When Orson Welles made F for Fake, he came to the Balearics. The film focused on Elmyr de Hory and his art forgery. The writer Clifford Irving also featured. He had published a biography of De Hory as well as a fabricated biography of Howard Hughes.
Welles went to Ibiza. He was to later say that he had gone in search of a forger and found himself surrounded by them. This was in the 1970s. It might not be that different now. And nor might Mallorca have been different either then or now. Welles knew Mallorca. He was one of those who went to Robert Graves' place in Deia. Or did he? There are doubts as to whether the two ever met.
If Welles were alive today, he would be intrigued by contemporary fakery. His career had been bookended by fakery. F for Fake was the last film he actually completed. The radio adaptation of War of the Worlds wasn't his first success but it was what brought him major fame. The news reporting style of the 1938 production seemed so authentic that it caused a major panic. Welles was famous for a form of fake news.
Everything about F for Fake, he was to also say, was a trick, even down to his role as an unreliable narrator. It is possible to interpret the film in various ways. One is that it was Welles questioning the point at which the authentic ceases to be authentic. When that stage is reached, everything that follows is fake or can be suspected of being fake.
There is a square in Palma named after Welles. It is, somewhat inauspiciously, in the Son Gotleu neighbourhood. Welles certainly stayed in Palma, but his association with the city and the island is not strong. Why a square in his name? Maybe it was more a case of his association with Spain rather than Mallorca specifically. But as there is a square, there is also a chance that at some point it might form part of some cultural route. (They like routes in Palma and Mallorca.) Enjoy Palma's cinematic heritage; something like that.
The route wouldn't, however, be authentic. That's because of Welles being represented by name rather than a deed relevant to the city. Authenticity in tourism has become an issue in its own right. Researchers Jane Lovell and Chris Bull write: "With the rise of post-truth and fake news, a thorough examination of authenticity has never been so relevant." Their book, Authentic and Inauthentic Places in Tourism (subtitle From Heritage Sites to Theme Parks), sets out to provide such an examination.
An academic work, it nevertheless raises important issues in terms of what is real and what is fake. "Real-real authenticity" comes, for example, from somewhere or something being genuinely recognised for its heritage. It requires no "staging". The opposite is "fake-fake": inauthentic, too "staged". In other words, the heritage is made up. Welles as part of a hypothetical cinema heritage would certainly not be "real-real". It would be highly staged.
Authenticity, craved by certain tourists in search of real experience, can be difficult to discern because of all the "fake news" flying around which claims that there is authenticity when there isn't. In this context, the authors also consider the virtually real, that of social media, and how this feeds into perceptions of authenticity (or not). People will take to the likes of TripAdvisor or their blogs and give chapter and verse about authenticity without necessarily having the remotest idea what they are talking about.
And it isn't only social media. The established media can play the game just as well (or just as badly). There was, I well recall, Louise Redknapp, who once informed her readers about the authentic nature of Puerto Portals. Authentic of what?
Mallorca is in fact blessed with a great deal of authenticity, much of it restored, revived and revered. The Tramuntana Mountains are genuinely authentic. They are "real-real" with no need for there to be any "staging". It is the mountains' cultural heritage which is authentic; hence the attempts to ensure that it is not altered, such as by having holiday rentals over the protected areas. Then there are some of the fiesta events. There may be an element of the "staged" with them, but that's because much has been revived. They aren't exactly as they were, but they are as near as damn it.
There is plenty which is inauthentic as well. No resort, for instance, can be deemed authentic. It is an impossibility, yet this doesn't prevent social media commentators (and others) insisting that certain ones are, often because they supposedly have a "genuine Mallorcan feel". Meaning what precisely?
This is the authentic as fake - A for fake. If Welles were still with us, he would no doubt find appealing his fake cultural heritage. It was all a trick, after all.
Showing posts with label Cultural tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cultural tourism. Show all posts
Friday, February 02, 2018
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
An Embarrassing Lack Of Riches
Some few years ago now, I was chatting to a good friend who is in the excursions business about cultural excursions in the low season (sometimes also referred to as "the winter"). To cut a fairly long story short, there was no real mileage in the idea as it would to be too costly to arrange (by comparison with excursions in the summer), while the type of tourist who might be interested will go off on their own excursions anyway - they'll hire a car or maybe even cycle.
There was another potential drawback. While accepting that there is some fine "culture" on the island, does any of it have what might be described as a unique selling point? This chat was before the Tramuntana acquired its heritage status, and the mountains might just be said to be a USP, because of the mix of cultural influences that shaped the landscape. But where mountains and Unesco are concerned, the Tramuntana is hardly unique. There are the Dolomites, for example, a couple of parts of the Swiss Alps for others, the Meteora peaks with their monasteries in Greece for another. And then there's the rest of the globe.
How about the Talayotic culture then? Does this represent a USP? To an extent it does insofar as it was a prehistoric culture of Mallorca and Menorca. But then primitive civilisations like that of the Talayotic period existed elsewhere. They differed but they did have similar things in common, such as materials for building. There are bits of prehistoric stone all over the Iberian Peninsula.
Only since living in Mallorca have I come to appreciate the island's culture and heritage. It is rich and it is fascinating, but prior to living here I never gave it any thought. And much as I might be an advocate of what I have discovered, it's a tough call to try and assert that it outstrips cultural heritage of other parts of the Mediterranean or further afield in Europe. Everywhere has this heritage.
The numerous elements of this culture - architecture, archaeology, landscape, customs, fiestas - are to a large extent for those of us in the know. By that I mainly mean people who live here. For sure there is knowledge away from the Balearics, there are visitors who come, are inspired, and then return, but the culture does tend to be a reflection of insularity. As such, it is very important, it is something to be proud of, but it doesn't have major global resonance. Hard as attempts are made to, for instance, persuade an indifferent world that good old Ramon Llull was one of the most important figures of European mediaevalism, that world remains stubbornly more interested in the culture to be found on and close to beaches.
The insular perspective of the island's culture has bred the approach to its promotion. It is undertaken from a Mallorcan point of view and it has been under administrations that were unlike the current one with its strand of island eco-nationalism. This is understandable, of course it is, but it can create a barrier if there is to be a genuine pursuit of an appealing cultural message.
The title here - an embarrassing lack of riches - doesn't refer to any absence of cultural richness. Instead it is a statement of the approach, an indication of which is what appears to be going to happen at the Madrid Fitur tourism fair. The new tourism minister, Bel Busquets, who one fears is going to be completely out of her depth, has been saying that Fitur will all be about promoting the "successful" Better in Winter campaign and specifically cultural heritage. Success? Who says? I will say again that the only body that has had success has been Palma 365. With someone in charge who understands marketing a destination, Pedro Homar, the 365 foundation has eventually done some good. The government? No.
This evening there is apparently to be the presentation of a programme entitled “Mallorca Inspires Culture”, whatever this is. It won't be at Fitur itself; it's at the Hotel Barceló Emperatriz. Most of the presentations are at the exhibition hall. On the agenda for the other days of Fitur there are numerous seminars and what have you, certain ones among which very firmly reflect the government's tourism interests. There are panels of experts for these seminars. They come from local administrations, such as Lanzarote, Seville, Barcelona. Is there anyone from Mallorca and the Balearics? No.
But given the revolving door at the Balearic tourism ministry, this is hardly surprising. But even without the door, was the talent ever really there? It is, as I say, a very tough call selling Mallorca's culture and by extension Better in Winter. The private sector could probably make a fist of it, but the public sector? And as from April, the Council of Mallorca takes over the marketing reins. Insularity is about to get more insular.
There was another potential drawback. While accepting that there is some fine "culture" on the island, does any of it have what might be described as a unique selling point? This chat was before the Tramuntana acquired its heritage status, and the mountains might just be said to be a USP, because of the mix of cultural influences that shaped the landscape. But where mountains and Unesco are concerned, the Tramuntana is hardly unique. There are the Dolomites, for example, a couple of parts of the Swiss Alps for others, the Meteora peaks with their monasteries in Greece for another. And then there's the rest of the globe.
How about the Talayotic culture then? Does this represent a USP? To an extent it does insofar as it was a prehistoric culture of Mallorca and Menorca. But then primitive civilisations like that of the Talayotic period existed elsewhere. They differed but they did have similar things in common, such as materials for building. There are bits of prehistoric stone all over the Iberian Peninsula.
Only since living in Mallorca have I come to appreciate the island's culture and heritage. It is rich and it is fascinating, but prior to living here I never gave it any thought. And much as I might be an advocate of what I have discovered, it's a tough call to try and assert that it outstrips cultural heritage of other parts of the Mediterranean or further afield in Europe. Everywhere has this heritage.
The numerous elements of this culture - architecture, archaeology, landscape, customs, fiestas - are to a large extent for those of us in the know. By that I mainly mean people who live here. For sure there is knowledge away from the Balearics, there are visitors who come, are inspired, and then return, but the culture does tend to be a reflection of insularity. As such, it is very important, it is something to be proud of, but it doesn't have major global resonance. Hard as attempts are made to, for instance, persuade an indifferent world that good old Ramon Llull was one of the most important figures of European mediaevalism, that world remains stubbornly more interested in the culture to be found on and close to beaches.
The insular perspective of the island's culture has bred the approach to its promotion. It is undertaken from a Mallorcan point of view and it has been under administrations that were unlike the current one with its strand of island eco-nationalism. This is understandable, of course it is, but it can create a barrier if there is to be a genuine pursuit of an appealing cultural message.
The title here - an embarrassing lack of riches - doesn't refer to any absence of cultural richness. Instead it is a statement of the approach, an indication of which is what appears to be going to happen at the Madrid Fitur tourism fair. The new tourism minister, Bel Busquets, who one fears is going to be completely out of her depth, has been saying that Fitur will all be about promoting the "successful" Better in Winter campaign and specifically cultural heritage. Success? Who says? I will say again that the only body that has had success has been Palma 365. With someone in charge who understands marketing a destination, Pedro Homar, the 365 foundation has eventually done some good. The government? No.
This evening there is apparently to be the presentation of a programme entitled “Mallorca Inspires Culture”, whatever this is. It won't be at Fitur itself; it's at the Hotel Barceló Emperatriz. Most of the presentations are at the exhibition hall. On the agenda for the other days of Fitur there are numerous seminars and what have you, certain ones among which very firmly reflect the government's tourism interests. There are panels of experts for these seminars. They come from local administrations, such as Lanzarote, Seville, Barcelona. Is there anyone from Mallorca and the Balearics? No.
