Tag: majorca

Mallorca’s Tourism Strategy: Diversification and Sustainability Goals

This past week has seen the World Travel Market in London, where the great and the good of the travel world descend on the Excel Centre to showcase their wares. Mallorca focused on diversification and sustainability as the new buzzwords, while the Government continues to fend off questions about tourismphobia.

There are three main travel markets in Europe: the WTM in London in November, Fitur in Madrid in January, and the ITB in Berlin in March. The majority of Mallorca’s tourist numbers come from three countries:

Germany: The largest single source market for tourists in Mallorca, accounting for around 40% of total tourist traffic. In 2024, estimates suggest over 5 million German visitors. Reports indicate that this year there has been a decrease in the number of German tourists.

United Kingdom: The second-largest market, typically making up around 26% of visitors. In 2024, there were an estimated 3.58 million British tourists. Reports suggest that the British helped save the summer season this year, with a slight decline in visitor numbers in July and August but a significant increase in September.

Spain: Domestic tourism from mainland Spain is also a key market, with approximately 1.8 million visitors estimated in 2024.

We are starting to see more and more visitors from other countries. In my concierge business, I have met and spoken with people from the USA, France, Italy, Austria, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Iraq, and Singapore. Next year, we are expecting flights from Canada, Abu Dhabi, and possibly South Africa.

For me, it is fundamental that we are represented at these travel markets. I often see comments online such as, “Why are we going when we’re always full?” and “Do we really need to spend this money?”

Marketing is crucial for sustainable growth — not just for attracting more visitors. It helps draw in a higher-spending demographic, which is something the Government is keen to encourage. It also helps spread tourism throughout the year and attracts people interested in different types of activities, helping to manage and reduce pressure during peak times. In addition, it can attract tourists with different needs and preferences, which in turn diversifies the local economy and ensures long-term stability.

Not being represented may not have a noticeable effect on tourism numbers in the short term, but you can be sure that in the long term, we would start to suffer. Competition among destinations is increasing, and according to the organisers of the WTM, London 2025 is expected to be the largest event in its 45-year history. Early indicators show significant growth, surpassing the more than 4,000 exhibitors from 2024, with an 8% increase expected.

Let’s be clear: tourism accounts for approximately 45% of Mallorca’s GDP, making it the island’s primary economic driver. The sector’s total impact is even greater, with analyses suggesting it influences up to 90% of the island’s economy through indirect effects on other industries. Most of us have a family member or friend who works in tourism.

Sustainability will be a vital part of our tourism strategy in the coming years. One change I would make immediately is to the tourist tax — I would charge a fixed fee all year round for every traveller.

At the moment:

• Under-16s don’t pay.

• Rates vary depending on the type of accommodation.

• There’s a 50% reduction if you stay longer than nine nights.

• It’s discounted during the low season.

Let’s be in no doubt: the island’s beauty must be maintained for generations to come — but we should also be proud of what we have. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it:

We are a beautiful island of contrasts — from the stunning beaches in the north to the mountains of the west, the caves and coves of the east, and the bustling nightlife of the south. There is something here for absolutely everyone.

If ever there was a destination built for tourism, it’s our island. It hasn’t been one of the most popular islands in the world for the past 50 years for nothing. In my opinion, it remains one of the best places to live and one of the best holiday destinations anywhere.

We can boast turquoise-blue waters, secret coves, soft golden sands, lush green landscapes, rugged mountains, picturesque villages, amazing cuisine, an up-and-coming wine industry, vibrant nightlife, and a lively capital city. And we’re just a couple of hours’ flight from most major European cities — right in the heart of the Mediterranean.

As someone who lives and works here, I see Mallorca’s magic every single day — in the people, the landscapes, and the memories our visitors take home. If we can combine smart marketing with genuine care for our environment and communities, I have no doubt that Mallorca will continue to shine as the jewel of the Mediterranean for decades to come.

Discover Mallorca: An Emerging International Destination

Mallorca is developing more and more into an international destination, and with that, more opportunities are becoming available to those of us living and working here. The truth is, why would you not want to come here?

