Air Berlin is either out of step with other airlines or that it has been highly proactive in forging markets. Its traffic to Mallorca cannot solely be explained by business travellers or property owners. So there have to be tourists, and German tourists face the same issues as to hotels, restaurants and attractions not being open and face the same weather as their British counterparts.
One reason why Air Berlin is able to generate business is that cycling tourism from Germany is so popular. But it has become popular because of the tripartite efforts of tour operators, airline and tourism officials, co-operation that is vital. The airline may well enjoy more than just amicable relationships with the regional government (and other governments), but whatever agreements it has, something is working - to everyone's benefit.
The story of the lack of flights to Palma from Scotland, and indeed other parts of the UK, is not a canard. But the story is never quite as black and white as it might seem and never as simple as just blaming tourism authorities for inertia. However, the experiences of Air Berlin suggest that greater opportunities for British airlines exist than might be realised. This said, if British airlines started charging the prices Air Berlin does, then just wait for the flak to start flying.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
The story of flights to Mallorca during the winter is not a canard. There may be more of a plot to the story than the simple "tourist authorities must do something" narrative, but it is not essentially misleading. Hence the rumblings of discontent expressed in "The Bulletin", as opposed to the rumblings of engines as aircraft land in Palma; rumblings coming, in particular, from all points northwards in the UK.
The assertion that "there are plenty of winter connections to Faro, Alicante and Malaga" (from Scotland) is not wrong. Nor is the suggestion that Palma is badly served. Take, for example, easyJet and Ryanair. Over a period from 15 to 26 February, there are, from Glasgow, six easyJet flights to Faro and four with Ryanair. For Alicante, seven easyJet connections, five Ryanair. Malaga? Nine and five respectively. The picture is rather different, when it comes to Palma. The number of flights is zero and zero.
These are just two airlines from one city, so the story is not complete, but you can get a flavour of the story by looking at these numbers.
It is hard to compare like with like, but let's just consider what happens with flights from Germany. Take a city such as Nuremberg, a fair-sized place but smaller by about 60,000 people than Glasgow. Air Berlin, over the same February period, is flying from Nuremberg 18 times to Faro, 17 times to Alicante, 31 times to Malaga and 23 times to Palma.
I make this, therefore, 23 more flights over a twelve-day stretch than from a larger UK city. Moreover, Air Berlin's flights to Palma cost way more than do those of easyJet and Ryanair to the three Iberian destinations: 250 euros one way is about its Palma average. EasyJet's basic charge across the three averages out at 85 euros; Ryanair's at 49 euros.
Notwithstanding differences in airline markets in the two countries, the comparison is stark. It is that stark that you are entitled to ask what the hell's going on. You could put it down to stronger business links between Germany and Mallorca and to there being a larger German presence on the island than that from the UK. But the greater German population, roughly double the size of the British, is still not 23 flights worth greater. And these are Air Berlin flights from only one airport; it flies from many others with similar regularity through the winter.
The example of Air Berlin and its Nuremberg flights has to be treated with one caveat, and that is that, apart from a hugely expensive and circuitous trip to Palma with Lufthansa, it has sown up this connection. Which probably explains its prices. Nevertheless, it still manages, if you believe the availability information on its website, to more or less fill these flights. But the sowing-up of the route is itself instructive. Air Berlin's relationship with Mallorca goes way beyond its flights. Its director in Spain and Portugal is the former president of Mallorca's tourism board. The island and the airline are pretty much joined at the hip. Contrast this amicable arrangement with, for example, Ryanair's often frosty relationship with both the Spanish and Balearic governments.
If you go back to the easyJet and Ryanair flights to the peninsula, why are they going there and not to Palma? Much of the explanation has to do with population. In the Alicante province, the official number of UK residents is 127,561. In Mallorca, it is in the region of 16,000. In Malaga province, the number is 40,700. Only in the Algarve is the official figure lower than in Mallorca. So why the flights to Faro? Maybe they're all to do with golf. Mallorca may want a winter golfing tourist, but it does not have the Algarve's reputation for winter golf.
