British Visitors Spark Sharpest Rise in Tourism Spending Since 2004

IT appears that July bucked all the trends in the Balearic tourist industry and could turn what started off as another poor summer season on its head. Over the past week we have seen that the Balearics enjoyed the sharpest increase in the number of foreign visitors for a decade, in particular from Britain, and that Palma was the busiest low cost airport in Spain last month with a slight year-on-year rise in passengers led again by the British holiday market. And yesterday, the Minister for Tourism and Commerce in Madrid reported that tourism spending in the Balearics last month rose by 12.5 percent - the sharpest increase in Spain and finally reversing the downward trend which began in April of last year. Last month, tourists spent 1'800 million euros in the Balearics and, according to the Ministry report, it is the British who are spending the most. With the Balearics being the number one destination for the British this Bank Holiday weekend, the news was welcomed by the local Minister for Tourism, Joana Barcelo. Read Full Article

British travel firm introduces special Majorca winter trips

THE decision by Monarch Airlines to operate six flights per week to Palma from Gatwick and Manchester throughout the winter is already starting to attract the attention of other operators with Cosmos, part of the Monarch Group, having devised a winter programme for Majorca. Monarch has made it clear to the local tourism authorities, which have corresponded by agreeing to help market the winter flights, that it is determined to make winter tourism in Majorca work. Cosmos's winter programme is going to be focusing on short city breaks and golfing holidays and has linked up with a number of hotels to cater for their clients. For example, the Hotel Costa Azul on the Paseo Maritimo in Palma, will be the short city break hotel while golfers will be staying at the Iberostar Royal Cupido where they will be entitled to a number of attractive savings on green fees etc. at the Puntiro Golf Course. Read Full Article

Call for "calm" over balcony falls

A call for “calm” over anxiety prompted by the number of tourists falling from hotel balconies in the Balearics was made yesterday by the regional Minister for the Interior, Pilar Costa. The Minister claimed that such accidents happen “every year” and are “exceptions” considering that 10 million visitors come to the Balearics within the space of just a few months. Reporting on the number of incidents which have taken place around the Balearic coastline during July, Costa confirmed that so far this year, nine people have died in falls from buildings in the Islands. She qualified her statement however, by pointing out that the statistics didn’t just refer to tragedies involving falls from balconies, but from any part of a building and could include people trying to commit suicide. Read Full Article

"Britons are far more European than they realise...."

THE British Ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman, said yesterday that Britons are far more European than they realise but at the same time stressed the need for the “new British tourist” to be better prepared and informed before they travel overseas. The Ambassador explained that because of the sheer volume of British residents and tourists, an estimated 13.5 million last year, the British consular corps in Spain has to deal with many problems not experienced by consulates and embassies in other parts of the world. There are an estimated one million registered Britons living in Spain, about 50'000 of those in the Balearics and obviously, the Embassy and consulates neither have the remits nor resources to help in every case. Read Full Article

Palma airport celebrates 50 years of international air passenger service

PALMA airport is starting to celebrate half a century of serving fare paying passengers this weekend with a series of receptions, awards and concerts which are programmed to last until the end of the year. It was on 18th July, 1960, when Son Bonet aerodrome in Palma closed its doors to a tourist airline industry which was bursting at the seams and handed the torch to the neighbouring installations at Son Sant Joan. Further investment of 152 million euros is planned for Son Sant Joan from 2011-2014 in a five-year development project. Read Full Article

Palma is busiest low cost airport in Spain

PALMA’S Son San Joan airport was the busiest low cost airport during the first half of this year. According to the latest data released by Spanish airport authority AENA, Palma airport handled a total of 2.3 million low cost passengers during the first six months of this year, 77 percent of the total number of passengers flying into Spain with low cost airlines. Nationwide, the growth in low cost passengers is continuing this year and now, the no frills carriers are carrying more passengers than regular scheduled airlines. According to AENA, nearly 55 percent of all air passengers travelled with a low cost carrier to Spain. Read Full Article

WORLD CUP WINNING WEDDING FOR PREMIER LEAGUE STAR

LITTLE did Everton's star Spanish midfielder, Mikel Arteta and his fiancée, Miss Spain 1999 Lorena Bernal know when they sent out their wedding invitations that many of the guests tonight are World Cup winners. The Everton player who is being linked with a move to Manchester City and his fiancée have spent the best part of the week going over the final plans for this evening's wedding at a private estate in Campos. The first of Spain's World Cup winning side began arriving on Thursday. Famous for being the star of the party, Arteta led the famous European Champions-winning celebrations in Madrid two years ago. Liverpool and Spain goal keeper Pepe Reina jetted into Palma on Thursday evening looking forward to the weekend of celebrations which apparently include a party at Mood club on Sunday. Everton are currently on a pre-season tour in Australia and Australian international midfielder Tim Cahill, who played in the World Cup, has been given special leave to fly all the way to Majorca to be Arteta's best man when he weds the model and actress. Read Full Article

Majorca on Heat Alert

MAJORCA was yesterday placed on level one heat alert with maximum temperatures forecast to reach 36ºC and the heat wave is not going to ease until the weekend, according to met. office sources. After one of the wettest and coolest Junes on record, July has got off to one of its hottest starts for 30 years with temperatures at least 2ºC above average with farmers claiming that this year, we are going to have a long and hot summer lasting well into October and possibly longer. The key areas yesterday were the Sierra de Tramontana and the south of the island, that is where temperatures were expected to reach between 34ºC and 36ºC. Read Full Article

Majorca could host first F1 race in 2013

05 July 2010 by David Roche

Surely it can't be true? Formula 1 racing on the island of Mallorca? - Well actually, it makes perfect sense and could become a reality in time for the 2013 season. Spain's Valencia Formula 1 event has taken a lot of criticism recently with many commentators saying that the event is drab with few overtaking opportunities, so Bernie Ecclestome, the F1 supremo is seriously contemplating a bid from Mallorca who are planning a new medium-to-high-speed 5.8km, 3.6 miles circuit in the centre of the island, in the municipality of Llucmajor. Read Full Article

Met. Office predicts a "hotter than normal" summer

28 June 2010

SUMMER this year in the Balearics is going to be hotter than normal, in stark contrast to the unusually cold spring weather we have left behind, Agusti Jansa, regional Met. Office Chief said yesterday. Today and tomorrow, the last weekend in June, said Jansa, temperatures will be high but not excessively so. It will reach 30 degrees Centigrade in the centre of Majorca while the coastal areas will be slightly cooler at between 28 and 29 degrees. Ibiza and Formentera will be cooler still with maximum temperatures wavering between 26 and 27 degrees. Read Full Article

SUN, SEA AND SAND HOLIDAYS REMAIN TOP PRIORITY FOR BRITONS

21 June 2010

THE latest market survey in the UK has revealed that overseas holidays, in particular to sun, sea and sand destinations, remain a top priority for most Britons. According to the results of the survey carried out by ebookers.com, holidays remain a top priority with consumers admitting that they would sacrifice other expenditures to ensure they enjoy an overseas break. Read Full Article