We are a beautiful island of contrast, from the stunning beaches in the north to the mountains of the west, the caves and coves of the east, and the bustling nightlife of the south. There is something for absolutely everyone.

If ever there was a destination built for tourism, it is our island. It hasn’t been one of the most popular islands in the world for the last 50 years for nothing. In my opinion, it remains one of the best places to live and one of the finest holiday destinations. We can boast turquoise-blue waters, secret coves, soft golden sands, lush green foliage, rugged mountains, picturesque villages, amazing cuisine, an up-and-coming wine industry, a lively nightlife scene, and a vibrant capital city. We’re also an island in the Mediterranean, just a couple of hours’ flight from most European cities.

Palma Airport, which is Spain’s third busiest, is currently undergoing a €559 million expansion and modernization by its owner, AENA. The project began in 2022 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Its purpose is to improve the airport’s passenger-friendliness, efficiency, and sustainability.

One thing that is changing is the increasing number of direct flights arriving from outside of Europe. It used to be that anyone coming from further afield had to visit us via Madrid, Barcelona, or another European city. Since the pandemic and around the start of the airport expansion, things have started to change. In June 2022, a direct flight from New York to Palma began operating, and its frequency has increased every year. From June 17th to October 24th, 2026, Air Canada will launch a direct flight between Montreal and the island, and Etihad Airways has officially announced that it will begin direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Mallorca starting June 12th, 2026, running through to mid-September. This will be the first-ever direct connection between the UAE and Mallorca, and currently the only direct air link between Asia and the island — a landmark moment in Mallorca’s international connectivity.

Not only are all these connections great for the island but let’s remember we now have the opportunity to travel to these destinations for either business or pleasure. Making it a win-win situation.

Friends of mine in the wedding industry here on the island tell me that since the flights from New York began, there has been a steady increase in American couples getting married here. Friends in the property world also say that more and more foreign buyers are being lured to the island because of its beauty and great connectivity.

Not only is this good for business here but this also has a knock-on effect on many third-party businesses that may not be directly involved in these industries but will benefit from their growth.

I see all of this as positive, but I also understand that the sustainability aspect needs to be seriously looked at and addressed in a constructive way. We need to continue working to extend our seasonality. A 12 month year round Mallorca is far more appealing then a 6 month one and it could well lighten the load on the summer months. I see this slowly moving in the right direction, and we need to look at how we can better cope during the busiest months of the year, July and August. For Mallorca to become a year-round destination, we all need to work harder during the shoulder months to achieve this. Don’t listen to the naysayers who constantly say it can’t be done — Magaluf is now a perfect example of how positive change can happen. Keep those glasses half full!

Why Tourism is Crucial for Mallorca’s Economy

We live in a democratic world, thankfully, and that gives us the opportunity for free speech and the right to protest. So, I have no problem with the people who were protesting in Mallorca a few weeks ago. Where I do have a problem is with the mixed messages that seemed to be coming out.

My understanding was that they were there to protest about tourist overcrowding and the lack of affordable housing. But there were also people waving Palestinian flags and calling for Mallorcan independence. When the messages start to become mixed, the actual purpose of the protest, in my opinion, loses credibility.

The protesters claimed there were 30,000 people, while the police said there were 8,000. Who do you believe? Well, even if you go with what the protesters claim, that’s just 3% of the overall population. Hardly a majority, is it?

In my opinion, they shouldn’t be protesting against tourism or tourists. The issue lies with the government—and more importantly, with previous governments—and their lack of investment in social housing. You could also argue that some of the protesters are being hypocritical. Why, you ask? Well, for two reasons: one, you can almost guarantee that each and every one of them has a family member or friend who earns their living through tourism. And two, do these people not go on holiday themselves? If they do, they are contributing to the very thing they are protesting about!

The question is: if you’re really pushing back against tourism, what else are we able to offer? We’re not exactly in the heart of the manufacturing world, are we? Like it or not, tourism is a major pillar of our economy, contributing approximately 45% of our total GDP. Some analyses suggest that tourism’s influence extends even further, potentially impacting up to 90% of the island’s economic activity.