In terms of tourism, Malaga serves not only the Costa del Sol. There are also the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and the ski resort. In Alicante, where the winter climate is much like Mallorca's, there are concerns that the Costa Blanca is losing its winter trade. Yet in the province as a whole (50% or so larger than the area of Mallorca), 392 hotels have been open this winter. Mallorca doesn't come close.
Despite Alicante's UK population and more of a winter tourism tradition, compare Air Berlin's Nuremberg flights and easyJet and Ryanair's combined Glasgow flights. There are five more Air Berlin flights. But what is the German population in Alicante? Nothing like that of the British. Just short of 30% of the size at 36,000.
All of this leads one to conclude that both in Mallorca and on the peninsula, Air Berlin is either out of step with other airlines or that it has been highly proactive in forging markets. Its traffic to Mallorca cannot solely be explained by business travellers or property owners. So there have to be tourists, and German tourists face the same issues as to hotels, restaurants and attractions not being open and face the same weather as their British counterparts.
One reason why Air Berlin is able to generate business is that cycling tourism from Germany is so popular. But it has become popular because of the tripartite efforts of tour operators, airline and tourism officials, co-operation that is vital. The airline may well enjoy more than just amicable relationships with the regional government (and other governments), but whatever agreements it has, something is working - to everyone's benefit.
The story of the lack of flights to Palma from Scotland, and indeed other parts of the UK, is not a canard. But the story is never quite as black and white as it might seem and never as simple as just blaming tourism authorities for inertia. However, the experiences of Air Berlin suggest that greater opportunities for British airlines exist than might be realised. This said, if British airlines started charging the prices Air Berlin does, then just wait for the flak to start flying.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Way Up In The Air
And more on Air Berlin. There wouldn't have been had I not received a comment appended to 18 June's thing. It may have escaped your attention, so I reproduce it:
"In regards to the Air Berlin fiasco, are you implying that the Balearic island government “demanded” that Mallorqui be spoken in flights, or that they “requested” it be considered? There is a big difference between the two approaches, and the Balearic government has every right to make such requests, just as Air Berlin has every right to tell them that they will not consider their request.
May I remind you that the main turmoil was started by a spat between Mr. Hunold and the former Catalan politician Mr. Cordon, and not necessarily between Air Berlin and the Balearic government. Just as these two individuals, you are just taking advantage of the incident, as everyone else on both sides of the argument (pro-Catalan and pro-Spain), and using it for your personal agenda. If it weren’t for Mr. Hunold and Mr. Cordon, and all the people jumping in to make political statements, this would have been politely resolved long ago."
Good. Good that someone comes back with a comment. More of it, please. But why oh why was this sent anonymously? I am totally open to people offering different opinions, and this is a subject of no small interest (the language one), so it would be good if it were right out in the open. Moreover, if anonymous could put together a full story on the ins and outs of the background, which I admit had escaped me, that would also be good, and I would be more than happy to post it here. Anyway, because I cannot reply to anonymous commentators, which is why I ask people to email me, I shall use this space to thank anonymous, but I would also like to respond.
One has to go back to the original piece of 14 June. This drew on an item from "The Bulletin" which used the words "misinterpreted" and "inviting" in inverted commas in its article. When I see an inverted comma or two, I sense a euphemism, though this could of course have been a simple translation. But euphemism was how I interpreted it. So I was not implying, I was interpreting. And I think an interpretation of something stronger than a mere invitation was not an unreasonable one. As far as a "personal agenda" is concerned, oh I really don't think so. Frankly, I couldn't personally care less what language Air Berlin uses. The story was taken up because it seemed to represent the current vogue for language issues to poke their way into the public domain and also because it struck me as daft, which regular blog readers will know is a powerful incentive for me to raise a subject. As I said on 14 June, it is an honourable political goal to promote Catalan, but for me the real issue of language policy is not one couched in idealism, romanticism or populism, but in pragmatism and in terms of what constitutes the most effective means for economic and competitive development, a point I referred to yesterday. My language is neither Castilian nor Catalan nor indeed a local variant of Catalan, so it ill behoves me to try and foist a personal opinion onto the discussion except in the capacity of an observer who is removed from the emotion of the issue and sees something of the ludicrous or something that is riven with cant.
Anyway, once more thanks to anonymous.
