Being a "tiquetero" or PR in Magaluf comes with some danger it would seem. Six Britons have been detained, accused of threatening PRs and forcing them to sell drugs (ecstasy and cocaine) to bar customers.
See more: Diario de Mallorca
Showing posts with label Magaluf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Magaluf. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
MALLORCA TODAY - New Magaluf hotels will be themed
More information is coming out regarding the construction of four new hotels in a complex in Magaluf. Work is due to start within a year's time (though a further report suggests that it will not begin until the end of 2013), and the hotels, in which Viva Hotels will be a major partner, will be themed along health and sporting lines.
Friday, February 10, 2012
MALLORCA TODAY - Four new hotels for Magaluf
With an investment of nearly 150 million euros and with the creation of over 700 jobs, the regional government is to give the green light for the construction of four hotels, with 2,000 places, in the marina at Magaluf. The new hotels, the government believes, are in the interests of Mallorca and the islands.
Monday, March 28, 2011
MALLORCA TODAY - Call for greater police presence in Magaluf
Following the weekend's incident in which a British tourist died as a result of being attacked with a broken bottle by another tourist, the tourist business association has called on Calvia town hall to up security in the area around "the strip" (Punta Ballena) by increasing the police presence. The association says that such incidents damage the image of the town, and it has also complained that an ambulance took too long to arrive on the scene of the incident.
MALLORCA TODAY - British tourist accused of murder in court today
The British tourist, Thomas William S., appears in a Palma court today, accused with the murder of Gary Vigors in Magaluf. Witnesses have already testified before the judge that the accused was the one who attacked Vigors. Reports of the crime suggest that Vigors' face was disfigured by cuts from a broken bottle and then bled to death from a slash across the jugular vein. The Guardia Civil were unable initially to interrogate the accused as he was in no fit condition to be questioned, being under the influence of alcohol and disorientated. The two men were both attached to a cricket team from Northamptonshire that was due to play the Mallorca Cricket Club at the weekend. The game was cancelled.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Annual They Should Be So Lucky
The Calvia police conducted an operation against "vendedores ambulantes" a couple of nights ago. These vendedores are, of course, better known as "looky-looky" or "lucky-lucky" men. According to a report in "Ultima Hora", the number of luckies heading for Magaluf of an evening has recently increased, as has the number of complaints. Cue plod.
The luckies are a part of the local scene, in whatever resort. Mostly they are harmless, but like anyone who does some street "selling" - and these can include legitimate PRs where they are permitted outside their own establishments and the scratch-card wretches - they can be a damn nuisance. Apart from the fact that they are selling shit (and sometimes they are selling a type of shit that comes in small wrapped packages), the biggest beef with them concerns the fact that they take away business from shops or others and pay not a cent of tax or social security. None are legal.
That the police in the different resorts often turn a blind eye to them has to do with the sheer numbers, lack of police resources and the fact that even if they get hauled in there isn't much that can be done with them. The police in Magaluf let all of its 41 catch of luckies go, save for one who'd got stroppy. As was once pointed out by an Alcúdia policeman, take one lucky in and another will replace him. There is a production line that never seems to run out of resources.
By coincidence, "The Diario" had a report on different types of vendedores in Playa de Palma on Sunday. To the luckies can be added the beach vendors selling if not necessarily shit, then highly overpriced fruit or drinks. As one shopowner pointed out, they go to a shop, buy some cans and then go and flog them at four or five times the proper price. Another example of the tourist being ripped-off. Doubly if the shop was already charging over the odds.
The simple solution would lie with tourists not encouraging any of the street sellers by not buying their wares or not being hauled off for a hard-sell pitch for holidays they don't want or need. The latter can be more difficult to shake off as there are more silver tongues, ones that speak the language well. The luckies can be fobbed off, and many do fob them off. But many do not. Kids are especially susceptible, and so therefore are their parents, because the kids often find the luckies funny and enjoy the game of bartering.
But should we really be so sanctimonious? Who has never bought some shit from a lucky or another seller? Who has never bought a dodgy CD or DVD? There are some, including bar-owners, who are good customers for the luckies and for those who don't bother with luckies and sell direct their packaged, pirated DVDs by the hold-all load.
The luckies and their nuisance and illegal value are an annual theme. Every year's the same. Despite the efforts of the police, and the Magaluf operation will probably prove to be isolated, and despite local laws that make it illegal to not only sell but also buy hooky gear (as is the case in Alcúdia), the luckies are not going away. Like the poor, they will always be with us. And there will be some who, strange to report, will be quite happy that they are.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
The luckies are a part of the local scene, in whatever resort. Mostly they are harmless, but like anyone who does some street "selling" - and these can include legitimate PRs where they are permitted outside their own establishments and the scratch-card wretches - they can be a damn nuisance. Apart from the fact that they are selling shit (and sometimes they are selling a type of shit that comes in small wrapped packages), the biggest beef with them concerns the fact that they take away business from shops or others and pay not a cent of tax or social security. None are legal.