We should be embracing what we have and looking for solutions to the problem. We have a great example of how holiday destinations can evolve right on our doorstep. Magaluf is, in my opinion, a shining example of how a resort once much derided can reinvent itself. If you don’t believe me, go and see for yourself.

Rob Croll’s Sporting Son Ferrer Joins Dortmund Academy

Probably one of the biggest things to happen in youth football here in Mallorca for a very long time was announced 2 weeks ago — and I was lucky enough to be there.

Many of you on the island will know Rob Croll and his very successful Russell Martin Academy, which is named after his foster brother — the former footballer, Southampton Manager, and now the Rangers Head Coach. What you might not know is that Rob also runs the football club Sporting Son Ferrer and Mallorca Pro Training. So, he’s a busy man. But before I tell you more about the announcement, let’s find out a little more about Rob.

Born and raised in Brighton, where he went to school and college, Rob realised at that time that he wasn’t going to make it as a professional footballer. He went on to study sports and marketing at university in Southampton. He did some coaching in the UK and the USA and then spoke to his foster brother, Russ, about starting his own academy. The Russell Martin Academy was already an established brand in the UK, and Rob thought it would be a good idea to bring it to Mallorca, where he’d put down roots since moving in 2011.

In the winter of 2018, he began the Academy. He admits the first three months were difficult and that he wondered if it was all worth it. But after offering free football coaching sessions for local schools, things started to kick off (excuse the pun!). He began to be the go-to academy for non-federated kids to learn the technical side of football.

The pandemic was a crushing blow to most small businesses, and Rob was unfortunately no exception. But he managed to build it back up. Being a non-federated player means you don’t play as a team, as you’re not permitted to — but as the academy grew, the need for a team became greater. Around that time, he was playing for a team called Sporting Son Ferrer and was offered the chance to take it over. This gave him the ability to start building teams and retain players who would previously have left to play competitive football elsewhere.

They went from one to two teams in the first and second seasons and gradually grew. Last season, they had six teams — and the hope is that next season this will become ten.

Now, back to the big announcement.

I was invited to the Sporting Son Ferrer trophy presentation night at Oceans Beach Club. My eldest son, Jacob, has been coaching there for a year, and I’ve also been doing some work with Rob through Mallorca Pro Training. It was announced that Sporting Son Ferrer had signed a partnership deal with the German side Borussia Dortmund! From now on, it will be known as Club de Fútbol Borussia Dortmund International Academy Mallorca.

This is something Rob had been working on for months, and after visiting all their facilities in Germany, a deal was agreed. It is an unbelievable opportunity for Rob — but I also believe it’s a great coup for Calvià and the island of Mallorca to be linked with such a prestigious club.

Borussia Dortmund has partnered with youth programs and established academies in 16 countries, including Germany, Japan, Poland, and the USA. In the US alone, they have multiple locations, including Florida, Texas, Washington, Arizona, and Louisiana. They also have five academies in China.

Dortmund sent over two representatives for the presentation. One was Roman Weidenfeller, a goalkeeper and club legend, who made 453 appearances for Dortmund between 2002 and 2018. He won two Bundesliga titles and two German Cups with the club. He is highly regarded for his loyalty and dedication to BVB and now serves as a brand ambassador.

Christian Diercks, Head of the BVB Evonik Football Academy, also attended. He explained that their football philosophy remains the same wherever they are in the world:

• Embrace and create the training environment and attitude of the finest quality that produces real opportunities for players to reach their potential

• Understand and replicate the methodology and training focus needed at the highest levels

• Demand excellence and quality in all aspects of the game

• Create professional pathways for our players at different age levels

• Offer the opportunity for players to be identified early in their career and then monitored for progression year to year by coaches from Borussia Dortmund’s academy

• Develop coaches to their highest potential with exchange and learning opportunities

• Implement playing style and player milestones like the professional environment

• Use resources directly from the academy

• Represent nationally the Borussia Dortmund brand, the club’s history, and its outstanding reputation for player development

Rob stresses that although this partnership has moved the club to another level, the pathway for players doesn’t change. He adds, “Whilst we are aligned with a professional brand now, it’s still football for all. From the very first day that we started RMA and moved on to Sporting Son Ferrer to today, it’s always been about football for all. I don’t want anybody to think that they’re not good enough for this club.”