But given the revolving door at the Balearic tourism ministry, this is hardly surprising. But even without the door, was the talent ever really there? It is, as I say, a very tough call selling Mallorca's culture and by extension Better in Winter. The private sector could probably make a fist of it, but the public sector? And as from April, the Council of Mallorca takes over the marketing reins. Insularity is about to get more insular.
Friday, November 06, 2015
Failing Ramon Llull: Cultural tourism
Cultural tourism. Discuss. It's a term we hear a great deal of. It forms part of the grand alternative to Mallorcan sun and beach. But what is it? Of the various elements that comprise this alternative, cultural tourism is the most elusive. Gastronomy is obvious, so is cycling or golf or hiking. Culture, though? So much said but so little definition. Has anyone ever sat down and drawn up a document to explain exactly what it consists of and how precisely it is to be promoted? Or is it simply that they (the anonymous "they" of institutional tourism promotion) talk it up and expect the world to latch onto such an intangible concept?
What is Mallorcan culture in any event? There are differing interpretations thanks to the endless arguments as to Mallorca's history. What, if anything, is unique to this culture? And if there is, how strong is its claim on the perceptions of foreigners and so therefore tourists?
On 24 November there is to be a congress in Palma. It will be an act to celebrate the year of Ramon Llull, who died 700 years ago. This is a year that will straddle two years. The church suggested that it did, doubtless taking into account the fact that there are various interpretations as to when he actually died. So many differing interpretations of culture, and no one can definitively say when Llull went to meet his maker.
If there is one figure from Mallorca's culture who stands out, then it is Llull. He was more important than King Jaume I in that he was Mallorcan and contributed massively to the popularisation of Catalan, apart from everything else that he turned his hand to. Crucially, he was central - and remains so - to the narrative of Mallorca's spirituality, the religious version of this: an intellectual whose thinking went beyond the shores of the island and which came to define aspects of Catholic dogma. He was a towering figure of the mediaeval era who left, among other things, a physical legacy, that of the Miramar in Valldemossa.
The politics of cultural interpretation, however, make Llull as elusive as the notion of cultural tourism itself. Arguments have it that Catalan was not spoken at the time of Llull, that it was a hybrid of the different strands of language from the regions of north-east Spain and south-east France. There is even an argument which insists that Mallorquín existed before the Catalan invasion. This is, if you like, the right-wing perspective which seeks to distance Mallorca from a pure Catalan culture. Differing interpretations, therefore of Mallorca's culture.
Setting the linguistics aside, Llull is elusive in another regard. For most of the world, he is an obscure character. Even within the world of scholarship and academia, he is a lesser figure than a contemporary - Thomas Aquinas. He appears to lack, therefore, some sort of unique selling point that would establish him as a global relic of history and culture. As a consequence, selling Llull as central to Mallorca's culture and its cultural tourism becomes nigh on impossible.
The fact is, though, that there is uniqueness, were it only to be explained. Attempts should therefore be made. But what of these attempts to commemorate the 700th anniversary? Who's running the show, for example? Seemingly, it is the Ramon Llull Institute, headquartered not in Mallorca but in Barcelona, with a separate foundation in Andorra. The institute, it is said, hasn't got or settled on a budget to promote the anniversary, though it remains confident that everything will be right on the night and on the other nights that constitute the year of Ramon Llull. At least the Bishop of Mallorca has come up with a reasonable scheme, and that has been to get Air Europa to name an aircraft Ramon Llull and to show videos about Llull on its flights. Praise the Lord! The bishop has an understanding of marketing: "Ramon Llull is going to fly to many places thanks to Air Europa". But what of others?
Was, as part of the grand alternative, Llull highlighted at the World Travel Market? No. Had he been mentioned in passing, his name would have induced blank looks. The global tourism market can't be expected to grab hold of such a figure from Mallorcan culture without some dynamic effort to make him accessible and understandable, to create real meaning as to what this culture is and as to why the world should be interested.
But there should have been years of advance education about him, not leave it to the year itself and an inaugural concert by the Menorcan baritone, Joan Pons. No one will be interested, because interest hasn't been generated. The year will come, the year will go, and a major opportunity to establish some true meaning to Mallorca's culture will have been lost.
What is Mallorcan culture in any event? There are differing interpretations thanks to the endless arguments as to Mallorca's history. What, if anything, is unique to this culture? And if there is, how strong is its claim on the perceptions of foreigners and so therefore tourists?
On 24 November there is to be a congress in Palma. It will be an act to celebrate the year of Ramon Llull, who died 700 years ago. This is a year that will straddle two years. The church suggested that it did, doubtless taking into account the fact that there are various interpretations as to when he actually died. So many differing interpretations of culture, and no one can definitively say when Llull went to meet his maker.
If there is one figure from Mallorca's culture who stands out, then it is Llull. He was more important than King Jaume I in that he was Mallorcan and contributed massively to the popularisation of Catalan, apart from everything else that he turned his hand to. Crucially, he was central - and remains so - to the narrative of Mallorca's spirituality, the religious version of this: an intellectual whose thinking went beyond the shores of the island and which came to define aspects of Catholic dogma. He was a towering figure of the mediaeval era who left, among other things, a physical legacy, that of the Miramar in Valldemossa.
The politics of cultural interpretation, however, make Llull as elusive as the notion of cultural tourism itself. Arguments have it that Catalan was not spoken at the time of Llull, that it was a hybrid of the different strands of language from the regions of north-east Spain and south-east France. There is even an argument which insists that Mallorquín existed before the Catalan invasion. This is, if you like, the right-wing perspective which seeks to distance Mallorca from a pure Catalan culture. Differing interpretations, therefore of Mallorca's culture.
Setting the linguistics aside, Llull is elusive in another regard. For most of the world, he is an obscure character. Even within the world of scholarship and academia, he is a lesser figure than a contemporary - Thomas Aquinas. He appears to lack, therefore, some sort of unique selling point that would establish him as a global relic of history and culture. As a consequence, selling Llull as central to Mallorca's culture and its cultural tourism becomes nigh on impossible.
The fact is, though, that there is uniqueness, were it only to be explained. Attempts should therefore be made. But what of these attempts to commemorate the 700th anniversary? Who's running the show, for example? Seemingly, it is the Ramon Llull Institute, headquartered not in Mallorca but in Barcelona, with a separate foundation in Andorra. The institute, it is said, hasn't got or settled on a budget to promote the anniversary, though it remains confident that everything will be right on the night and on the other nights that constitute the year of Ramon Llull. At least the Bishop of Mallorca has come up with a reasonable scheme, and that has been to get Air Europa to name an aircraft Ramon Llull and to show videos about Llull on its flights. Praise the Lord! The bishop has an understanding of marketing: "Ramon Llull is going to fly to many places thanks to Air Europa". But what of others?
Was, as part of the grand alternative, Llull highlighted at the World Travel Market? No. Had he been mentioned in passing, his name would have induced blank looks. The global tourism market can't be expected to grab hold of such a figure from Mallorcan culture without some dynamic effort to make him accessible and understandable, to create real meaning as to what this culture is and as to why the world should be interested.
But there should have been years of advance education about him, not leave it to the year itself and an inaugural concert by the Menorcan baritone, Joan Pons. No one will be interested, because interest hasn't been generated. The year will come, the year will go, and a major opportunity to establish some true meaning to Mallorca's culture will have been lost.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Tourism's Grim Up North
The national government has yet another tourism scheme up its sleeves. This one is called "España Verde" (Green Spain) and, like the "Marca España" is supposedly a branding exercise, so this one will be as well. And, as part of this green branding, the government's tourism promotion agency, Turespaña, has been scouring the dictionary for a new word to include. They have come up with "norte" - north.
Green Spain is a campaign confined to a geographical region, namely the "north", by which is meant the regions with an Atlantic coastline - Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. Turespaña says that these regions will create new tourism products of traditions, culture, landscapes and cuisine. These products will be distinct from other parts of Spain and will offer "different experiences".
There is in all this something of a reinvention of the wheel and of a harking back to the past in emphasising difference. "Spain is Different" was one of the first slogans adopted to attract tourists after the Second World War and it was one that survived for many years. Though the slogan embraced the notion of Spain as being the point where Europe met Africa (an earlier slogan in the 1930s had boasted "the romance of Africa and the comforts of Europe"), officialdom was slow to latch onto the attractions of the far sunnier climes of the Costas and Mallorca.
Not everyone was as slow by any means, but governmentally there was a belief that the Atlantic coast would be a prime if not the prime area for tourism development. It would be a key centre of Spain's "difference". This was a belief based on what was evident before the Civil War and the Second World War. Northern beaches and cities such as Santander and San Sebastian were popular, more so than other parts of Spain. It may seem odd now to appreciate that these beaches were considered to be the main centres for summer tourism, while the Costas and Mallorca were thought of more as winter destinations.
This was what officialdom thought, and it was a mode of thinking that would have appealed to the Francoists of the immediate post-war period, as the northern regions did possess serious amounts of tradition, not least Santiago de Compostela, the spiritual centre of Spanish Catholicism. But it was a mode of thinking that totally overlooked trends towards beach tourism and sun worship, ones that had existed well before the war. Although the Franco regime favoured these established Atlantic regions (and it might be remembered that Franco himself came from Galicia) and although there was a tourism drive based bizarrely on "rutas de guerra" (war routes) which developed into tours of historical cities, the Costas and Mallorca created a whole other tourism supply, and the demand for sun and beach was far better met in Mallorca than on the Atlantic; Cantabria, as an example, is one of the wettest parts of Spain.
Now, therefore, Turespaña has rediscovered the old "difference" up north. It is further evidence of an attempt to rectify what has been admitted - that cultural tourism has not been handled particularly well for years. Whether "Green Spain" is the best of brands is perhaps debatable, as "green" has its specific environmental connotation, but the geographical niching of the Atlantic regions does make some sense, more so than Turespaña's umbrella slogan of "I Need Spain", one that fails to emphasise the great natural and cultural diversity of Spain.
The boom in 1960s sun-and-beach tourism disrupted other forms of tourism promotion to the extent that they were largely neglected. Only now is there a genuinely coherent effort to reinvent what the Franco regime in its earlier years, albeit in a rather naïve fashion, had sought to promote. But then those naïve efforts, and one can see the type of promotion that was used in posters for inland rural as well as cultural tourism, were matched by the naïveté and gullibility of tourists of the time. Do you know what happened in 1956? "My Fair Lady" is what happened. And which was one of its most popular songs? The rain in Spain didn't and doesn't fall mainly in the plain. It falls mainly in Cantabria. But who knew where was where back then. A joke, the quoting of which is attributed to Robert Graves, had it that a woman, on telling her friend that she had been on holiday in Mallorca, was asked where Mallorca was. The woman replied that she didn't know; she had gone by plane. All tourists wanted to know was where the sun was. The sun shone mainly in Mallorca. By comparison, tourism was grim up north.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Green Spain is a campaign confined to a geographical region, namely the "north", by which is meant the regions with an Atlantic coastline - Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. Turespaña says that these regions will create new tourism products of traditions, culture, landscapes and cuisine. These products will be distinct from other parts of Spain and will offer "different experiences".