And I feel that I have to offer myself a rebuke. In the same piece on 18 June, I said the symbol of quality tourism was a Balearic one. I should learn to look at adverts a bit more closely, which I have. It is actually a national thing, which does spoil the gag rather, though maybe the symbol should have been a C and not a Q. Whatever.
QUIZ
Chain - Paul Young was with "Streetband" who did "Toast". And what links Paul Young to Crowded House? Yesterday's title - The Who from "Tommy". Today's title - where's this from?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
"In regards to the Air Berlin fiasco, are you implying that the Balearic island government “demanded” that Mallorqui be spoken in flights, or that they “requested” it be considered? There is a big difference between the two approaches, and the Balearic government has every right to make such requests, just as Air Berlin has every right to tell them that they will not consider their request.
May I remind you that the main turmoil was started by a spat between Mr. Hunold and the former Catalan politician Mr. Cordon, and not necessarily between Air Berlin and the Balearic government. Just as these two individuals, you are just taking advantage of the incident, as everyone else on both sides of the argument (pro-Catalan and pro-Spain), and using it for your personal agenda. If it weren’t for Mr. Hunold and Mr. Cordon, and all the people jumping in to make political statements, this would have been politely resolved long ago."
Good. Good that someone comes back with a comment. More of it, please. But why oh why was this sent anonymously? I am totally open to people offering different opinions, and this is a subject of no small interest (the language one), so it would be good if it were right out in the open. Moreover, if anonymous could put together a full story on the ins and outs of the background, which I admit had escaped me, that would also be good, and I would be more than happy to post it here. Anyway, because I cannot reply to anonymous commentators, which is why I ask people to email me, I shall use this space to thank anonymous, but I would also like to respond.
One has to go back to the original piece of 14 June. This drew on an item from "The Bulletin" which used the words "misinterpreted" and "inviting" in inverted commas in its article. When I see an inverted comma or two, I sense a euphemism, though this could of course have been a simple translation. But euphemism was how I interpreted it. So I was not implying, I was interpreting. And I think an interpretation of something stronger than a mere invitation was not an unreasonable one. As far as a "personal agenda" is concerned, oh I really don't think so. Frankly, I couldn't personally care less what language Air Berlin uses. The story was taken up because it seemed to represent the current vogue for language issues to poke their way into the public domain and also because it struck me as daft, which regular blog readers will know is a powerful incentive for me to raise a subject. As I said on 14 June, it is an honourable political goal to promote Catalan, but for me the real issue of language policy is not one couched in idealism, romanticism or populism, but in pragmatism and in terms of what constitutes the most effective means for economic and competitive development, a point I referred to yesterday. My language is neither Castilian nor Catalan nor indeed a local variant of Catalan, so it ill behoves me to try and foist a personal opinion onto the discussion except in the capacity of an observer who is removed from the emotion of the issue and sees something of the ludicrous or something that is riven with cant.
Anyway, once more thanks to anonymous.
And I feel that I have to offer myself a rebuke. In the same piece on 18 June, I said the symbol of quality tourism was a Balearic one. I should learn to look at adverts a bit more closely, which I have. It is actually a national thing, which does spoil the gag rather, though maybe the symbol should have been a C and not a Q. Whatever.
QUIZ
Chain - Paul Young was with "Streetband" who did "Toast". And what links Paul Young to Crowded House? Yesterday's title - The Who from "Tommy". Today's title - where's this from?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
One Flu (And Flew) Over The Cu-Cu's Nest
Flu. Would you credit it? No sooner does the weather finally get its arse in gear than flu descends. And before any jibes, this is no man flu, this is flu, or has been as it now seems to be lifting. Not that I've done myself any favours. Customer service continued even if it meant going back and forth, back and forth on Monday with boxes of guides for some and handfuls for others. The problem of not being able to park close enough to the centre of Alcúdia old town. Sweat upon sweat and then shiver.
Of course, there's a lot of it around. There always is a lot of it around, or so it seems. Someone says "I've had the flu" and with true predictability someone else replies, "There's a lot of it around". I don't know that it's any worse here than most places, but all the kissing, hugging and handshaking that goes on probably doesn't help. Sometimes it can be like a wild fire. Two or three years ago, around this time of year, there was a virulent dose of gastric flu. I got it, and when I mentioned it, it turned out everyone else had.