On a personal note, I look forward to seeing my son Jacob begin his coaching career at the club — and also to witnessing the impact this partnership will have on the future of youth football here on the island.

If you are interested in your child joining the club, please contact Rob on 0034 691 173 265.

Wave Mallorca Radiothon: 36 Hours for Charity

Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st of June are the dates for our Wave Mallorca Radiothon. We start at 7 a.m. on Friday morning and won’t stop until 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. That’s 36 hoursthat Ayesha and I will broadcast live and non-stop.

In 2015, Jo from our then radio office asked Ayesha and me on the Breakfast Show if we would consider broadcasting for 24 hours for charity. The challenge was duly accepted, and the Radiothon was born. For the first two years, we raised money to support the Pirates Charity Premiere and their chosen charities. When the Premiere ended in 2016, we decided to keep the fundraising going, and in 2019, we extended the hours of broadcasting from 24 to 36 hours.

The money we raise each year is equally divided among our chosen charities.

The following charities have benefited from our previous Radiothons:

• 2015: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, the Paediatric Ward of Son Espases Hospital, Salvation Army, and Shambhala Foundation.

Total raised: 18,100.20€

• 2016: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, the Paediatric Ward of Son Espases Hospital, Calvia Lions, and Help for Heroes.

Total raised: 24,474.18€

• 2017: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Intensive Care Unit, SOS Animal Mallorca, Fundacion Nazareth, and Club Vidalba.

Total raised: 23,384.60€

• 2018: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Intensive Care Unit, Asociacion Ondine, and Feliz Animal Andratx.

Total raised: 14,878.50€

• 2019: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Intensive Care Unit, ASPANOB, and ASDICA.

Total raised: 25,363.11€

• 2020: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Intensive Care Unit, Yachting Gives Back, and Cancer Support Group Mallorca.

Total raised: 30,948.82€

• 2021: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases Rehabilitation Centre for Children, Yachting Gives Back, Santa Ponsa Food Bank, and SOS Calvia.

Total raised: 33,217.02€

• 2022: Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Son Espases, Cancer Support Mallorca, and Help for Ukraine.

Total raised: 27,163.49€

Total raised so far: 197,529.92€

We took a break for a couple of years, and I’m pleased to say we are back, aiming to pass 200,000€and raise as much money as possible.

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Charities We Support Every Year

Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital (GOSH)

My relationship with GOSH dates back to 2004 through my work with Pirates and the Pirates Charity Premieres. When the Premieres ended in 2016, I continued our support for GOSH through the Radiothons. I’ve “run” the London Marathon twice for them, in 2008 and 2010, raising £10,867.00.

Through the Premieres and Radiothons, I am very proud to say we have now raised a total of 763,185.10€ for GOSH, which has supported many important projects over the years.

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Son Espases Hospital

Our support has focused on the paediatric department and the children’s intensive care unit. Our most recent project helped fund the construction of a new rehabilitation unit for children. Other contributions include:

• Decorating an MRI scanner and its room

• Adding cartoon characters to the ward doors

• Creating a new waiting room for parents of ICU patients

• Funding numerous smaller projects

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Cancer Support Mallorca

Cancer Support Group Mallorca (CSG) is a registered association supporting the international community in Mallorca. Their mission is to help patients, carers, and anyone affected by cancer by:

• Reducing stress

• Empowering people with a sense of control

• Enhancing self-esteem

• Combating loneliness through connection

• Providing practical assistance

Rebecca, Bronwen, and their team of volunteers do an outstanding job supporting cancer sufferers on the island.

If you or a loved one is facing cancer, please reach out — they’re here to help.