There is in all this something of a reinvention of the wheel and of a harking back to the past in emphasising difference. "Spain is Different" was one of the first slogans adopted to attract tourists after the Second World War and it was one that survived for many years. Though the slogan embraced the notion of Spain as being the point where Europe met Africa (an earlier slogan in the 1930s had boasted "the romance of Africa and the comforts of Europe"), officialdom was slow to latch onto the attractions of the far sunnier climes of the Costas and Mallorca.
Not everyone was as slow by any means, but governmentally there was a belief that the Atlantic coast would be a prime if not the prime area for tourism development. It would be a key centre of Spain's "difference". This was a belief based on what was evident before the Civil War and the Second World War. Northern beaches and cities such as Santander and San Sebastian were popular, more so than other parts of Spain. It may seem odd now to appreciate that these beaches were considered to be the main centres for summer tourism, while the Costas and Mallorca were thought of more as winter destinations.
This was what officialdom thought, and it was a mode of thinking that would have appealed to the Francoists of the immediate post-war period, as the northern regions did possess serious amounts of tradition, not least Santiago de Compostela, the spiritual centre of Spanish Catholicism. But it was a mode of thinking that totally overlooked trends towards beach tourism and sun worship, ones that had existed well before the war. Although the Franco regime favoured these established Atlantic regions (and it might be remembered that Franco himself came from Galicia) and although there was a tourism drive based bizarrely on "rutas de guerra" (war routes) which developed into tours of historical cities, the Costas and Mallorca created a whole other tourism supply, and the demand for sun and beach was far better met in Mallorca than on the Atlantic; Cantabria, as an example, is one of the wettest parts of Spain.
Now, therefore, Turespaña has rediscovered the old "difference" up north. It is further evidence of an attempt to rectify what has been admitted - that cultural tourism has not been handled particularly well for years. Whether "Green Spain" is the best of brands is perhaps debatable, as "green" has its specific environmental connotation, but the geographical niching of the Atlantic regions does make some sense, more so than Turespaña's umbrella slogan of "I Need Spain", one that fails to emphasise the great natural and cultural diversity of Spain.
The boom in 1960s sun-and-beach tourism disrupted other forms of tourism promotion to the extent that they were largely neglected. Only now is there a genuinely coherent effort to reinvent what the Franco regime in its earlier years, albeit in a rather naïve fashion, had sought to promote. But then those naïve efforts, and one can see the type of promotion that was used in posters for inland rural as well as cultural tourism, were matched by the naïveté and gullibility of tourists of the time. Do you know what happened in 1956? "My Fair Lady" is what happened. And which was one of its most popular songs? The rain in Spain didn't and doesn't fall mainly in the plain. It falls mainly in Cantabria. But who knew where was where back then. A joke, the quoting of which is attributed to Robert Graves, had it that a woman, on telling her friend that she had been on holiday in Mallorca, was asked where Mallorca was. The woman replied that she didn't know; she had gone by plane. All tourists wanted to know was where the sun was. The sun shone mainly in Mallorca. By comparison, tourism was grim up north.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Friday, January 25, 2013
The Parador Paradox
The visitor to Mallorca is unlikely to know a great deal about the Spanish "paradores". Mallorca doesn't have a parador; nor do the other Balearic islands. The Canaries have five and there is a parador in both of the north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Otherwise, the more than ninety establishments are on the mainland. All regions of Spain have at least one, except the Balearics.
The paradores are state-run hotels. Not any old hotels. They are hotels in converted buildings of historical and artistic interest, such as former castles and monasteries. They are not some cheap and cheerful, backpacker hostel-type accommodation. Anything but. They are luxury, predominantly four-star, though there are some five as well as three-star hotels. The first parador came into being in the late 1920s. The network underwent its most rapid period of expansion during the 1960s when the number of establishments doubled to 83. Nowadays, they offer in total more than 10,000 places.
The rationale behind the paradores has always been clear. They are representative of Spain's heritage and so fit with a broader concept of tourism than the usual sun and beach. Not exclusively rural, they nevertheless form part of a tourism philosophy that has always gone hand in hand with sun and beach, the cultural philosophy.
The paradores website says that the network is in the midst of its greatest growth stage since the 1960s. Fourteen more establishments are due to open in taking the total number to over a hundred. This is the plan, but the plan is unlikely to be fulfilled. The paradores are in trouble. Deep trouble. Roughly a quarter of them are included in a new plan - one of restructuring - several of them are closed temporarily and at least one will be closed permanently. Negotiations with unions regarding redundancies have been going relatively smoothly.
Take a look at any of the paradores and you can't fail to be impressed. Some are much grander than others. Santo Estevo in Galicia, for instance, is a fine building with cloisters and courtyards. One of the less grand is the Puerto Lumbreras in Murcia. This three-star Mediterranean-style house (a rather large house, it must be said) is one that will definitely be closing.
It is the grandness, though, which partly explains why the paradores are in trouble. They cost a great deal to maintain, and the state, you may have noticed, is a bit short of readies just at the moment. There is also the fact that they tend not to be cheap to stay in. In the current economic climate, they face strong competition from the less grand and less expensive and they are also subject to a downturn in the home tourism market.
The financial strains that the paradores are experiencing has brought into question their viability as state-run hotels. In a way, they are something of an anomaly in being in public-sector ownership. But then, they are also part of the nation's heritage, and the 80 or so years history of the network is not something that even the national government with its austerity measures is keen to give up.
Privatisation of sorts is going to happen, though. The government says that it is not privatisation in the purest sense. Rather, it intends to put out to tender the management of hotels with a rider that as many jobs as possible can be guaranteed. So far, however, 350 job losses have been confirmed. More restructuring may be required to salvage the network that, in 2011, lost 35 million euros and experienced a decline in occupancy to under 60%. By way of comparison, in 2004, it made a profit of 20 million and had occupancy of over 70%.
The paradores are not the only example of government-controlled accommodation having to be farmed out to the private sector. In Mallorca, for example, the island's council has bowed to the inevitable and privatised two of the refuge hostels on the Tramuntana dry-stone route; the council simply can't afford their upkeep.
In the end, the privatisation of the paradores may have to be purer than the national tourism ministry wants, so long as it can maintain the network and the branding. But would it be able to? It is the parador brand that makes privatisation and the possible dismantling of the network paradoxical. At the same time as these hotels and their brand, magnificent in showing off Spanish culture, are threatened, the government is attempting to boost cultural tourism as part of the "marca" España, the Spain brand.
* For information on the paradores: http://www.parador.es/en/portal.do
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
The paradores are state-run hotels. Not any old hotels. They are hotels in converted buildings of historical and artistic interest, such as former castles and monasteries. They are not some cheap and cheerful, backpacker hostel-type accommodation. Anything but. They are luxury, predominantly four-star, though there are some five as well as three-star hotels. The first parador came into being in the late 1920s. The network underwent its most rapid period of expansion during the 1960s when the number of establishments doubled to 83. Nowadays, they offer in total more than 10,000 places.
The rationale behind the paradores has always been clear. They are representative of Spain's heritage and so fit with a broader concept of tourism than the usual sun and beach. Not exclusively rural, they nevertheless form part of a tourism philosophy that has always gone hand in hand with sun and beach, the cultural philosophy.
The paradores website says that the network is in the midst of its greatest growth stage since the 1960s. Fourteen more establishments are due to open in taking the total number to over a hundred. This is the plan, but the plan is unlikely to be fulfilled. The paradores are in trouble. Deep trouble. Roughly a quarter of them are included in a new plan - one of restructuring - several of them are closed temporarily and at least one will be closed permanently. Negotiations with unions regarding redundancies have been going relatively smoothly.
Take a look at any of the paradores and you can't fail to be impressed. Some are much grander than others. Santo Estevo in Galicia, for instance, is a fine building with cloisters and courtyards. One of the less grand is the Puerto Lumbreras in Murcia. This three-star Mediterranean-style house (a rather large house, it must be said) is one that will definitely be closing.
It is the grandness, though, which partly explains why the paradores are in trouble. They cost a great deal to maintain, and the state, you may have noticed, is a bit short of readies just at the moment. There is also the fact that they tend not to be cheap to stay in. In the current economic climate, they face strong competition from the less grand and less expensive and they are also subject to a downturn in the home tourism market.
The financial strains that the paradores are experiencing has brought into question their viability as state-run hotels. In a way, they are something of an anomaly in being in public-sector ownership. But then, they are also part of the nation's heritage, and the 80 or so years history of the network is not something that even the national government with its austerity measures is keen to give up.
Privatisation of sorts is going to happen, though. The government says that it is not privatisation in the purest sense. Rather, it intends to put out to tender the management of hotels with a rider that as many jobs as possible can be guaranteed. So far, however, 350 job losses have been confirmed. More restructuring may be required to salvage the network that, in 2011, lost 35 million euros and experienced a decline in occupancy to under 60%. By way of comparison, in 2004, it made a profit of 20 million and had occupancy of over 70%.
The paradores are not the only example of government-controlled accommodation having to be farmed out to the private sector. In Mallorca, for example, the island's council has bowed to the inevitable and privatised two of the refuge hostels on the Tramuntana dry-stone route; the council simply can't afford their upkeep.
In the end, the privatisation of the paradores may have to be purer than the national tourism ministry wants, so long as it can maintain the network and the branding. But would it be able to? It is the parador brand that makes privatisation and the possible dismantling of the network paradoxical. At the same time as these hotels and their brand, magnificent in showing off Spanish culture, are threatened, the government is attempting to boost cultural tourism as part of the "marca" España, the Spain brand.
* For information on the paradores: http://www.parador.es/en/portal.do
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Packaging Culture: Why Mallorca misses out
Will culture ever become the main reason for tourists visiting Mallorca? The chances are extremely remote. Yet a professor of tourism at Girona University, José Antonio Donaire, reckons that one day it might be. Or at least, he reckons that culture will be the prime motivation for tourists from certain sectors of the tourism market heading to certain destinations. This caveat is important. Parts of Spain have much to offer the tourist going in search of culture. Mallorca and the Balearics, on the other hand ... ?
