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