That the police in the different resorts often turn a blind eye to them has to do with the sheer numbers, lack of police resources and the fact that even if they get hauled in there isn't much that can be done with them. The police in Magaluf let all of its 41 catch of luckies go, save for one who'd got stroppy. As was once pointed out by an Alcúdia policeman, take one lucky in and another will replace him. There is a production line that never seems to run out of resources.
By coincidence, "The Diario" had a report on different types of vendedores in Playa de Palma on Sunday. To the luckies can be added the beach vendors selling if not necessarily shit, then highly overpriced fruit or drinks. As one shopowner pointed out, they go to a shop, buy some cans and then go and flog them at four or five times the proper price. Another example of the tourist being ripped-off. Doubly if the shop was already charging over the odds.
The simple solution would lie with tourists not encouraging any of the street sellers by not buying their wares or not being hauled off for a hard-sell pitch for holidays they don't want or need. The latter can be more difficult to shake off as there are more silver tongues, ones that speak the language well. The luckies can be fobbed off, and many do fob them off. But many do not. Kids are especially susceptible, and so therefore are their parents, because the kids often find the luckies funny and enjoy the game of bartering.
But should we really be so sanctimonious? Who has never bought some shit from a lucky or another seller? Who has never bought a dodgy CD or DVD? There are some, including bar-owners, who are good customers for the luckies and for those who don't bother with luckies and sell direct their packaged, pirated DVDs by the hold-all load.
The luckies and their nuisance and illegal value are an annual theme. Every year's the same. Despite the efforts of the police, and the Magaluf operation will probably prove to be isolated, and despite local laws that make it illegal to not only sell but also buy hooky gear (as is the case in Alcúdia), the luckies are not going away. Like the poor, they will always be with us. And there will be some who, strange to report, will be quite happy that they are.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Money For Nothing?
Anyone going to the old town of Muro these past few months will have been aware that they have been busy digging the centre up and re-doing it. Finally, it has all come to an end. And the result is a general beautification of this ancient pueblo. Not that they did all they had intended, which may come as a relief to all those who had to contend with the inconvenience of the work that they did do. Money. Ran out, basically. Nevertheless, the improvements have cost close on 2 million euros, the town hall coughing up a third and the government (the tourism ministry to be specific) the rest. So it was, therefore, that the government, in the form of tourism minister Nadal, pitched up to celebrate the conclusion of the project.
Muro. Now here is a town that lies some ten kilometres from its playa, as in Playa de Muro. It is to the latter that tourists flock in summer; it is to the latter that elements in the town hall would rather they also flocked at all times of the year in order to play golf on the as-yet undeveloped course; it is the former - the town of Muro - that, were you a tourist minded to go and visit the old town that gives the playa its name, does not have a direct bus service from this same playa; it is the former that the tourism bods singularly fail to make any great play of, save some brochures at the Playa de Muro tourism office; it is to the former that no-one probably would be inclined to go, save to admire its vast church or to trek around a museum.
When, therefore, Sr. Nadal says that this upgrading of the old town centre is all a facet of the de-seasonalisation of tourism and of the tourism offer by the interior towns (in this case Muro), what tourism is he actually referring to? Are there great hordes of tourists flooding into the town? No, I don't think so either. Even when there is something going on in Muro, as there will be with the fiesta later this month, will there be a big tourism promotion? I somewhat doubt it.
The point is that it is the playa of Muro that generates the town's tourism, not the town. There is absolutely nothing wrong of course in upgrading the centre, but what about upgrading the playa? Those awful eyesores that are the empty units along the main road could, should, be given some serious attention. Some money might well have been diverted towards creating something that Playa de Muro badly lacks - a focal point. But no, the old town has got nigh on two millions worth of folding notes, and for what?
Turn the music off
There has been a bit of an old rumpus cracking off in Magaluf. This relates to the application of a new law emanating from the environment ministry which states that nights start not at 24:00 but at 23:00. What this means is that bars have to stop music on their terraces at 11 o'clock at night. Moreover, the bars have had to reduce the decibel levels by a further ten points. Bar owners have protested. And how? By closing, which does seem a bit like cutting your nose off to spite your face, but they have a legitimate gripe. Bear in mind, this is a law from the government, it isn't just a local thing, though the decibel levels have been cut following a "denuncia". Magaluf is not the only place affected.
The bar owners, and this means bar owners everywhere, have been getting it in the neck for years. Twelve o'clock curfew, now an hour earlier; sound limiters and now lower decibel levels. You can add in the colossally petty way in which the size of terraces are policed and numerous other things. And now of course there is the sheer difficulty caused by recession. Yes, noise is an issue. But these are holiday resorts. This latest attack on bar owners is ridiculous.
QUIZ
Today's title - the question mark is not of course in the original title.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Muro. Now here is a town that lies some ten kilometres from its playa, as in Playa de Muro. It is to the latter that tourists flock in summer; it is to the latter that elements in the town hall would rather they also flocked at all times of the year in order to play golf on the as-yet undeveloped course; it is the former - the town of Muro - that, were you a tourist minded to go and visit the old town that gives the playa its name, does not have a direct bus service from this same playa; it is the former that the tourism bods singularly fail to make any great play of, save some brochures at the Playa de Muro tourism office; it is to the former that no-one probably would be inclined to go, save to admire its vast church or to trek around a museum.