Turespaña, the national tourism agency, is currently looking at ways of increasing cultural tourism. One of the reasons for doing so is to tackle the vagaries of seasonality; Mallorca is by no means the only part of Spain that suffers from a lack of winter tourism. A second reason is that there has been an acknowledgement that, despite a rich culture and innumerable cultural sites, Spain as a destination for cultural tourism has been poorly positioned in terms of its international marketing, which is incredible given all the talk that emanates from different bodies regarding culture; there has been a huge gap between the talk and meaningful action. Which leads us on neatly to Mallorca.
In 2010, the Fundación Caja Madrid issued a report which put figures on the value of cultural tourism by Spanish tourists in the different regions of Spain. Way out in the lead was Andalucía (452 million euros) with Catalonia in second place (319 million). Rank bottom was Murcia (36 million). And second to bottom? You've guessed it. The Balearics (48 million). Even the Canaries fared better - to the tune of 20 million euros.
A survey of the same year that looked at different aspects of spending on culture was slightly more positive in placing the Balearics as the fifth worst performing region in terms of attracting overseas tourists who came for the express purpose of engaging in cultural pursuits. Three places higher but the percentage of cultural tourists in relation to all tourists to the Balearics was just under 2%, and the number had fallen from the previous year. From a base of under 2%, there is a hell of a way to go for culture to ever be a dominating reason for tourists to come to Mallorca.
Also back in 2010, a company offering an excursion of historic and cultural sites on Menorca said that it was in two minds whether to bother again. Over five months in 2009 it had managed to attract a total of 2,000 excursionists. The principal reason for the lack of take-up was, the company admitted, the far greater attraction of "sun, sea and sand". And for Menorca, read also Mallorca. Both islands' key brand attribute is sun, sea and sand, despite what some people might think and say to the contrary. When this brand attribute is as clearly identifiable and strong as it is, changing perceptions to embrace culture and therefore promote it is a huge task.
Of course, there are plenty of tourists who will take in something of a cultural nature even if they mainly come for the beach. Turespaña points out that the majority of visitors signal their intention to do so, but there is a problem in knowing what exactly is meant by culture. As an example, ABTA conducted a survey almost four years ago which suggested that culture was the third most important element of the British holidaymaker's visit to Mallorca. It made a great song and dance about publicising the fact. Unfortunately, when you went behind the press releases and actually looked at the survey, a quite different picture emerged. What had happened was that several elements (such as food) had been combined to give the result. A specific ranking for "the culture" had been given by only 5% of respondents, not the 18% that was being spoken about.
Mallorca is at a disadvantage when it comes to cultural tourism because it is so readily recognisable with something that is culture's virtual antithesis - sun and beach. One suspects that Turespaña's emphasis will be on parts of Spain that have stronger claims on cultural tourism, such as the old cities of Andalucía, but whichever its priority destinations will be, the agency is looking at how culture can be better packaged. And this is the nub of the issue.
Mallorca has culture, but compared with the money-for-old-rope ease of packaging the sun and beach holiday, culture is a very different beast. To be effective, the cost of marketing cultural package tours would be high, but the returns would be questionable. To be anything other than a minor aspect of Mallorca's tourism, culture would need the kind of volume tour operators could provide, but the tour operators have other holidays and other destinations they can sell and sell more easily.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Turespaña, the national tourism agency, is currently looking at ways of increasing cultural tourism. One of the reasons for doing so is to tackle the vagaries of seasonality; Mallorca is by no means the only part of Spain that suffers from a lack of winter tourism. A second reason is that there has been an acknowledgement that, despite a rich culture and innumerable cultural sites, Spain as a destination for cultural tourism has been poorly positioned in terms of its international marketing, which is incredible given all the talk that emanates from different bodies regarding culture; there has been a huge gap between the talk and meaningful action. Which leads us on neatly to Mallorca.
In 2010, the Fundación Caja Madrid issued a report which put figures on the value of cultural tourism by Spanish tourists in the different regions of Spain. Way out in the lead was Andalucía (452 million euros) with Catalonia in second place (319 million). Rank bottom was Murcia (36 million). And second to bottom? You've guessed it. The Balearics (48 million). Even the Canaries fared better - to the tune of 20 million euros.
A survey of the same year that looked at different aspects of spending on culture was slightly more positive in placing the Balearics as the fifth worst performing region in terms of attracting overseas tourists who came for the express purpose of engaging in cultural pursuits. Three places higher but the percentage of cultural tourists in relation to all tourists to the Balearics was just under 2%, and the number had fallen from the previous year. From a base of under 2%, there is a hell of a way to go for culture to ever be a dominating reason for tourists to come to Mallorca.
Also back in 2010, a company offering an excursion of historic and cultural sites on Menorca said that it was in two minds whether to bother again. Over five months in 2009 it had managed to attract a total of 2,000 excursionists. The principal reason for the lack of take-up was, the company admitted, the far greater attraction of "sun, sea and sand". And for Menorca, read also Mallorca. Both islands' key brand attribute is sun, sea and sand, despite what some people might think and say to the contrary. When this brand attribute is as clearly identifiable and strong as it is, changing perceptions to embrace culture and therefore promote it is a huge task.
Of course, there are plenty of tourists who will take in something of a cultural nature even if they mainly come for the beach. Turespaña points out that the majority of visitors signal their intention to do so, but there is a problem in knowing what exactly is meant by culture. As an example, ABTA conducted a survey almost four years ago which suggested that culture was the third most important element of the British holidaymaker's visit to Mallorca. It made a great song and dance about publicising the fact. Unfortunately, when you went behind the press releases and actually looked at the survey, a quite different picture emerged. What had happened was that several elements (such as food) had been combined to give the result. A specific ranking for "the culture" had been given by only 5% of respondents, not the 18% that was being spoken about.
Mallorca is at a disadvantage when it comes to cultural tourism because it is so readily recognisable with something that is culture's virtual antithesis - sun and beach. One suspects that Turespaña's emphasis will be on parts of Spain that have stronger claims on cultural tourism, such as the old cities of Andalucía, but whichever its priority destinations will be, the agency is looking at how culture can be better packaged. And this is the nub of the issue.
Mallorca has culture, but compared with the money-for-old-rope ease of packaging the sun and beach holiday, culture is a very different beast. To be effective, the cost of marketing cultural package tours would be high, but the returns would be questionable. To be anything other than a minor aspect of Mallorca's tourism, culture would need the kind of volume tour operators could provide, but the tour operators have other holidays and other destinations they can sell and sell more easily.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
And You Will Go To Mykonos
I'm back in 1973. On a ferry crossing the Aegean. Two Irish girls have become my travelling companions. We are passing the uninhabited island of Delos, heading for the windmills of Mykonos.
In the early '70s, Mykonos, together with Crete, were the end-of-the-line destinations for the grand tourers. The island attracted hippies, gays, nudists, artists, Australians, and some who were all of these things. It also attracted some regular tourists as well as boat loads of American day visitors, eagerly snapping photos as they landed; the trophy shot was one with the pelican who lived in a bar on the harbour front.
Mykonos was both Bohemian and hedonistic in a style far removed from the later lager tourist who was to lay waste to Greek islands such as Zante. It was distant enough from the mainland to have a streak of independence. Locals would speak to you, albeit in hushed tones, about the brutality of the country's military regime.
Despite the poor image that followed the 1967 coup, Mykonos and the Greek islands gradually became a new, but still unspoiled world for the tourist. Like Spain under Franco, there was a questionableness as to the morality of tourism; not that this deterred the hippies or the intellectuals who would gather at the tavernas in Mykonos town every evening.
And like Franco's Spain, and therefore Mallorca, Greece looked for economic salvation from tourism, which it got, along with a construction and inward investment boom.
For the teenaged grand tourer, the contrary liberal attitudes of Mykonos were only one part of the Greece story. You didn't go to Greece without doing the culture as well. The Irish girls and I sat under a tree and ate watermelon, shaded from the ferocity of a July heat traipsing around the Acropolis. For those who ventured to Crete, the hippy enclaves of Plakias and elsewhere were the base camps for visiting the cradle of Minoan civilisation.
Come forward to today, and Greece and the Greek islands have a new poor image - twice over. Greece is Euroland's basket case; there is no more construction, and the economy has all but collapsed. The islands have attained a reputation tarnished by the movement across the Mediterranean of a particular type of holidaymaker. For all this though, like Mallorca, the islands are anticipating a boom summer, the beneficiaries of the north African upheavals. While all else in the economy may be failing, tourism is being seen, once more, as the salvation.
Helena Smith, writing in "The Guardian", stirred the memories of Mykonos. She also described a situation with similarities to Mallorca.
The Greek prime minister sees tourism as the "model for economic development", but the country and its islands need re-branding, says the president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises. "The immense cultural wealth" has to be tapped into. Yet, this wealth, says the prime minister, is something "we either don't know or have no idea about promoting in a proper and organised way".
It is the coinciding of re-branding and culture that has resonance for Mallorca. The development of cultural tourism, long wished for, has been dashed on the rocks of a lamentable inability to conceive a brand image that isn't dominated by sun and beach. Partly this is because Mallorca, much though some in positions who should know better might believe, doesn't have strong culture. Certainly not in the way that Greece does. And if the Greeks can't promote culture, then frankly what the hell hope is there for Mallorca?
It seems crazy that the Greeks, with that immense cultural wealth, should need to think about its branding. It should sell itself. As it used to. In 1973, though I might also have had more basic pleasures in mind, it never occurred to me not to do the culture. It was one of the reasons why you went. And nowadays, you can even get guided tours of the archaeologically and mythologically important Delos, which was off-limits back then.
Perhaps it is something in the nature of today's tourism and tourists from the old world of Britain and northern Europe. Destinations, be they Mallorca or Mykonos, overtaken by development, have bred the contempt of familiarity and convenience. What once was a curiosity, a leap into the unknown, an adventure has gone. And it has taken with it any natural and unforced enquiry and interest in culture. You can promote it, but does anyone listen?
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
In the early '70s, Mykonos, together with Crete, were the end-of-the-line destinations for the grand tourers. The island attracted hippies, gays, nudists, artists, Australians, and some who were all of these things. It also attracted some regular tourists as well as boat loads of American day visitors, eagerly snapping photos as they landed; the trophy shot was one with the pelican who lived in a bar on the harbour front.
Mykonos was both Bohemian and hedonistic in a style far removed from the later lager tourist who was to lay waste to Greek islands such as Zante. It was distant enough from the mainland to have a streak of independence. Locals would speak to you, albeit in hushed tones, about the brutality of the country's military regime.