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Yachting Gives Back

Yachting Gives Back is a registered charity that enables the yachting industry — including both yachts and service companies — to help alleviate poverty and hunger in Mallorca.

They support at least 10 different charities, including food banks and shelters. Thanks to your help, we’ve raised money, collected food at supermarkets, and even provided Christmas trees to shelters. Nick and his team do amazing work, and we’re proud to support them again.

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6Points Cycling Challenges

6Points Cycling Challenges was conceived by Bryan Visser in 2016 as a personal charity ride around Mallorca. The aim was to complete a challenging but enjoyable route around the island, taking in stunning views, countryside, mountains, and sea.

They focus on supporting a small number of charities to ensure a big impact:

• Asdica: Supporting young disabled people and their families in Calvià to help them live as normal a life as possible

• Shambhala: Providing education, opportunities, and growth for young people at risk of social exclusion

• SOS Animal: A long-standing non-profit helping stray dogs and cats in Mallorca since 1995

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How You Can Help

There are plenty of ways to get involved and support our chosen charities:

• Sponsor an hour and join us in the studio

• Challenge us to do something for donations

• Challenge yourself to do something for donations

• Offer a prize for our auction or raffle

• Bid on our auction

• Buy a raffle ticket

• Request a song for a minimum of 5€

• Or simply Just Donate!

We would love to see as many people as possible at our studios in Palma.

We’re located at:

Francisco Rover 1, 07003 Palma

It’s on the outskirts of the city centre, and there is usually parking available.

If you’d like any more information please call or what’s app me on 0034 670 704 311. Thank you. 

Balancing Mallorca’s Tourism: Strategies for Year-Round Success

It’s time for me to say to the protesters of over tourism, whilst I have every sympathy with your problems, I, for one, do not support the way you are going about it. The problem with housing and the affordability to either buy or rent isn’t that of the tourists that come to the island and spend their hard-earned money. It lies with the failure of successive Governments for not putting together a house building programme and making some of those properties affordable to the younger people trying to get onto the housing ladder. I would also ask where have you been for the past six months? And why is that? Well, the easiest answer is that apart from the capital city of Palma, the island has more or less been closed. 

The Government should have been offering more encouragement to the Airlines, tour operators and Hoteliers to keep working through the winter. Rather than being happy to only open from May to October. Maybe if the population was employed for 12 months instead of 6 then housing would possibly be more affordable? I would be interested to know what the cost is for paying people unemployment benefit in the winter. Why not strike a deal for the businesses here to open up and not have to pay social security in the winter months, a cost which cripples most companies. When I arrived in Mallorca in 1990 the winter was just as busy as the Summer. However, over the years this has eroded to a situation where most resorts are ghost towns in the winter. Flights have been taken away through the years and as that’s more or less the only way you can get here, the island has consequently suffered. Also, the advent of the low-cost airlines has opened up lots of new destinations that bring competition and that weren’t on the map back in the 1990s. 

Maybe if the tourism load was spread over 12 months instead of 6 then the problem of over tourism might go away? I, for one, doubt it, but it might be one of the solutions to the problem. Take Benidorm on the mainland as a perfect example of this. It’s literally half an hour across the water, temperatures are the same around 15–20 degrees, and it’s still as busy in the winter as it is in the Summer. In fact, there were reports of thousands of people heading there instead of going to Cheltenham in mid-March. They were saying it was cheaper to go there than spend four days at the famous horse racing festival. Combine that with the climax to the Six Nations Rugby on the Saturday the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle on the Sunday and St Patrick’s Day, what a week that was! The authorities here should take note. 

To go back to my main point that the protesters in my opinion should not target the tourists as that is the lifeblood of our island. Do they not remember what it was like in the pandemic? I’ve said it before, but I’m sure, like me, most of them have a friend or family member that is involved in tourism in one way or another. So targeting them isn’t going to help in any way. 

One thing the protesters haven’t mentioned and was reported to me by Brad Robertson of Save The Med, when I interviewed him a few months ago. He said, “There’s too many people mate, whether you’re a tourist or someone that doesn’t leave your house, it doesn’t matter, there’s just too many of us”! In two decades, Mallorca’s population has grown from 727,000 to 960,000, an increase of 32 per cent. Maybe we should get our own house in order first? 