So I have taken two or three days out from doing the normal rounds, I've taken to the terrace, but I'm not at the stage of being wheeled out in a bath-chair with a shawl and a mug of hot lemon. Maybe it's the flu though that heightens one's senses or perhaps one's intolerance of certain noises. So I'm sitting on the terrace, and there is this noise coming closer, and then the noise goes right past and disappears up the road. But then it comes again, and again. I've long thought that these various things that the tourists pedal around on were accidents in the making, but I hadn't appreciated the extent to which they create noise pollution. Specifically, it's those kart-like trike things. Not the four-seater things with horses heads, the ones lower to the ground, just like, well, karts, except with no engine. But that noise. As it came and went and then came again, I was trying to think well what does it remind me of? Then it came to me. A knitting-machine. And perhaps reflecting my temporarily infirm status, I thought asthmatic knitting-machine. And that's just what these things do sound like. I wonder if the guys who operate them have ever thought about applying a bit of WD40.
An update on the Air Berlin-Balearic Government Catalan-usage spat. It seems that Valencia and Murcia airports have taken due note and, with due opportunism, have extended the hand of welcome to the airline to switch its hub from Palma. Can't think for one minute that it will happen, but it should serve as a reminder to the Balearic Government not to go around biting off a hand that feeds by making preposterous "invitations" to use one language over another.
And finally, back to Cuatro and its Euro 2008 coverage; well, the ads anyway. There is one for the Balearic symbol of quality tourism. If you don't know what this is, then if you happen to go to somewhere like La Parra in Puerto Pollensa you'll see a "Q" by the entrance. Hotels are also involved. But this ad. It uses the children's utterance of "cu-cu" (cuckoo). Why? Well because the "cu" pronounced with a short "u" here is basically how you say "Q". All fine it would seem, and the letter for "Q" for quality makes sense, doesn't it, unlike the Ç thing. Except it doesn't make sense, if you happen not to speak Catalan, English or German, i.e. you speak Castilian. The Catalan for quality is "qualitat"; the Castilian is "calidad". Moreover, the advert is not in Catalan, it is in Castilian and refers, of course, to calidad. Cu-cu!
QUIZ
Chain - REM's "Man On The Moon" referred to Andy Kaufman who, among other things, was an Elvis impersonator. And how do you get from that song to the American one-hit wonders Deep Blue Something? Yesterday's title - Barack Obama (see this here if you must: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY). Today's title - in its proper form, who starred in the film? Easy stuff.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Of course, there's a lot of it around. There always is a lot of it around, or so it seems. Someone says "I've had the flu" and with true predictability someone else replies, "There's a lot of it around". I don't know that it's any worse here than most places, but all the kissing, hugging and handshaking that goes on probably doesn't help. Sometimes it can be like a wild fire. Two or three years ago, around this time of year, there was a virulent dose of gastric flu. I got it, and when I mentioned it, it turned out everyone else had.
So I have taken two or three days out from doing the normal rounds, I've taken to the terrace, but I'm not at the stage of being wheeled out in a bath-chair with a shawl and a mug of hot lemon. Maybe it's the flu though that heightens one's senses or perhaps one's intolerance of certain noises. So I'm sitting on the terrace, and there is this noise coming closer, and then the noise goes right past and disappears up the road. But then it comes again, and again. I've long thought that these various things that the tourists pedal around on were accidents in the making, but I hadn't appreciated the extent to which they create noise pollution. Specifically, it's those kart-like trike things. Not the four-seater things with horses heads, the ones lower to the ground, just like, well, karts, except with no engine. But that noise. As it came and went and then came again, I was trying to think well what does it remind me of? Then it came to me. A knitting-machine. And perhaps reflecting my temporarily infirm status, I thought asthmatic knitting-machine. And that's just what these things do sound like. I wonder if the guys who operate them have ever thought about applying a bit of WD40.
An update on the Air Berlin-Balearic Government Catalan-usage spat. It seems that Valencia and Murcia airports have taken due note and, with due opportunism, have extended the hand of welcome to the airline to switch its hub from Palma. Can't think for one minute that it will happen, but it should serve as a reminder to the Balearic Government not to go around biting off a hand that feeds by making preposterous "invitations" to use one language over another.