Despite the poor image that followed the 1967 coup, Mykonos and the Greek islands gradually became a new, but still unspoiled world for the tourist. Like Spain under Franco, there was a questionableness as to the morality of tourism; not that this deterred the hippies or the intellectuals who would gather at the tavernas in Mykonos town every evening.
And like Franco's Spain, and therefore Mallorca, Greece looked for economic salvation from tourism, which it got, along with a construction and inward investment boom.
For the teenaged grand tourer, the contrary liberal attitudes of Mykonos were only one part of the Greece story. You didn't go to Greece without doing the culture as well. The Irish girls and I sat under a tree and ate watermelon, shaded from the ferocity of a July heat traipsing around the Acropolis. For those who ventured to Crete, the hippy enclaves of Plakias and elsewhere were the base camps for visiting the cradle of Minoan civilisation.
Come forward to today, and Greece and the Greek islands have a new poor image - twice over. Greece is Euroland's basket case; there is no more construction, and the economy has all but collapsed. The islands have attained a reputation tarnished by the movement across the Mediterranean of a particular type of holidaymaker. For all this though, like Mallorca, the islands are anticipating a boom summer, the beneficiaries of the north African upheavals. While all else in the economy may be failing, tourism is being seen, once more, as the salvation.
Helena Smith, writing in "The Guardian", stirred the memories of Mykonos. She also described a situation with similarities to Mallorca.
The Greek prime minister sees tourism as the "model for economic development", but the country and its islands need re-branding, says the president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises. "The immense cultural wealth" has to be tapped into. Yet, this wealth, says the prime minister, is something "we either don't know or have no idea about promoting in a proper and organised way".
It is the coinciding of re-branding and culture that has resonance for Mallorca. The development of cultural tourism, long wished for, has been dashed on the rocks of a lamentable inability to conceive a brand image that isn't dominated by sun and beach. Partly this is because Mallorca, much though some in positions who should know better might believe, doesn't have strong culture. Certainly not in the way that Greece does. And if the Greeks can't promote culture, then frankly what the hell hope is there for Mallorca?
It seems crazy that the Greeks, with that immense cultural wealth, should need to think about its branding. It should sell itself. As it used to. In 1973, though I might also have had more basic pleasures in mind, it never occurred to me not to do the culture. It was one of the reasons why you went. And nowadays, you can even get guided tours of the archaeologically and mythologically important Delos, which was off-limits back then.
Perhaps it is something in the nature of today's tourism and tourists from the old world of Britain and northern Europe. Destinations, be they Mallorca or Mykonos, overtaken by development, have bred the contempt of familiarity and convenience. What once was a curiosity, a leap into the unknown, an adventure has gone. And it has taken with it any natural and unforced enquiry and interest in culture. You can promote it, but does anyone listen?
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Intangible Tourism: Sibil·la
Had you attended matins on Christmas Eve, you would have heard the chant of the Sybil - Sibil·la. The chant, together with the carrying of a sword and candles and the wearing of costumes of white or coloured tunics, was placed on Unesco's list of practices described as "intangible cultural heritage of humanity". It was done so on account of, inter alia, the chant giving the people of Mallorca "a strong feeling of identity and pride".
The Sybil was one of many practices that Unesco chose to list in 2010. Two of the others were specifically Spanish - flamenco and human towers - and a further two were shared with other countries, falconry and the Mediterranean diet. Practices from elsewhere sound somewhat bizarre and obscure, such as the scissors dance of Peru, the Kirkpinar oil wrestling festival of Turkey and the hopping procession of Echternach in Luxembourg. What all have in common is folkloric and cultural tradition.
While the likes of flamenco are known globally, the Sibil·la is not. It is performed in places other than Mallorca, but its association is firmly with Mallorca, even if its origins are not. The identity and pride referred to by Unesco have been evident from the reporting of the listing of the Sybil, but should it be something to be exploited or should it remain on the island for the islanders?
This question has been addressed by a leading local musicologist, Francesc Vicens. He worries that things shouldn't get out of hand, that Mallorca doesn't have a record of cultural symbolism, such as the Sybil, being subjected to pressures of a more global style, i.e. from outside the island. At the same time, however, he is aware that it would be a contradiction that, having been granted recognition, the Sybil should not be limited to the island alone.
What all this is about is the degree to which the Sybil will become or should become a form of promotion.
Are these concerns, however, not being slightly overstated? As I say, most of the practices listed by Unesco are fairly obscure. Does recognition mean, for example, that people will be rushing off to join in with the hopping in Echternach? Maybe they will. But so long as the Sybil remains true to itself, a further issue raised by Vicens, what really is the problem? That it might be promoted as an aspect of cultural heritage, as given the seal of Unesco approval, and might lead to tourists wishing to come to Mallorca to witness and hear it, then this can only be a positive. Is it not?
To be fair to Vicens, he is not against the Sybil being presented alongside the likes of Rafael Nadal in promoting Mallorca. Rather, what he does express concern about is how well tourism, and therefore the tourism industry and organisations, handle culture. He actually believes that it would be "fantastic" were the Sybil to be used as a way of getting tourists to know more about Mallorca. But he also believes that the tourism industry has little interest in cultural issues, which may come as a surprise to some of those in the industry, especially in the promotion agencies. However, he could well be right. And his words cut right to the bone of the discussion about cultural tourism. He says that "much is spoken about cultural tourism, but I believe that the term has been used a great deal but without planning or a strategy ... for promoting the island".
The words of the musicologist are music to my ears and to others who have been saying much the same thing. Where I would tend to disagree, however, is with the idea that the Sybil would be that strong a symbol, were the planning or strategy for its inclusion in promotion done well or not.
Pressures of a more global style, as he sees coming from what is unprecedented for Mallorca in having such a recognition for an aspect of its culture, might not actually come about. In a way, he is falling into the same trap as the tourism agencies, that of believing this culture has resonance in a wider market, when in fact it might not have. It is a trap laid by essentially insular thinking made global. It is thinking that goes along the lines of because it's important to us (Mallorcans), then it will be for others. I may be wrong, but I don't know that it will be.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
The Sybil was one of many practices that Unesco chose to list in 2010. Two of the others were specifically Spanish - flamenco and human towers - and a further two were shared with other countries, falconry and the Mediterranean diet. Practices from elsewhere sound somewhat bizarre and obscure, such as the scissors dance of Peru, the Kirkpinar oil wrestling festival of Turkey and the hopping procession of Echternach in Luxembourg. What all have in common is folkloric and cultural tradition.
While the likes of flamenco are known globally, the Sibil·la is not. It is performed in places other than Mallorca, but its association is firmly with Mallorca, even if its origins are not. The identity and pride referred to by Unesco have been evident from the reporting of the listing of the Sybil, but should it be something to be exploited or should it remain on the island for the islanders?
This question has been addressed by a leading local musicologist, Francesc Vicens. He worries that things shouldn't get out of hand, that Mallorca doesn't have a record of cultural symbolism, such as the Sybil, being subjected to pressures of a more global style, i.e. from outside the island. At the same time, however, he is aware that it would be a contradiction that, having been granted recognition, the Sybil should not be limited to the island alone.
What all this is about is the degree to which the Sybil will become or should become a form of promotion.
Are these concerns, however, not being slightly overstated? As I say, most of the practices listed by Unesco are fairly obscure. Does recognition mean, for example, that people will be rushing off to join in with the hopping in Echternach? Maybe they will. But so long as the Sybil remains true to itself, a further issue raised by Vicens, what really is the problem? That it might be promoted as an aspect of cultural heritage, as given the seal of Unesco approval, and might lead to tourists wishing to come to Mallorca to witness and hear it, then this can only be a positive. Is it not?
To be fair to Vicens, he is not against the Sybil being presented alongside the likes of Rafael Nadal in promoting Mallorca. Rather, what he does express concern about is how well tourism, and therefore the tourism industry and organisations, handle culture. He actually believes that it would be "fantastic" were the Sybil to be used as a way of getting tourists to know more about Mallorca. But he also believes that the tourism industry has little interest in cultural issues, which may come as a surprise to some of those in the industry, especially in the promotion agencies. However, he could well be right. And his words cut right to the bone of the discussion about cultural tourism. He says that "much is spoken about cultural tourism, but I believe that the term has been used a great deal but without planning or a strategy ... for promoting the island".
The words of the musicologist are music to my ears and to others who have been saying much the same thing. Where I would tend to disagree, however, is with the idea that the Sybil would be that strong a symbol, were the planning or strategy for its inclusion in promotion done well or not.
Pressures of a more global style, as he sees coming from what is unprecedented for Mallorca in having such a recognition for an aspect of its culture, might not actually come about. In a way, he is falling into the same trap as the tourism agencies, that of believing this culture has resonance in a wider market, when in fact it might not have. It is a trap laid by essentially insular thinking made global. It is thinking that goes along the lines of because it's important to us (Mallorcans), then it will be for others. I may be wrong, but I don't know that it will be.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Mother Knows Best - The cultural tourism myth
Buried among the items in the "Balearic news round-up" in "The Bulletin" yesterday was something that deserved to be in front-page huge type and copied and sent to IBATUR, the Balearic Government's tourism department, the Mallorca Tourist Board, the "Mesa del Turismo" and to any of the other blinkered and deluded little islanders who regularly fail to see the point about the very industry that they are meant to be promoting.
A bus company in Menorca, which last year ran a tour service for visitors, is in two minds whether to bother with it this year. Over five months in 2009, a total of 2,000 people made use of this service which took in certain historic and cultural sites on the island. There were some logistical issues in respect of coinciding with some opening times, but chief among the reasons why the service was not a success (and 2,000 people is anything but) was that - as the head of the company says - people are mainly interested in "sun, sea and sand" and that there was not much demand for cultural tourism.
Praise the Lord. Someone gets it. Despite the best attempts of the various Mallorcan (and Balearic) tourism bodies to convince both themselves and others that there is a whole world of alternative, cultural tourism out there, waiting to be tapped into by hordes of summer tourists (and indeed those at other times) strapped into a bus with a set of earphones playing some audio guide, these attempts are wrong - plain wrong. There is of course a small minority of tourists that do enjoy such cultural experiences, but the overwhelming majority have little wish to move themselves from the nearest pool or beach. They come for the sun, sea and sand. Why does anyone try and pretend that they don't? For most tourists, a cultural experience is a day out at Marineland.
Though a Menorcan example, it is every bit as applicable to Mallorca. The tourism bodies should listen to people like the bus company's boss, but the problem is that they don't - or don't appear to. They don't listen to anyone much. The other day I was told about a meeting of "Europeos por España", one of the rather curious quasi-political organisations whose purpose it is difficult to understand. At this meeting, there was a discussion about tourism problems. Fine. Another talking shop, I suggested. Even if anything of merit came out of this meeting, who would listen to the results, especially if - God forbid - they were coming from "foreigners"?
