Even The Bad Times Are Good

Everyone's looking for a bargain, everyone's looking to save some money. Natural, even when times are good, but at present ... it's how to make even the bad times good. Against the background of all the economic malaise comes the news, and this is probably not a surprise, that bookings for all-inclusive (AI) holidays are up - up quite significantly, according to "The Diario". While there are not figures specific to Mallorca or to any resort on the island, the paper is saying that, in the UK, reservations for AI are up by 17%, as the Brits indulge in their annual post-festivities holiday-purchasing bingeing. Crisis? What crisis? None. The holiday is a necessity, or had you not noticed?

The paper quotes ABTA as saying that there is some stigma attached to AI holidays and also says that, by comparison with the Brits, the Germans are less attracted to an AI holiday. On the first point, yep, you bet there's a stigma. Around here especially. And especially where some of the clientele is concerned - the chav ASBO cases and their kids having a crap in the pools. The paper, though, has a quite extraordinary caption to a photo that accompanies the article. It says, essentially, that tourists prefer the tranquility they are given by an AI holiday. Tranquility? Who the hell are they trying to kid? They should head off to likes of the Club Mac hotels in Alcúdia, have a walk around those at the height of summer. Tranquility? My arse. It's like an Hieronymous Bosch depiction of Bedlam. I have wondered, in the past, how well the media here understands the holiday business, and this probably tells me. They don't, or appear to have a less than full appreciation, put it that way. Rather like politicians, some of the media are too remote from what it is actually like on the ground - the ground, say, that forms The Mile in Alcúdia.

There are, of course, hotels that offer AI which are very nice. The Iberostars, for example. The big exclusive AIs, the ones everyone here knows about, do not come into this category. Though the demand for AI is up, and understandably so, I am a little surprised because it seemed the case last year that the AIs - in Alcúdia at any rate - were taking a bit of a hit. But it is understandable that holidaymakers go for AI. They know, more or less, the total sum of what they will pay. Even if it were to be proven that an AI was actually more expensive than, say, a self-catering plus the various out-of-hotel costs, chances are that the punter would still opt for it as he feels a degree of security in knowing that it's all paid for, despite the fact that he might end up with rubbish service and quality.

I've said before here that it is something of a no-brainer for the family on a tight budget to go AI. That doesn't mean to say that I believe that it is right for Mallorca; for Alcúdia or Can Picafort. It's the reality, and in 2009 it may become even more of a reality. Also in the article, there is a hoteliers' representative who says that hotels with AI offers in Mallorca "work very well". And there probably are, but I also know that there are hotel directors who would quite happily ditch AI.


QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Travis, "Closer" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2hYn_4yuhc). Today's title - decidedly average song from the summer of love; this group had split from their close-to-Bournemouth singer-leader.

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