And finally, back to Cuatro and its Euro 2008 coverage; well, the ads anyway. There is one for the Balearic symbol of quality tourism. If you don't know what this is, then if you happen to go to somewhere like La Parra in Puerto Pollensa you'll see a "Q" by the entrance. Hotels are also involved. But this ad. It uses the children's utterance of "cu-cu" (cuckoo). Why? Well because the "cu" pronounced with a short "u" here is basically how you say "Q". All fine it would seem, and the letter for "Q" for quality makes sense, doesn't it, unlike the Ç thing. Except it doesn't make sense, if you happen not to speak Catalan, English or German, i.e. you speak Castilian. The Catalan for quality is "qualitat"; the Castilian is "calidad". Moreover, the advert is not in Catalan, it is in Castilian and refers, of course, to calidad. Cu-cu!
QUIZ
Chain - REM's "Man On The Moon" referred to Andy Kaufman who, among other things, was an Elvis impersonator. And how do you get from that song to the American one-hit wonders Deep Blue Something? Yesterday's title - Barack Obama (see this here if you must: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY). Today's title - in its proper form, who starred in the film? Easy stuff.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Where The Air Is Rarefied
A story that has been rumbling here with the sound of an airplane's engines in the background has been that involving the German airline, Air Berlin, and the Balearic Government. This has entailed an apparent "invitation" to the airline to use Catalan as the first business language of the islands. To which one might well ask, what on Earth is a regional government, or indeed any government come to that, doing attempting to dictate language policy to a business, a business - in the case of Air Berlin - which is one of the more important airlines operating into and out of Mallorca. It's a nonsense, or it would be were it not for the "sense" that trails in the jet-stream of this whole story; that of populism.
Public consumption may have tempered the reporting, but behind the scenes one suspects that Air Berlin told the Government to get stuffed or "Sie können mich mal". President Antich is reported (in "The Bulletin") as saying that the airline had "misinterpreted" the "invitation". This smacks of euphemistic spin. But in an act of PR, Air Berlin is going to get together with the Government's lingo directorate. So face saved for the Government whose high-minded and idealistic language policy is as rarefied as the air where they would like to have it used.
Behind so many of the language diktats is the opportunism of populism. The promotion of Catalan is a perfectly honourable political goal, but in seeking to impose its use, current-day politicians are wandering dangerously close to the same pit of linguistic dogma that saw the language proscribed under Franco. And oh that it was as simple as there just being Catalan to be promoted without the complications of Mallorquín and the Balearic language.
For all this though, language is a simple issue for local politicians; simple in that by raising the political profile of language it disguises more important issues. Language is a convenience of Mallorcan politics, and yet the populism that is suggested by attempts to impose Catalan (or its variants) is of questionable popular support, not least among those who have their children's education and futures in mind and among those children themselves.
This populism has now crossed the political divide into the conservative Partido Popular, a party normally associated with the primacy of castellano (Castilian Spanish). The mayor of Calvia, who fancies a pop at the leadership of the PP in the Balearics, seems hell-bent on making the Balearic language the language, especially of education. Why? Language preservation is one thing, but pragmatism is quite another. I may have mentioned this before on this blog, but it bears repetition. Some years ago, I worked on a marketing project with the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. I once asked one of my contacts there why Dutch people spoke such good English. "Because we have to. No one else speaks Dutch." Pragmatism is a trait that has long informed Dutch politics and educational policy.
And so it is that pragmatism, rather than populism, should be the guiding principle of language policy. Personally, I am in favour of the teaching of Catalan (or Mallorquín) and of its promotion generally, but not at the expense of a pragmatic outlook which would allow those local children to have a wider choice of university were they receiving a castellano-biased education. The consequence of a Catalan-angled policy is that university education becomes more limited, largely to Palma, something that merely reinforces an insularity that a university education should seek to eliminate. All education is about broadening the mind, and none more so than higher education.