The different tourism bodies act as some collective defender of what we might call Mother Mallorca, and the members of these bodies suckle at the breast of this abstract motherland, gurgling contentedly what has become a politically acceptable line that there is all this "other" alleged tourism. Mother often does know best, but not always. The kids don't want to be poring over their textbooks when they'd rather be out playing in the water and on the beach.
So much nonsense emanates from all manner of groups and organisations. You can add to the tourism bodies, the hoteliers' associations. Remember that garbage about all hotels being open for Easter? Try this. In the east of Mallorca there will be no more than some 55% of hotels operating. In Portocolom, for example, not a single hotel will be open.
So much delusion, so much wishful thinking and so little realism.
QUIZ:
Today - For once some C&W. A great of the genre, to whom Garry Shandling bears something of a resemblance.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
A bus company in Menorca, which last year ran a tour service for visitors, is in two minds whether to bother with it this year. Over five months in 2009, a total of 2,000 people made use of this service which took in certain historic and cultural sites on the island. There were some logistical issues in respect of coinciding with some opening times, but chief among the reasons why the service was not a success (and 2,000 people is anything but) was that - as the head of the company says - people are mainly interested in "sun, sea and sand" and that there was not much demand for cultural tourism.
Praise the Lord. Someone gets it. Despite the best attempts of the various Mallorcan (and Balearic) tourism bodies to convince both themselves and others that there is a whole world of alternative, cultural tourism out there, waiting to be tapped into by hordes of summer tourists (and indeed those at other times) strapped into a bus with a set of earphones playing some audio guide, these attempts are wrong - plain wrong. There is of course a small minority of tourists that do enjoy such cultural experiences, but the overwhelming majority have little wish to move themselves from the nearest pool or beach. They come for the sun, sea and sand. Why does anyone try and pretend that they don't? For most tourists, a cultural experience is a day out at Marineland.
Though a Menorcan example, it is every bit as applicable to Mallorca. The tourism bodies should listen to people like the bus company's boss, but the problem is that they don't - or don't appear to. They don't listen to anyone much. The other day I was told about a meeting of "Europeos por España", one of the rather curious quasi-political organisations whose purpose it is difficult to understand. At this meeting, there was a discussion about tourism problems. Fine. Another talking shop, I suggested. Even if anything of merit came out of this meeting, who would listen to the results, especially if - God forbid - they were coming from "foreigners"?
The different tourism bodies act as some collective defender of what we might call Mother Mallorca, and the members of these bodies suckle at the breast of this abstract motherland, gurgling contentedly what has become a politically acceptable line that there is all this "other" alleged tourism. Mother often does know best, but not always. The kids don't want to be poring over their textbooks when they'd rather be out playing in the water and on the beach.
So much nonsense emanates from all manner of groups and organisations. You can add to the tourism bodies, the hoteliers' associations. Remember that garbage about all hotels being open for Easter? Try this. In the east of Mallorca there will be no more than some 55% of hotels operating. In Portocolom, for example, not a single hotel will be open.
So much delusion, so much wishful thinking and so little realism.
QUIZ:
Today - For once some C&W. A great of the genre, to whom Garry Shandling bears something of a resemblance.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Friday, November 27, 2009
The Coffee Culture Club
"This cultural tourism stuff," I'm saying. "If there were to be a company that brought aspects of it together, created a package, Cultural Mallorca Tours or some such, it would work in winter, wouldn't it? Offer some genuine chance of tourists coming for this "alternative" stuff in the off-season? It's not happening at the moment, so why not?"
"It's a good idea, but ... There's always a but. Who would be your market? I'll tell you, the better-off, independent and independently-minded. They've got money, but to make it work, you have to charge high. Think of those things like wine tours of the Dordogne. What do they cost? About a thousand a time. Ok, this market may be able to afford it, but you know what they'd do, they'd take a look at the offer, the places where the "tour" would go, and think: 'I can do this myself. And for less'. That's the but, that's the problem. Well, just one. Then there are the costs of marketing and selling it. And for this, for the coaches or mini-buses and all that, you need numbers, you need volume. It would never make money otherwise."
"So, what you're saying is that all this cultural tourism can only ever be somehow passive, passive on behalf of the tourism authorities, as no operator would think it worthwhile."
"No, they wouldn't. Certainly not the big tour operators. Culture in Mallorca? Why? There's culture everywhere, and everywhere wants to sell it. Why here? It's not as if the history is that remarkable. I can tell you about places where it is, but not here. Look, ok, I admit, I'm no tourism expert ..."
"Maybe not, but maybe yes, maybe you, me and some others actually know more about all this than the tourism authorities. We look at it from the outside, we don't have that inward-looking mentality. Maybe we have an idea as to what people want."
"True. We're not politicians ..."
"They're not all politicians."
"But a lot are. They peddle this stuff because it's the right thing to do - politically. They want something other than the sun, sea and beach, because that's not great for the environment."
"But that's what people do want. I've said it time and time again. Said it the other day. Why do the Brits, the Irish, the Germans and the rest come to Mallorca? For the sun. And the authorities just confuse the issue by trying to promote something else, something else that's not going to work because no operator will make it work. There was that professor, applied economics, at the university, saying that sun, sea and beach is 'outmoded' ".
"Well, he's not totally wrong."
"Perhaps not. Ok, people's horizons may have broadened, but you still come back to what it is that they come to Mallorca for. And that's the sun."
"And entertainment."
"Ah yes, entertainment. Have you seen this thing about the Ibiza Rocks place opening up in Magaluf? Five or six big rock acts during the summer. Don't know which hotel they're taking over."
"I think I do. Yea, it's not a bad idea. It's what people want. That sort of music."
"Not the ball de bots and all that then?"
"No, certainly not that. Live music, international."
"They had Keane apparently. That's pretty serious stuff. But it's Magaluf. Always the south. Not in the north."
"No, because the north is family tourism. Wouldn't be the same."
"Hmm. No, it wouldn't. Fancy another coffee?"
Little Britain - the biggest sale yet!
Yes, folks, check out the info on the WHAT'S ON BLOG (http://www.wotzupnorth.blogspot.com) - Little Britain ever more bargains, all ready for Christmas!
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Princess (Stock Aitken and Waterman), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucWT1tvS1Po.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
"It's a good idea, but ... There's always a but. Who would be your market? I'll tell you, the better-off, independent and independently-minded. They've got money, but to make it work, you have to charge high. Think of those things like wine tours of the Dordogne. What do they cost? About a thousand a time. Ok, this market may be able to afford it, but you know what they'd do, they'd take a look at the offer, the places where the "tour" would go, and think: 'I can do this myself. And for less'. That's the but, that's the problem. Well, just one. Then there are the costs of marketing and selling it. And for this, for the coaches or mini-buses and all that, you need numbers, you need volume. It would never make money otherwise."
"So, what you're saying is that all this cultural tourism can only ever be somehow passive, passive on behalf of the tourism authorities, as no operator would think it worthwhile."
"No, they wouldn't. Certainly not the big tour operators. Culture in Mallorca? Why? There's culture everywhere, and everywhere wants to sell it. Why here? It's not as if the history is that remarkable. I can tell you about places where it is, but not here. Look, ok, I admit, I'm no tourism expert ..."
"Maybe not, but maybe yes, maybe you, me and some others actually know more about all this than the tourism authorities. We look at it from the outside, we don't have that inward-looking mentality. Maybe we have an idea as to what people want."
"True. We're not politicians ..."
"They're not all politicians."
"But a lot are. They peddle this stuff because it's the right thing to do - politically. They want something other than the sun, sea and beach, because that's not great for the environment."
"But that's what people do want. I've said it time and time again. Said it the other day. Why do the Brits, the Irish, the Germans and the rest come to Mallorca? For the sun. And the authorities just confuse the issue by trying to promote something else, something else that's not going to work because no operator will make it work. There was that professor, applied economics, at the university, saying that sun, sea and beach is 'outmoded' ".
"Well, he's not totally wrong."
"Perhaps not. Ok, people's horizons may have broadened, but you still come back to what it is that they come to Mallorca for. And that's the sun."
"And entertainment."
"Ah yes, entertainment. Have you seen this thing about the Ibiza Rocks place opening up in Magaluf? Five or six big rock acts during the summer. Don't know which hotel they're taking over."
"I think I do. Yea, it's not a bad idea. It's what people want. That sort of music."
"Not the ball de bots and all that then?"
"No, certainly not that. Live music, international."
"They had Keane apparently. That's pretty serious stuff. But it's Magaluf. Always the south. Not in the north."
"No, because the north is family tourism. Wouldn't be the same."
"Hmm. No, it wouldn't. Fancy another coffee?"
Little Britain - the biggest sale yet!
Yes, folks, check out the info on the WHAT'S ON BLOG (http://www.wotzupnorth.blogspot.com) - Little Britain ever more bargains, all ready for Christmas!
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Princess (Stock Aitken and Waterman), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucWT1tvS1Po.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Sunday, October 04, 2009
I Will Travel To Rio
There were no parties in Madrid. The samba danced on till the wee smalls in Rio instead. The Olympics. Some years from now. There were presumably a few Brazilians in Mallorca who were dancing the night away as well. Or make that more than a few. The numbers of Brazilians on the island are strangely high given that the great world carve-up of the late fifteenth century denied Spain the largest of South America's countries.
The awarding to Rio of the 2016 games was the fairest result. To have continued to deny South America a piece of Olympic action would have seemed miserly. If South Africa can have the World Cup, then Brazil can have the Olympics, and indeed, given the national team's pre-eminence for so many competitions, it is curious that it has not been granted another World Cup since 1950 whereas an under-performer like Mexico can have had two, albeit that the second was a late change when Colombia fessed up to not being able to stump up the financ and also that Brazil will host the 2014 competition.
Disappointment there may be that Madrid has lost out - again - but it may have been for the best. Now, in all truth, is not the time to be taking on the sort of financial commitment that an Olympics demands. The games may be seven years down the line, but the work starts now, as does the handing around of the cap. The Spanish Government would have been insane to have started chucking money that it doesn't have at a Madrid Olympics. And it might only have fuelled more regional resentment. The Catalans have not exactly been supportive of any Madrid bid, which is a tad churlish as Madrid lent Barcelona its backing in 1992. It might be noted, though, that Juan Antonio Samaranch, who made the emotional plea in favour of Madrid, was born in Barcelona.