The Young Ones

I’m passionate about my football, especially when it comes to Real Mallorca and football in general here on the island. I believe it’s a help not only to tourism to have a team in La Liga but to the development of youth football on the island too. However, although the island does produce some great footballers, there haven’t been that many who’ve come through the ranks and made it to the Real Mallorca first team. The most notable is Marco Asensio, of course, who started at Platges de Calvia before moving to Real Mallorca, then to Real Madrid, and he’s currently playing for Paris St Germain. The former coach of Mallorca, Javier Aguirre, wasn’t an advocate of bringing youth footballers through, but the new coach Jagoba Arrasate is apparently a fan of promoting them through from the academy. At his old club Osasuna at least six of the first team squad have come through the ranks. Pablo Ortells the director of football at Real Mallorca said this week, “We can win titles in grassroots football, but if we don’t develop players to move up to move up to the first team, our work is incomplete.” Music to the ears of all youth footballers here on the island. It comes after Mallorca’s division honor team (under 19’s) won their league and the Copa del Rey. Also, Mallorca B have just been promoted to the fourth tier of Spanish football and this team is made up of players between 18–24 years of age. 

If these youngsters are given a chance, then there are many benefits for everyone. The club doesn’t need to spend money to bring players in, an exceptional player will no doubt get transferred for a fee to help pay for other transfers or to invest in the academy. Every supporter around the World loves a “home-grown” player. Most importantly, if there are those opportunities, you won’t see as many of our talented footballers leaving the island looking to play first team football. Case in point this week, Marc Domenec is a 17-year-old forward who played for San Francisco division honor team this year. The club where my two boys play. He was the top goalscorer in the league with 21 goals. He has a contract with Real Mallorca until 2027 and this week a bid of €300,000 was made by Barcelona. This was firmly rejected by the club, who see him as the next “Marco Asensio”. He will probably play with Mallorca B next year and also train with the first team. Apparently his buy out clause is 1 million euros and I think Barcelona will be reluctant to pay that. All in all, it’s a good time for Mallorca football, and hopefully we’ll be hearing that song “he’s one of our own” many more times. Well, the Mallorquín equivalent of course! 

Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com

Welcome To Mallorca

So Mallorca is back in the headlines again. After the so-called “booze ban”, now we apparently don’t want any tourists. Give the British press a bone, and you can be sure as (can’t say it), that they’ll not only be chewing on it, they’ll be making up their own stuff too. Why let a good headline get in the way of the truth? TOURIST GO HOME is the message and let’s be honest, it’s not a very welcoming one, is it? Grammatically incorrect, of course, but why let that get in the way of what you’re trying to achieve. And to be honest, that is what is puzzling me, just exactly what are you trying to achieve? I highlighted a few weeks ago that a vote for Brexit in the UK was a vote from the older community, which has ultimately made freedom of movement for our younger people that much more difficult. So, whilst trying to deny an immigrant entrance into the UK, you’ve denied our younger people the opportunity to do the same in another country. 

With their message, they are trying to drive people away from the tourist industry that is fundamental to the islands’ GDP. Someone tried to tell me the other week that tourism is only 11% of Spain’s GDP. That may well be true, but on our island it’s 45% and would hazard a guess that it is a lot higher than that when you take into account the third party businesses that support tourism. 

Mallorca isn’t the only destination with this problem. Barcelona, the Canary Islands, Amsterdam, Venice, Japan and Hawaii are other examples. My family were in Croatia in the past couple of weeks and the same message was seen there too.

So what’s the beef amongst these protesters here in Mallorca? Too many tourists, lack of affordable housing, high cost of living, traffic congestion, impact on the environment and natural resources are the main factors, I am led to believe. 