Last year, the Government made great play of a "plan" for innovation and development in Mallorca. Quite what this is I am unsure, and I'm not wholly sure the Government's sure either. But what I am sure of is that, if there is a desire to create a more diverse economy, one that would function within a global market, then there are two languages that matter - English and Spanish. Catalan is, in a respect, like Dutch. European language it may be, but international it most certainly is not save for the odd small outpost here and there. Spanish may be a less-important international language than English, but important and useful it still is. It is a linguistic advantage that exists within Mallorca's boundaries, and yet some politicians would seek to deny it.
The Government is saying that there is not an intention to make 100% of teaching in Catalan, yet there are some who might try and force the issue. The Government also says that plans to have English used as a third language for teaching have not been effected because of a lack of qualified staff, which is a kind of Catch 22. That lack of staff is partly down to a lack of English teaching in the past; a cycle that is still being repeated. And then there is the inherent contradiction of apparently seeking to internationalise education by introducing English as a teaching language (albeit the commitment to this may just be open to doubt) while at the same time trying to insist that an international airline conducts its business in Catalan. Where is the pragmatism?
QUIZ
Chain - Maggie Bell had a hit with "Hold Me" (together with B.A. Robertson) which had been a hit for P.J. Proby. And what connects P.J. Proby to Van Morrison? Yesterday's title - Belinda Carlisle (see this here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDcC9bnRciQ). Today's title - where's this from?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Public consumption may have tempered the reporting, but behind the scenes one suspects that Air Berlin told the Government to get stuffed or "Sie können mich mal". President Antich is reported (in "The Bulletin") as saying that the airline had "misinterpreted" the "invitation". This smacks of euphemistic spin. But in an act of PR, Air Berlin is going to get together with the Government's lingo directorate. So face saved for the Government whose high-minded and idealistic language policy is as rarefied as the air where they would like to have it used.
Behind so many of the language diktats is the opportunism of populism. The promotion of Catalan is a perfectly honourable political goal, but in seeking to impose its use, current-day politicians are wandering dangerously close to the same pit of linguistic dogma that saw the language proscribed under Franco. And oh that it was as simple as there just being Catalan to be promoted without the complications of Mallorquín and the Balearic language.
For all this though, language is a simple issue for local politicians; simple in that by raising the political profile of language it disguises more important issues. Language is a convenience of Mallorcan politics, and yet the populism that is suggested by attempts to impose Catalan (or its variants) is of questionable popular support, not least among those who have their children's education and futures in mind and among those children themselves.
This populism has now crossed the political divide into the conservative Partido Popular, a party normally associated with the primacy of castellano (Castilian Spanish). The mayor of Calvia, who fancies a pop at the leadership of the PP in the Balearics, seems hell-bent on making the Balearic language the language, especially of education. Why? Language preservation is one thing, but pragmatism is quite another. I may have mentioned this before on this blog, but it bears repetition. Some years ago, I worked on a marketing project with the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. I once asked one of my contacts there why Dutch people spoke such good English. "Because we have to. No one else speaks Dutch." Pragmatism is a trait that has long informed Dutch politics and educational policy.
And so it is that pragmatism, rather than populism, should be the guiding principle of language policy. Personally, I am in favour of the teaching of Catalan (or Mallorquín) and of its promotion generally, but not at the expense of a pragmatic outlook which would allow those local children to have a wider choice of university were they receiving a castellano-biased education. The consequence of a Catalan-angled policy is that university education becomes more limited, largely to Palma, something that merely reinforces an insularity that a university education should seek to eliminate. All education is about broadening the mind, and none more so than higher education.
Last year, the Government made great play of a "plan" for innovation and development in Mallorca. Quite what this is I am unsure, and I'm not wholly sure the Government's sure either. But what I am sure of is that, if there is a desire to create a more diverse economy, one that would function within a global market, then there are two languages that matter - English and Spanish. Catalan is, in a respect, like Dutch. European language it may be, but international it most certainly is not save for the odd small outpost here and there. Spanish may be a less-important international language than English, but important and useful it still is. It is a linguistic advantage that exists within Mallorca's boundaries, and yet some politicians would seek to deny it.