But of course, as we keep being told, the Olympics are about more than just a huge tax burden, they are about legacies, promotion of sport and healthy lifestyles and all the usual twaddle. They are also about politics (as in Beijing) and tourism (as in all of them). Though one felt pride at London being chosen for 2012, there must be many now, given the economic circumstances, who would have preferred not having put one over the French or indeed Madrid. Only one city in recent times has truly benefited from the games, and that was Barcelona - all that money that was lavished on bringing it up by the boot- and athletics shoe laces from the sand-pit it had been allowed to become during Franco's time and turning it, once again, into one of Europe's great cities. But there is the pride angle, always assuming the organisers don't completely cock-up and turn a host city into a laughing-stock (Atlanta was never that but it wasn't far short). London Pride, let's hope to God there will be grounds for it and indeed grounds fully developed.
The Olympics are the not the only vehicle for a bit of civic tourism promotion and legacy-building, whatever this latter is. There is the rather more down-scale city of culture malarkey. Palma is up for some of this, as it had been for riding the crest of the wave of the America's Cup before Valencia hoisted its victorious sail. At least no-one's suggested that Palma should have the Olympics - yet. A city of culture, though, seems fair enough. It would make all that cultural tourism stuff seem worthwhile, and who knows, were Palma to be the culture capital - in 2016 by coincidence - maybe all the new tourists that this would create (one hopes) might also contemplate visiting other parts of the island. The actual candidacy is in fact for Palma and the Balearics, which sounds like stretching the city angle a bit. More likely, the tourists who come to those other parts would be shuttled off on excursions to Palma in order to get a bit of cultural action. And action, moreover, that will probably include bands of Brazilians beating drums and dancing sambas, resplendent in yellow and green t-shirts with legends declaring Rio 2016.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - "Morning Glory", Oasis, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7MSSPNH9o. Today's title - he was the one with the woolly hat.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
The awarding to Rio of the 2016 games was the fairest result. To have continued to deny South America a piece of Olympic action would have seemed miserly. If South Africa can have the World Cup, then Brazil can have the Olympics, and indeed, given the national team's pre-eminence for so many competitions, it is curious that it has not been granted another World Cup since 1950 whereas an under-performer like Mexico can have had two, albeit that the second was a late change when Colombia fessed up to not being able to stump up the financ and also that Brazil will host the 2014 competition.
Disappointment there may be that Madrid has lost out - again - but it may have been for the best. Now, in all truth, is not the time to be taking on the sort of financial commitment that an Olympics demands. The games may be seven years down the line, but the work starts now, as does the handing around of the cap. The Spanish Government would have been insane to have started chucking money that it doesn't have at a Madrid Olympics. And it might only have fuelled more regional resentment. The Catalans have not exactly been supportive of any Madrid bid, which is a tad churlish as Madrid lent Barcelona its backing in 1992. It might be noted, though, that Juan Antonio Samaranch, who made the emotional plea in favour of Madrid, was born in Barcelona.
But of course, as we keep being told, the Olympics are about more than just a huge tax burden, they are about legacies, promotion of sport and healthy lifestyles and all the usual twaddle. They are also about politics (as in Beijing) and tourism (as in all of them). Though one felt pride at London being chosen for 2012, there must be many now, given the economic circumstances, who would have preferred not having put one over the French or indeed Madrid. Only one city in recent times has truly benefited from the games, and that was Barcelona - all that money that was lavished on bringing it up by the boot- and athletics shoe laces from the sand-pit it had been allowed to become during Franco's time and turning it, once again, into one of Europe's great cities. But there is the pride angle, always assuming the organisers don't completely cock-up and turn a host city into a laughing-stock (Atlanta was never that but it wasn't far short). London Pride, let's hope to God there will be grounds for it and indeed grounds fully developed.
The Olympics are the not the only vehicle for a bit of civic tourism promotion and legacy-building, whatever this latter is. There is the rather more down-scale city of culture malarkey. Palma is up for some of this, as it had been for riding the crest of the wave of the America's Cup before Valencia hoisted its victorious sail. At least no-one's suggested that Palma should have the Olympics - yet. A city of culture, though, seems fair enough. It would make all that cultural tourism stuff seem worthwhile, and who knows, were Palma to be the culture capital - in 2016 by coincidence - maybe all the new tourists that this would create (one hopes) might also contemplate visiting other parts of the island. The actual candidacy is in fact for Palma and the Balearics, which sounds like stretching the city angle a bit. More likely, the tourists who come to those other parts would be shuttled off on excursions to Palma in order to get a bit of cultural action. And action, moreover, that will probably include bands of Brazilians beating drums and dancing sambas, resplendent in yellow and green t-shirts with legends declaring Rio 2016.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - "Morning Glory", Oasis, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7MSSPNH9o. Today's title - he was the one with the woolly hat.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Saturday, October 03, 2009
What's The Story?
At one time when I lived in London, before they closed the station, I used occasionally to get a sudden urge to travel to the far end of the Central Line. Ongar. Like many place names in England, it was one with no immediately obvious connection to any other. The beauty of English towns and villages lies as much in their obscure nomenclature as any picture-postcard green, millpond or church. Ongar. Was it on guard or "en garde", was it on the gar, in which case what was a "gar", might it have once been one gar (same question)? What tribal and linguistic back story gave Ongar its handle? Celtic, Roman, Germanic, Danish, Norman? Perhaps it had been invented, or there had been a Mr. Ongar. If so, how had he come by his name? I never did make the journey, that urge being quelled by an all too rationally opposing view that it was a bit of a waste of time. Such rationality should never be allowed to intrude in the pursuit of pointlessness. For there is no pointlessness in wanting to head onward to Ongar, or indeed anywhere else. If it simply comes down to the fact of its being there, this should be reason enough. And then there is the name.
Everywhere has a story. No place exists without one. And within each place, every house, street, wood, shop, pub has a story. Maps are the factual and cartographic frontispiece to the stories which lie behind those place names and places themselves. In Mallorca there are hundreds of places. How many of them do any of us really know? For many, outside of their immediate area, there is little or no knowledge. There is often little knowledge of the places they inhabit. There is an incuriosity that denies someone in Alcúdia a visit to Cala San Vicente, or someone in Pollensa to investigate Coll Baix. The names themselves should be sufficient to spark curiosity. The very fact of their being there. But no. In which case there has to be a more compelling reason. And this is often just a restaurant recommendation, a friend living there, or a day out at a different beach. The stories of the places are neglected, largely because there are none, or rather none that are made manifest.
All the places in Mallorca. Take one - Esporles. I know nothing of it. There is the annual sweet fair this weekend. Why is there a sweet fair? Indeed where is Esporles? Why is it there? What's the story about its name, its people? The answers are not simple records of historical fact. The factual approach is sterile, it is the dating of kings and queens approach that led much history teaching into irrelevant disrepute before teachers, and indeed historians, had the good sense to realise that stories held as much if not more relevance. This shift in emphasis is one that has given rise to the quasi-story historiography of Peter Ackroyd or to Gilda O'Neill's anecdote collection from London's East End.
Take a look at a map of Mallorca. Punxuat, Biniali, Ariany, Moscari, Galilea. Where are they? What do any of us know of them? What knowledge there is tends to be confined to what local tourist boards pump out. Superficial, matters of historical record, but lacking personality or insight. The same applies to better-known places. The Roman Cecilio Metelo may have been important in the BC history of Alcúdia, but so what? The more interesting story is why poor old Cecilio has lent his name to such an uncharming street as he has. The unlovely and the derelict are every bit if not more interesting than some grand manor house or the revisionist history regarding Chopin and Valldemossa. He hated the place, the winter dampness and cold, and was damning of the local medics who couldn't treat his tuberculosis. That's not what you normally hear. The small town of Maria de la Salut is, on the face of it, unremarkable. For many, it will be the place in which is located a rather splendid restaurant - Cas Metge Monjo - but behind the otherwise unremarkable facade is (or maybe was as I haven't been there for some years) the semi-dilapidated state of the church. Here is a story worth knowing as well as a photographic opportunity more striking than the terrace at Cas Metge. In Playa de Muro there is a villa by the beach that has been a ruin for years. Why? What's the story? And then there's Es Foguero in Alcúdia. The giant fun-palace ruin abutting the nature park of Albufera and the unused industrial estate - three stories in one.
Mallorca is not big. Its very compactness, allied to its combination of great antiquity, modernity but also recent backwardness, grinding poverty, agrarianism and semi-isolation enrich it with thousands of stories, and stories that are manageable in their relating because of that compactness. Tourism, for the most part, is the pursuit of the anodyne, and indeed one of the alternative takes on tourism - the cultural one - elevates itself little higher than this state of being mentally uninspiring. Yet tourism should, in its purest form, be about inspiration, and about discovery of the different, the strange, the disconnection with the normalcy of back home.
The stories of Mallorca. This should be the real alternative tourism. But of course it isn't, because the stories of Mallorca are Mallorca. Alternative tourism is in fact sun and beach, bucket and spade. There are stories surrounding the resorts as well, thousands upon thousands of them, but their stories are of recent origin, they are the alternative. In the whole story of the stories of Mallorca the resorts are but the epilogue.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Laurel and Hardy. Today's title - not the actual title, though it was in brackets for the album title.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Everywhere has a story. No place exists without one. And within each place, every house, street, wood, shop, pub has a story. Maps are the factual and cartographic frontispiece to the stories which lie behind those place names and places themselves. In Mallorca there are hundreds of places. How many of them do any of us really know? For many, outside of their immediate area, there is little or no knowledge. There is often little knowledge of the places they inhabit. There is an incuriosity that denies someone in Alcúdia a visit to Cala San Vicente, or someone in Pollensa to investigate Coll Baix. The names themselves should be sufficient to spark curiosity. The very fact of their being there. But no. In which case there has to be a more compelling reason. And this is often just a restaurant recommendation, a friend living there, or a day out at a different beach. The stories of the places are neglected, largely because there are none, or rather none that are made manifest.
All the places in Mallorca. Take one - Esporles. I know nothing of it. There is the annual sweet fair this weekend. Why is there a sweet fair? Indeed where is Esporles? Why is it there? What's the story about its name, its people? The answers are not simple records of historical fact. The factual approach is sterile, it is the dating of kings and queens approach that led much history teaching into irrelevant disrepute before teachers, and indeed historians, had the good sense to realise that stories held as much if not more relevance. This shift in emphasis is one that has given rise to the quasi-story historiography of Peter Ackroyd or to Gilda O'Neill's anecdote collection from London's East End.