When, therefore, Sr. Nadal says that this upgrading of the old town centre is all a facet of the de-seasonalisation of tourism and of the tourism offer by the interior towns (in this case Muro), what tourism is he actually referring to? Are there great hordes of tourists flooding into the town? No, I don't think so either. Even when there is something going on in Muro, as there will be with the fiesta later this month, will there be a big tourism promotion? I somewhat doubt it.
The point is that it is the playa of Muro that generates the town's tourism, not the town. There is absolutely nothing wrong of course in upgrading the centre, but what about upgrading the playa? Those awful eyesores that are the empty units along the main road could, should, be given some serious attention. Some money might well have been diverted towards creating something that Playa de Muro badly lacks - a focal point. But no, the old town has got nigh on two millions worth of folding notes, and for what?
Turn the music off
There has been a bit of an old rumpus cracking off in Magaluf. This relates to the application of a new law emanating from the environment ministry which states that nights start not at 24:00 but at 23:00. What this means is that bars have to stop music on their terraces at 11 o'clock at night. Moreover, the bars have had to reduce the decibel levels by a further ten points. Bar owners have protested. And how? By closing, which does seem a bit like cutting your nose off to spite your face, but they have a legitimate gripe. Bear in mind, this is a law from the government, it isn't just a local thing, though the decibel levels have been cut following a "denuncia". Magaluf is not the only place affected.
The bar owners, and this means bar owners everywhere, have been getting it in the neck for years. Twelve o'clock curfew, now an hour earlier; sound limiters and now lower decibel levels. You can add in the colossally petty way in which the size of terraces are policed and numerous other things. And now of course there is the sheer difficulty caused by recession. Yes, noise is an issue. But these are holiday resorts. This latest attack on bar owners is ridiculous.
QUIZ
Today's title - the question mark is not of course in the original title.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Let Me Entertain You
How quickly nature reclaims.
Drive along The Mile and see the dried leaves on the abandoned terraces and in the entrances. Weeds will appear, the leaves will mound up more. This is winter. So many places, so pathetically neglected. There is art though in the sense of dereliction; like the set of a post-apocalyptic film.
This winter tourism dilemma will not go away. It arises every year, arises at the same time every year, arises at the same time every year with the same lack of prescription. The cry goes out for the politicians to do “something”; always the politicians’ lot. “The Bulletin” mentions the fact that mainland Spanish resorts operate year-round, so why not in Mallorca? It’s a fair question. But then look at what you have to do on the mainland, and the scene is a bit different. Stay, for instance, on the Costa del Sol and it is possible to visit Granada, Ronda, Gibraltar; Seville even. Much as Mallorca would promote its heritage, it is an historical sideshow compared with the mainland. More importantly, there are those destinations elsewhere - the better weather of the Canaries, the ease of travel to Florida, the Caribbean and Egypt. But I said all this on 2 November.
The politicians are important, very important, but others need to work towards a prescription. “Euro Weekly” refers today to the intention of House of Katmandu in Magaluf to expand. A themed golf course is planned (there is an association between House of Katmandu and Fantasia as it is) and there are other offers in the pipeline. They want to create “a major entertainment centre” and “do something instead of moaning” (about the winter tourism situation). Good. Business has to be seen to drive a prescription. Whether they will be allowed to is another matter. I wish them luck.
QUIZ
Yesterday - Blood Sweat and Tears. Today’s title? Oh, I am so good to you.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Drive along The Mile and see the dried leaves on the abandoned terraces and in the entrances. Weeds will appear, the leaves will mound up more. This is winter. So many places, so pathetically neglected. There is art though in the sense of dereliction; like the set of a post-apocalyptic film.
This winter tourism dilemma will not go away. It arises every year, arises at the same time every year, arises at the same time every year with the same lack of prescription. The cry goes out for the politicians to do “something”; always the politicians’ lot. “The Bulletin” mentions the fact that mainland Spanish resorts operate year-round, so why not in Mallorca? It’s a fair question. But then look at what you have to do on the mainland, and the scene is a bit different. Stay, for instance, on the Costa del Sol and it is possible to visit Granada, Ronda, Gibraltar; Seville even. Much as Mallorca would promote its heritage, it is an historical sideshow compared with the mainland. More importantly, there are those destinations elsewhere - the better weather of the Canaries, the ease of travel to Florida, the Caribbean and Egypt. But I said all this on 2 November.
The politicians are important, very important, but others need to work towards a prescription. “Euro Weekly” refers today to the intention of House of Katmandu in Magaluf to expand. A themed golf course is planned (there is an association between House of Katmandu and Fantasia as it is) and there are other offers in the pipeline. They want to create “a major entertainment centre” and “do something instead of moaning” (about the winter tourism situation). Good. Business has to be seen to drive a prescription. Whether they will be allowed to is another matter. I wish them luck.
QUIZ
Yesterday - Blood Sweat and Tears. Today’s title? Oh, I am so good to you.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
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