How refreshing it is to see everyones faces again after we ditched face masks this week for more or less the first time in two years. It’s long overdue in my opinion and another sign that we are getting back to normality. The funny thing is I don’t know how many times since Wednesday I’ve got out of my car walked away and went back for my face mask.
More and more businesses are reopening and as long the weather starts doing what it’s supposed to do then we can all start to do what we do best. I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago but with more and more businesses opening the problem of staffing is becoming more acute. After two years of being on furlough some people don’t want to work anymore. And then if they do want to work it’s not actually during the hours you need them for. The problem will be that the lack of staff will make the service suffer and that’s not good for Spain as a holiday destination. I’ve spoken to many businesses and they’re all saying the same thing. Spain needs to do an employment deal with the UK that works both ways. I am interviewing the UK Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott on the radio on Tuesday May 3rd at 09.30 and it’s a question I need to ask.
The tourist tax is not the most popular thing this Government has brought in during its time in office. The tax was introduced to help inject funds into conserving the environment and to make tourism more sustainable for the islands ever-increasing population in the high-season. The problem was some of the projects you would have to question if the money was well spent. Now remembering that the island has had two very fallow years, maybe now was the time to take a year out and let the island and its businesses get back on their feet. However if you thought the tourist tax was excessive then listen to this.
Venice is set to bring in a €10 entry fee from June in a bid to control the number of tourists entering the historic city.
Under a six-month pilot scheme being rolled out ahead of the first full tourist season since before the Covid-19 pandemic, visitors will have to book to enter the Italian city, and pay a fee worth up to £8.30 – depending on how busy the city is on the day.
If successful, the charge could be a permanent fixture from January next year. The scheme will also put a limit on how many tourists enter the city each day.
Venice’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, called the scheme a ‘difficult experiment’ that was ‘the first in the world’ of its kind.
Plans to introduce an entrance fee were first touted in 2018 as a solution to reduce the masses of tourists who visit every year.
While that figure reduced dramatically over the last two years, the recent Easter weekend saw more than 125,000 people flood(no pun intended) back into its narrow streets and famous squares.
English football fans sometimes get a bad rap and in a few cases it’s deserved. This week however one group of fans decided to put their usual rivalry to one side. Step forward Liverpool Football Club. You may have read this week that Cristiano Ronaldo sadly lost his twin Son at birth. During their game with Manchester United on Tuesday the Liverpool fans did their own emotional tribute. In the 7th minute of the game (Ronaldo wears the number 7) all the fans stood up, applauded and sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Class.
Real Mallorca produced an awful performance at the weekend against Elche where they were rightfully gubbed 3-0. But on Tuesday night they managed to turn that around and defeat bottom of the table Alaves 2-1. They lie two points clear of relegation with five games to go. They play Granada and Rayo Vallecano at home which are winnable but they have Barcelona, Sevilla and Osasuna away which are not easy. I’m hoping that they can survive which is undoubtedly good for local football and tourism too.
Take care everyone and enjoy your Weekend!
Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance!
Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com
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