Take a look at a map of Mallorca. Punxuat, Biniali, Ariany, Moscari, Galilea. Where are they? What do any of us know of them? What knowledge there is tends to be confined to what local tourist boards pump out. Superficial, matters of historical record, but lacking personality or insight. The same applies to better-known places. The Roman Cecilio Metelo may have been important in the BC history of Alcúdia, but so what? The more interesting story is why poor old Cecilio has lent his name to such an uncharming street as he has. The unlovely and the derelict are every bit if not more interesting than some grand manor house or the revisionist history regarding Chopin and Valldemossa. He hated the place, the winter dampness and cold, and was damning of the local medics who couldn't treat his tuberculosis. That's not what you normally hear. The small town of Maria de la Salut is, on the face of it, unremarkable. For many, it will be the place in which is located a rather splendid restaurant - Cas Metge Monjo - but behind the otherwise unremarkable facade is (or maybe was as I haven't been there for some years) the semi-dilapidated state of the church. Here is a story worth knowing as well as a photographic opportunity more striking than the terrace at Cas Metge. In Playa de Muro there is a villa by the beach that has been a ruin for years. Why? What's the story? And then there's Es Foguero in Alcúdia. The giant fun-palace ruin abutting the nature park of Albufera and the unused industrial estate - three stories in one.
Mallorca is not big. Its very compactness, allied to its combination of great antiquity, modernity but also recent backwardness, grinding poverty, agrarianism and semi-isolation enrich it with thousands of stories, and stories that are manageable in their relating because of that compactness. Tourism, for the most part, is the pursuit of the anodyne, and indeed one of the alternative takes on tourism - the cultural one - elevates itself little higher than this state of being mentally uninspiring. Yet tourism should, in its purest form, be about inspiration, and about discovery of the different, the strange, the disconnection with the normalcy of back home.
The stories of Mallorca. This should be the real alternative tourism. But of course it isn't, because the stories of Mallorca are Mallorca. Alternative tourism is in fact sun and beach, bucket and spade. There are stories surrounding the resorts as well, thousands upon thousands of them, but their stories are of recent origin, they are the alternative. In the whole story of the stories of Mallorca the resorts are but the epilogue.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - Laurel and Hardy. Today's title - not the actual title, though it was in brackets for the album title.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Are You Experienced?
Another day, another tourist website. I suppose I shouldn't complain given that I have vague connections with such a thing myself, but does one reach a point at which destinations get websited out? The latest is yet another from the Balearic Government - all to do with culture, hence its name http://www.balearsculturaltour.es - and designed to make all-year-round tourists come to the islands. If only. To be fair, it is quite a decent site, quite informative, but it makes the mistake - again - of missing the Mallorcan (or Menorcan or Ibizan) target. People do not go to the Balearics, they go to Mallorca, or to Menorca or to Ibiza or even Formentera. Yet, here once more we have something in the name of the Balearics, and something that has cost close to 100,000 euros. Apparently, "a good part" of the moolah has been spent on getting the site into its different languages. Sounds like a fair amount to me for a site that hops around the islands giving some cultural recommendations. The trouble is that no-one would actually do a tour of that sort; it's one island or not at all.
Nevertheless, culture, if we are to believe another survey, ranks number three on the list of things of importance to the Brit holidaymaker. This is a survey by ABTA and was reported on in "The Bulletin" a couple of days ago. Culture appears to be defined here as local food and customs: it seems you can include pretty much anything under the culture banner these days, including local sausage. Whatever. Culture, however one wishes to categorise it, ranks higher - at 18% - than either sunshine in the form of sunbathing or having sex (with one's partner). Did it occur to ask if having sex with someone other than one's partner might have ranked higher? Chances are it might have done, and one should not forget that sex tourism in Mallorca is worth a significant amount of money - apparently. But be that as it may. The trouble, as always with surveys, is what the question is and who is asked. There is also the fact that people lie. Were one to try and draw a conclusion from this survey and to link it to this new "cultural tour" website and suggest that the survey proves the value of the site, I'm afraid one would be taking the wrong tour.
I was curious enough to find out some more about this survey. So I went to ABTA's website. The results, as presented in The Bulletin, were as they were stated in the press release on the site, but if you go to the actual survey - which you can - you will find that this "culture" aspect is made up of different components. In answer to the question "what do you value most about going on holiday", five per cent said "the culture", so it is not 18% after all, although it is 18% when one adds on "gaining life experience", "new people" and "the food". Food, though, was rated by only 1.63%. What "gaining life experience" is I'm not sure, but it has been assumed - by ABTA - to mean culture. I don't know that this follows; indeed I'm sure it doesn't follow. ABTA have made much of "culture-vulture Brits ... ditching their 'sex on the beach' image", but I stress - only 5% actually responded to the specific culture prompt. The survey, as such, doesn't say anything about a sex on beach image, only through this totally tenuous connection with rating sex with a partner lower than traipsing round a museum.
You do, I'm afraid, have to be very, very careful when it comes to surveys and especially when it comes to press releases offering a biased interpretation, because bias is exactly what there is. Oh, and you do also have to be careful when it comes to surveys which are reported on in the press that were actually published over a month before - http://www.abta.com/resources/news/view/85.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - A-Ha (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x24eif_aha-the-sun-always-shines-on-tv_music). Today's title - who did this? Pretty damn easy I'd reckon.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Nevertheless, culture, if we are to believe another survey, ranks number three on the list of things of importance to the Brit holidaymaker. This is a survey by ABTA and was reported on in "The Bulletin" a couple of days ago. Culture appears to be defined here as local food and customs: it seems you can include pretty much anything under the culture banner these days, including local sausage. Whatever. Culture, however one wishes to categorise it, ranks higher - at 18% - than either sunshine in the form of sunbathing or having sex (with one's partner). Did it occur to ask if having sex with someone other than one's partner might have ranked higher? Chances are it might have done, and one should not forget that sex tourism in Mallorca is worth a significant amount of money - apparently. But be that as it may. The trouble, as always with surveys, is what the question is and who is asked. There is also the fact that people lie. Were one to try and draw a conclusion from this survey and to link it to this new "cultural tour" website and suggest that the survey proves the value of the site, I'm afraid one would be taking the wrong tour.
I was curious enough to find out some more about this survey. So I went to ABTA's website. The results, as presented in The Bulletin, were as they were stated in the press release on the site, but if you go to the actual survey - which you can - you will find that this "culture" aspect is made up of different components. In answer to the question "what do you value most about going on holiday", five per cent said "the culture", so it is not 18% after all, although it is 18% when one adds on "gaining life experience", "new people" and "the food". Food, though, was rated by only 1.63%. What "gaining life experience" is I'm not sure, but it has been assumed - by ABTA - to mean culture. I don't know that this follows; indeed I'm sure it doesn't follow. ABTA have made much of "culture-vulture Brits ... ditching their 'sex on the beach' image", but I stress - only 5% actually responded to the specific culture prompt. The survey, as such, doesn't say anything about a sex on beach image, only through this totally tenuous connection with rating sex with a partner lower than traipsing round a museum.
You do, I'm afraid, have to be very, very careful when it comes to surveys and especially when it comes to press releases offering a biased interpretation, because bias is exactly what there is. Oh, and you do also have to be careful when it comes to surveys which are reported on in the press that were actually published over a month before - http://www.abta.com/resources/news/view/85.
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - A-Ha (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x24eif_aha-the-sun-always-shines-on-tv_music). Today's title - who did this? Pretty damn easy I'd reckon.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Friday, March 28, 2008
Always The Sun
Another day, another report. This one says that over 70% of holidaymakers coming to Spain prefer a beach and sun holiday to other forms of holiday. I'm not sure if this is a statement of the bleeding obvious or if it is surprising; one might have expected the number to be higher. There again, one judges these things on the Mallorca experience, and were the same study to be performed here, one suspects that this 70%+ would indeed be quite a bit higher. No, make that, one would know that it would be quite a bit higher.
The difference lies in what the mainland has to offer. While the report points to the fact that "cultural" tourism is doing well, one would - again - be surprised if it were not. Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Granada, just a few places that have much to offer in a cultural way. One supposes that the Mallorcan tourism worthies look longingly at the mainland cultural tourist masses and think ... wouldn't mind a bit of that. But one just keeps coming back to the relative lack of a strong cultural heritage that would create a meaningful volume of alternative tourism, alternative that is to the beach and sun, which is the Mallorcan image.
To different matters, well one in particular. I have mentioned here, once or twice, Café del Món in Playa de Muro, which previously was Robin Hood. Georgi, who runs it, is basically knackered, so he's got it up for traspaso. If I knew anything about bars, I reckon I'd snap his hands off. But I don't, and if you remember me suggesting that bars, rather than showing old episodes of "Fools and Horses", should put on "The League Of Gentlemen", does rather speak volumes for my lack of knowledge. However, at a traspaso of 15,000 and an annual rent of 13,000, I reckon this is as close as anyone will get to a bargain (unless I'm completely misunderstanding him, and I do have a bit of a problem with the Argentinian accent). Seating, all told, for about 45, near to hotels, good winter trade. Not bad. Even without the winter business, this sounds ok. So if anyone fancies it, mail me.
QUIZ
Yesterday - Everything But The Girl. Today's title - song by punkish group who weren't punks.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
The difference lies in what the mainland has to offer. While the report points to the fact that "cultural" tourism is doing well, one would - again - be surprised if it were not. Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Granada, just a few places that have much to offer in a cultural way. One supposes that the Mallorcan tourism worthies look longingly at the mainland cultural tourist masses and think ... wouldn't mind a bit of that. But one just keeps coming back to the relative lack of a strong cultural heritage that would create a meaningful volume of alternative tourism, alternative that is to the beach and sun, which is the Mallorcan image.
To different matters, well one in particular. I have mentioned here, once or twice, Café del Món in Playa de Muro, which previously was Robin Hood. Georgi, who runs it, is basically knackered, so he's got it up for traspaso. If I knew anything about bars, I reckon I'd snap his hands off. But I don't, and if you remember me suggesting that bars, rather than showing old episodes of "Fools and Horses", should put on "The League Of Gentlemen", does rather speak volumes for my lack of knowledge. However, at a traspaso of 15,000 and an annual rent of 13,000, I reckon this is as close as anyone will get to a bargain (unless I'm completely misunderstanding him, and I do have a bit of a problem with the Argentinian accent). Seating, all told, for about 45, near to hotels, good winter trade. Not bad. Even without the winter business, this sounds ok. So if anyone fancies it, mail me.
QUIZ
Yesterday - Everything But The Girl. Today's title - song by punkish group who weren't punks.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
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