| An annual battle between holiday resorts to attract | | | | tourist destinations, and in Europe only the French |
| visiting tourists and their wallets each summer is | | | | Riviera can compare, where the Victorian English |
| over, and it appears that the Spanish island of | | | | frequented Nice, to the extent where the main |
| Majorca has won over the British market at least. | | | | boulevard was named the Promenade d'Anglais. |
| Since the advent of package holidays some fifty | | | | Nearly 200 million people have taken a holiday in |
| years ago initiated by holiday companies such as | | | | Majorca over the last hundred years, with British and |
| Thomas Cook and Thomson Holidays, whole areas of | | | | Germans the two nationalities heading the list of |
| Spain and other European countries have built their | | | | arrivals. The British have tended to head east to |
| economies around tourism, and each year they hope | | | | Magaluf and Palma Nova, the Germans to Arenal in |
| that the holidaymakers will come to their area. Some | | | | the west of the island. |
| islands like Menorca and Majorca are almost entirely | | | | And while Majorca has a rich history of tourism, it is |
| dependent upon having a modern economy and | | | | keeping up to date with modern expectations to |
| infrastructure through incoming tourism. | | | | make sure it stays at the top of British and German |
| In June this year predictions were for a dire 2007 for | | | | holiday plans. Arenal has just opened a new 40 million |
| the holidays and flights market, with Spain and the | | | | Euro aquarium, while Magaluf has opened a new |
| Spanish islands including Menorca and Majorca being | | | | theme park based around Indiana Jones type |
| badly hit. The important UK market was slow, and | | | | adventures, with both new attractions family |
| British tour operators had reportedly close to a million | | | | orientated, and enough to keep holidaymakers happy |
| holidays left unsold for the rapidly approaching peak | | | | in case the weather in Majorca isn't quite what they |
| summer months. | | | | had hoped for. |
| But after an unseasonly warm April in Britain when | | | | The first hotel to cater for tourists dates back as far |
| many people were considering taking a holiday in | | | | as 1903 when the Grand opened her doors for |
| traditionally popular areas of the UK for holidays such | | | | business, the first of many hotels in Majorca to spring |
| as Scotland, Devon and Cornwall, the move towards | | | | up between now and then. The tourists then were |
| an overseas holiday changed as quickly as the | | | | Europe's wealthy, and they were delighted with |
| weather. Widespread floods led to mass holiday | | | | Majorca and what the island had to offer, securing |
| bookings and flights to Majorca, to the extent where | | | | the island as a holiday destination well before the |
| some tour operators were able to return their holiday | | | | days of low cost flights and package holidays had |
| costs to full prices - and from a million unsold holidays | | | | become a reality some sixty years later. |
| people were suddenly having to take what was | | | | Perhaps not seeing that Majorca would become one |
| available. | | | | of Europe's top holiday destinations for allcomers, the |
| Further worries were for the German market - along | | | | island first tried successfully to pitch herself as a |
| with the UK a vital market for holidays in Majorca, | | | | niche market for honeymoons in the 1950's, with the |
| with the enviromental costs and carbon footprint | | | | second world war and Spanish Civil War having |
| dissuading some from taking flights to Majorca. | | | | brought earlier attempts at incoming tourism into a |
| In recent years traditional holiday destinations such as | | | | state of suspension, and the first true package |
| Spain have faced new competition from Eastern | | | | holiday tourists arrived in 1952. |
| European countries, with often lower cost holiday | | | | But it was the advent of the jet that really boosted |
| packages and flights, but despite initial signs of a real | | | | Majorca, and made flying to Palma a real possibility |
| challenge, Spain seems to have seen them off for | | | | for millions of Europeans. With flights to Majorca |
| the moment at least, with overall visitor numbers for | | | | coming down in price significantly in recent years and |
| 2007 expected to rise compared to last year. | | | | a host of airlines operating from airports across |
| Among the tourists to the number one destination of | | | | Europe, Majorca has never been so accessible, and |
| Mallorca for holidays this year have been the Spanish | | | | the traditional fortnight has been surpassed by |
| Royal Family. The Royals traditionally spend their | | | | frequent 3 and 4 day trips two or three times a year |
| summer holidays on the island at the Marivent Palace, | | | | for many people, and with many Europeans who are |
| with this year being no exception. Previous guests | | | | environmentally conscious moving away from long |
| some years ago during their holidays in Majorca have | | | | distance holidays in destinations such as Florida, the |
| included Princess Diana with Princes William and Harry | | | | map of Majorca might well appear in more |
| while they were still toddlers. The Spanish Prime | | | | households when planning a holiday. |
| Minister also traditionally visits Majorca for a meeting | | | | The increase in the number of tourists to Majorca |
| with King Juan Carlos. | | | | has been measured, and it makes fascinating reading. |
| The Royal Family holidaying on Majorca helps the | | | | In 1950, Majorca and her sister islands of Menorca |
| island's image with the mainland Spanish population, | | | | and Ibiza received under 100,000 tourists. By 1973 |
| and gives it an upmarket image, with many families | | | | this had grown to over 7 million for Majorca alone, |
| taking a villa holiday in Majorca. | | | | and last year it had risen to over 9.5 million. |
| Thomson Holidays | | | | The possibility of reaching ten million visitors in a single |
| Majorca has a rich holiday history compared to most | | | | year is a very real possibility for the island. |