In my opinion, there’s a total lack of organisation and management here.  Political parties with their own views are getting in the way of the problem. So, rather and sitting down like adults and discussing properly, they argue against each other. The “left” were in Government for 8 years and did absolutely nothing, and now they’re in opposition they’re voting against anything that the “right” proposes. As the right are a minority Government, depending on VOX to help them, nothing gets done or if it does, it’s painfully slow.

So let’s discuss each of their points.

Too many tourists…. You may remember I interviewed Brad Robertson from Save The Med a couple of weeks ago. He said, “there’s too many of us, that’s not just tourists, that’s people living here too.” Mallorca isn’t like the Canaries, who have a whole year – round problem, the season is six months at best, and I’d say the true busy part is June to September. Tour operators aren’t the major problem as if you go back to years gone by, there were a lot more and that just isn’t the case now. It is the growth of the low-cost airlines, the car rentals, the Airbnb market and the illegal lets that are now the problem. 

A lot of this can’t be blamed on foreign investment as Mallorca’s biggest Hotel chains, Melia, Fergus, Iberostar, Riu and Barcelo are all Spanish owned and run. The airport is run by the Spanish state owned company AENA. Mallorca’s Son Sant Joan airport is the third largest in Spain, with only Madrid and Barcelona having greater numbers. Despite that, the airport is expanding the terminal buildings and more car parking space which is not for cars parking, it’s for rental cars to have more space. When I checked into the car park last weekend, half of the second floor was dedicated to the car hire firm, OK Cars.

Lack of affordable housing….
It is true that foreign investors have driven up the prices of property, but there are also many Spanish people that have second holiday homes that they use in the holidays or rent out. My neighbours where I live are from Madrid, and we only see them during the holidays. Rental prices are too high but with a lack of properties and demand so high, there doesn’t seem to be an answer. Rent caps have been put forward by the opposition PSOE but considering they were in power for eight years and did nothing, it’s laughable really. You have to ask who owns these properties, and I think you’ll find the majority are Spanish owned. So would any property owner be happy if their incomes were capped? This is not just a Mallorca problem, my Sister in the UK has her eldest Son currently living at home with his girlfriend as they can’t afford to rent or buy there either.

Promoters, in order to get their building licence, should be forced to build a percentage of affordable housing and make those properties unsellable for a long time period. Like they did on the properties in Son Caliu behind Mercadona. 

There are plenty of Old military plots in and around Palma that could be turned into affordable housing, and any old hotels or apartment blocks should be converted too.

High cost of living…..

We are an island and therefore the majority of our goods must be imported, making them immediately more expensive. There was an increase when the pandemic hit and as yet as far as I can see there hasn’t been any reductions since we have got back to normal. If the demand is there, companies are less likely to reduce their prices. 

Traffic congestion….

If, like me, you’ve driven the Via Cintura in the winter, there is still traffic congestion and it can still be a nightmare. Of course, that traffic increases in the summer with the car hire and coaches. The bus services I think are pretty good, but the Palma Metro and the rail links, particularly to the south of the island, need to be looked at. There have been calls for car hire limits, but apart from Formentera as far as I am aware, there doesn’t seem to be one in place. A park and ride service into the centre of Palma wouldn’t be a bad idea. What about utilising the huge car park at Mallorca Outlets, for instance? It would drive traffic there to shop, and then you could hop on a bus for more central Palma shopping if you wished. Real Mallorca has a huge car park that gets used 19 days a year for their home games and mostly in the off season. That would be another perfect park and ride stop. 

Impact on the island and its natural resources….

I have two words to say about this….Tourist Tax. The tax was introduced to help inject funds into conserving the environment and to make tourism more sustainable for the island’s ever-increasing population in the high-season. Data provided by the authorities show that around €12 million will be raised each year as a result of the tourist tax.

Mallorca is a beautiful island of contrast. From the beautiful beaches in the North, to the mountains of the West, the caves and coves of the East and the bustling busy nightlife of the South. There is something for absolutely everyone. 

If ever there was a destination built for tourism, it is our island. It hasn’t been one of the most popular destinations in the World for the last 50 years for nothing. It is, in my opinion, still one of the best holiday destinations, an island with turquoise blue waters, secret coves, soft golden sands, lush green foliage, rugged mountains, picturesque villages, amazing cuisine, an up-and-coming wine industry, bustling nightlife and a vibrant capital city. 

