1 In A 184: Fun 4U

The concept of a "tourist day" is a rather peculiar one. Of a season that lasts from 1 May to 31 October, one day is for tourists. What about the other 183?

Alcúdia's tourist-day celebrations have been held for a few years now. The pattern has become established. Like other celebrations, it has acquired a format which, by dint of its repetition each year, becomes a "tradition". The tradition of the day means an evening of musical entertainment, a market-ette and a mini-disco that follows a morning of fun and frolics for all the family on the beach. All the family that's still around in September, that is; a few German or Scandinavian stragglers plus Brits whose kids have bunked off the first week of the new term.

The reasons for holding the day in September are that it isn't quite as hot (a moot point) and that there were it to be held in, say, August, things would be too crowded. With tourists, that is. The last thing you want to do is to hold a tourist-day event with loads of tourists cluttering the place up.

This tourist day of football, food and fabulous Robbie Williams mirrors to an extent the tourist experience. But only to an extent. Missing from its schedule of events are the squabbles over the sun loungers, the getting lagered-up, the projectile vomiting and the all-comers' balcony-diving contest. There are perhaps certain aspects of holidays that are, however, best left uncelebrated and certainly not sanctioned by a responsible town hall. Which is what Alcúdia is. It does tourism rather well. The tourist day may be just one day in the long season, but it's better than nothing.

The hug-in of tourists has a positive benefit in that it brings those closeted away in all-inclusives out for the day. Oh, look, there's a beach! Who'd have thought? However, going by a Facebook comment regarding the beach events, the all-inclusive mentality would appear to demand that little trips out are accompanied by the services being left behind in the hotel.

It was suggested that a certain all-inclusive, well-represented by beach footy teams, should have made provision for a free bar. So, Mister First Choice, he who believes that little trips out will benefit local businesses, think again. You can lead an all-inclusive tourist to the water of a beach, but you can't make him drink something that he has to pay for out of his own pocket.

Inevitably, an occasion such as the tourist day doesn't come entirely without a commercial element. Consequently, there was some "marketing" going on. I say this, but I only became aware of one bit of marketing when I looked later at some photos. There they were, some signs for Alcúdia's estación náutica, the brand title the resort has been lumbered with and which no one understands. I had, however, completely missed the signs despite having been standing right next to them. Another triumph of branding and marketing, therefore.

Then there was the keep-fit dance routine staged by a certain hotel chain. This all seemed reasonable enough until I realised what I was listening to - the hotel song. This was a happy-happy, clappy dance-along of image and word association neurolinguistic programming. Arrange touchstone words such as celebrate, free, good time into no particular order, and bingo, you've got yourself some on-beach, tourist-day advertising.

Alcúdia's tourist day isn't the only such day that is held in Mallorca. The Palmanova and Magalluf hoteliers put one on as well: "special events to pay tribute to the tourists staying in the area". A tribute to those staying in the area at the end of September, that is. Even later than Alcúdia's, there is, however, a possibly wider context to this occasion. 27 September each year is the United Nations World Tourism Day. Mercifully, Magalluf doesn't look to follow the UN's example when it comes to its programme. This year, for example, you could enjoy "tourism linking cultures" (to be held in Egypt). Last year's, in China, sounded a real barrel of laughs - "tourism and biodiversity"; just the sort of topic that would go down a storm in the bars of Punta Ballena.

No, forget the World Tourism Day, and stick to the tourist days of Alcúdia and Magalluf. As the legend on Alcúdia's tourist day T-shirt says - "Fun 4U" (a T-shirt I am wearing with pride as I write this). And fun it is, if not necessarily for all the family. But hats off nevertheless. Just a shame it's only one day.


Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.