The Government is saying that there is not an intention to make 100% of teaching in Catalan, yet there are some who might try and force the issue. The Government also says that plans to have English used as a third language for teaching have not been effected because of a lack of qualified staff, which is a kind of Catch 22. That lack of staff is partly down to a lack of English teaching in the past; a cycle that is still being repeated. And then there is the inherent contradiction of apparently seeking to internationalise education by introducing English as a teaching language (albeit the commitment to this may just be open to doubt) while at the same time trying to insist that an international airline conducts its business in Catalan. Where is the pragmatism?
QUIZ
Chain - Maggie Bell had a hit with "Hold Me" (together with B.A. Robertson) which had been a hit for P.J. Proby. And what connects P.J. Proby to Van Morrison? Yesterday's title - Belinda Carlisle (see this here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDcC9bnRciQ). Today's title - where's this from?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Stays Mainly In The Plain
Want rain? We got rain. Not so much in the north, a mere 4 litres per square metre in Pollensa, but in Lluchmajor 79 and in Palma over 50. And what happened? Right. The metro flooded. Again. This is a shambles. It would be a laughing-stock if it weren’t so serious in terms of the investment and now the disruption (actually it is a laughing-stock anyway). “Ultima Hora” reports that the design faults are far from isolated, saying that, in one instance, “the metro entrances are orientated against logic” (that’s a poor translation, but you get the drift).
RECORD YEAR?
Despite the fact that August occupancy rates were down, the overall performance for the year to end-August has seen a rise in the numbers coming to Mallorca by air, an increase of 4.3%. This prompts “The Bulletin” to a characteristic bout of headlining - “Tourism Record”. But if you delve into the figures for the whole of the Balearics, you discover that this increase is largely explained by Spanish tourism - up a whopping 21.4%. As I have explained before though, this does not translate necessarily into good news in the north of the island, as the numbers of Spanish visitors are comparatively low.
British numbers are up, at just under 3%, but the German figure is down a fraction. Interestingly (or maybe not interestingly, depends on your point of view), the two nations with the highest percentage increases are France and Denmark, while the much-vaunted new money from Russia shows only a 4% increase.
What I don’t quite understand is this - two days ago, I pointed out that hotel occupancy rates for August in the Balearics were down by nearly 2%, yet the number of visitors in August was up by almost 6%. Where were they all staying? In holiday lets? Maybe they were, but the discrepancy in the figures does make me wonder.
Oh, and coincidence time (how often does this blog seem to revolve around coincidences). There was I suggesting Air Berlin might sponsor Mallorca, and blow me there is an announcement that the airline is to extend its routes this winter. Only a matter of time ...
QUIZ
Yesterday - UB40. Today’s title - well, it doesn’t stay mainly in the plain; it falls mainly on the new metro, but who, by George, sang the famous line - “The rain in Spain stays ...”?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
RECORD YEAR?
Despite the fact that August occupancy rates were down, the overall performance for the year to end-August has seen a rise in the numbers coming to Mallorca by air, an increase of 4.3%. This prompts “The Bulletin” to a characteristic bout of headlining - “Tourism Record”. But if you delve into the figures for the whole of the Balearics, you discover that this increase is largely explained by Spanish tourism - up a whopping 21.4%. As I have explained before though, this does not translate necessarily into good news in the north of the island, as the numbers of Spanish visitors are comparatively low.
British numbers are up, at just under 3%, but the German figure is down a fraction. Interestingly (or maybe not interestingly, depends on your point of view), the two nations with the highest percentage increases are France and Denmark, while the much-vaunted new money from Russia shows only a 4% increase.
What I don’t quite understand is this - two days ago, I pointed out that hotel occupancy rates for August in the Balearics were down by nearly 2%, yet the number of visitors in August was up by almost 6%. Where were they all staying? In holiday lets? Maybe they were, but the discrepancy in the figures does make me wonder.
Oh, and coincidence time (how often does this blog seem to revolve around coincidences). There was I suggesting Air Berlin might sponsor Mallorca, and blow me there is an announcement that the airline is to extend its routes this winter. Only a matter of time ...
QUIZ
Yesterday - UB40. Today’s title - well, it doesn’t stay mainly in the plain; it falls mainly on the new metro, but who, by George, sang the famous line - “The rain in Spain stays ...”?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
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