But we must keep it that way, and therefore, as I said above, it must be managed in a right and proper manner.

Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

4 Ways to Improve Mallorca in 2024

So here we are in 2024, planning for the new tourist season here in Mallorca. With a new Government in place on the island it will be interesting to see what impact they have on the islands biggest industry. There are a lot of things that need sorting as we are by no means a perfect holiday destination.

What will happen to the ‘Tourism of Excesses’ which was a flagship policy of the previous administration and in particular the red zones that were created in the resorts of Magaluf, Arenal, Playa de Palma and San Antonio in Ibiza. We’ve talked about this before but the biggest problem was it should have been the whole of the resorts and not a map drawn that conveniently left out certain establishments. The new Government has said it will change the policy but we are yet to find out exactly what that will be.

The Tourist Tax has been a political hot potato since its introduction in 2016. Its aim was to fund projects encouraging a sustainable, responsible and high-quality tourism model, particularly projects that boost the preservation of the environment (nature, country life, agriculture and sea life), off-season tourism, historical sites and cultural heritage, research and development. In some cases this was true but there have been questions as to where some of the money has gone. A perfect example this week, a story broke that of the 53 municipalities in Majorca 9 do not have water fit for human consumption. Remember the advert ‘the water in Majorca don’t taste like what it oughta?’ Well surely that’s a project that should have funds given to it. 

The taxi situation in July and August is an absolute joke. Despite the introduction of Uber there are not enough taxis to meet the demand particularly in high season. I’ve checked out the cost of obtaining a licence and it can vary but you are looking north of 100,000€ and in some cases you can double or triple that. You don’t hear many complaints about the buses, trains or even the airlines, so surely someone can come up with a taxi plan? Something needs to be done as it’s not helping the tourists and likewise the residents that live here. 

I touched on this subject a couple of weeks ago but the graffiti situation seems to be getting worse. I’m all for controlled graffiti in certain areas but the situation right now is getting out of control. More importantly it creates a negative impression for tourists arriving on the island. My suggestion was to set up cameras to catch the people and make them clean it up. Some Cities have set up designated graffiti areas, Miami is a very good example of this. All graffiti is illegal in Miami-Dade County. If convicted, the vandal will be fined, may face jail time, may have to pay restitution, and will have to complete community service hours. Parents of offenders may be liable for damages. Graffiti once was considered a sign of urban decay, the sort of thing that might keep tourists away from a neighborhood. Now, not only is it an accepted art form, but it’s also the subject of a new tour in one of Miami’s trendiest neighborhoods, Wynwood, where legal outdoor murals by graffiti artists cover the walls near art galleries and restaurants.

The two-hour tour — which has participants riding Vespas — is offered by a company called Roam Rides. It starts with a 15-minute ride from Miami Beach over the Venetian Causeway to the Wynwood Arts District, considered the mecca of Miami’s emerging arts scene, and includes four or five stops to survey the area’s best graffiti. The tour ends with lunch at a happening Wynwood restaurant.

Now there’s an idea for Palma City Council.

I’ve touched on the negatives here which is something I wouldn’t normally do but let’s remember nothing is perfect and by tackling these issues we will become better. 

Mallorca is a beautiful island of contrast. From the beautiful beaches in the North, to the mountains of the West, the caves and coves of the East and the bustling busy nightlife of the South. There is something for absolutely everyone. 

If ever there is a destination built for tourism it is our island. It hasn’t been one of the most popular destinations in the World for the last 50 years for nothing. It is in my opinion still one of the best holiday destinations, an island with turquoise blue waters, secret coves, soft golden sands, lush green foliage, rugged mountains, picturesque villages, amazing cuisine, an up and coming wine industry, bustling nightlife and a vibrant capital city. We’re also an island in the Med only a couple of hours flight from most European cities. 

Richie is the MD at Pirates, the islands number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos.

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com