A good article by travel writer Katy Holland at The Independent caught our attention today.
To read Katy’s advice click through to http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/katy-holland-holidays-for-single-parents-1213428.html
We have a new set of Majorca photographs over at our main site and include a couple of them here - to see the new gallery for Cap Formentor plus three of our other galleries for Alcudia, Palma and Playa de Muro visit http://www.yourmajorca.net/photographs
Cap Formentor in Majorca from http://www.yourmajorca.net
Cap Formentor in Majorca
Palma in Mallorca
The latest reports from the travel and holidays industry shows that the number of holidaymakers visiting Spain this year rose three per cent over the 2007 figure, with over 40 million visitors in the first nine months of the year.
With the recession in full swing in Spain’s two main markets, Germany and the UK, the chances are that tourist numbers will drop in the year ahead.
Some locations in Spain, like the Canaries, are great year-round holiday destinations. Winter temperatures are very nice compared to the snow-covered places in the world and a very welcome change for tourists who enjoy warmer climes. The main Canary Islands are Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
Catalonia is Spain’s Number One Destination
Catalonia is located in the northeast corner of Spain, and it has provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona. Each province atrracts holidaymakers for different reasons - Barcelona for example often attracts beach goers and sightseers. Barcelona is home to some of the most impressive architecture in the world. A walk through the streets of Barcelona is a history lesson in itself. Be careful of pickpockets though as crime is soaring in Barcelona, leave your valuables in one of the hotel safes - nearly all hotels in Barcelona have safes in the rooms.
Catalonia’s nearest neighbours are France and Andorra to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. Paris is also a very popular European tourist destination with millions of tourists per year.
Andorra is one of the most popular ski areas in the world and is quickly becoming a year-round vacation spot for extreme sports fans.
The Balearic Islands are situated south of Catalonia in the Mediterranean Sea and rank number two in Spain’s most popular tourist destinations.
The Balearic Islands Tourism Hotter than Ever
As the second most popular vacation destination in Spain, the Balearic Islands welcomed over seven million tourists during the first nine months of 2008. The Balearics are comprised of four large islands: Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The capital city of Mallorca is Palma, also called Palma de Majorca. Each of the Balearic Islands offers a new, exciting experience to all who visit.
Package tourism officially began in Mallorca in May 1952. Prior to 1952, doctors from the northern European countries would send patients to the islands to unwind, de-stress and keep warm during the winter months and enjoy the Mallorca weather
A good, long holiday away from the stress of everyday life was quite literally ‘just what the doctor ordered.’ Since the introduction of mass tourism, Mallorca has grown in popularity with beach lovers around the world.
The Balearics Appeal to Families
Mass tourism opened the floodgates for less expensive travel opportunities and great deals. In recent years, budget airlines have boosted tourism to an all time high. Several European based airlines offer low fares in effort to gain more business. In the actual swing of things, these airlines opened a plethora of holiday possibilities for Europeans and tourists from around the world. Some famous families who call Mallorca home include Catherine Zeta-Jones and husband Michael Douglas, Claudia Schiffer, Julian Lennon and former Liverpool, Real Madrid and England footballer Steve McManaman.
Many of the resorts on the islands offer great opportunities for children, teens and parents. Children’s activities and teen clubhouses give mum and dad time to relax and enjoy time together.
The variety of resorts in Mallorca and Menorca allows families to choose the best location for their specific needs. Some areas have a very vivid nightlife, while others may have an almost non-existent nightlife, Menorca is good for a family holiday, while Mallorca is more busy and a bigger island destination.
Historically for many holidaymakers in the past a week or two in Spain or her islands has meant beaches, clubs and bars, but as holidaymakers become more environmentally aware and wanting more from their holidays, cycling is becoming more popular as a way to see a different part of the country.
Spain and the Balearic Islands are two of the most popular cycling vacation destinations in all of Europe. For tourists who do not wish to travel with their bicycles, rentals are readily available throughout Spain and the islands.
Cycling vacations aren’t new - they are simply rising in popularity. Some cities and small towns throughout Spain offer guided cycling tours from companies that have been in the tourist business for some time and have noticed the increasing trend towards cycling while on holiday by tourists.
Guided tours often include a luggage service that delivers your personal belongings to your next area of interest for those who want more than a morning or afternoon of cycling, and want to go a grand tour with hotel stops en-route.
Alternatively, independent cycling holidays are available for those who wish to tour Spain completely at their leisure and can research routes beforehand.
Cycling offers much more freedom than traditional holidays. Unlike most other forms of travel, cycling is based on a holidaymaker’s whim. Cycling vacations can be from hotel to hotel or village to village. Many villages in remote places are nearly untouched by tourism. Cycling provides an up-close view of the true way of life in these villages. Rolling vineyards, sun-kissed villages and poppy fields are just a few of the visually appealing sights awaiting cyclists.
MP3 Guided Tours
One great tour option available for DIY cycling tourists is the MP3 guided tour. Instructional digital audio is provided, along with maps of the area and its marked trails. Cyclists are free to roam at their own pace while following pre-recorded directions from a trained guide. MP3 guided tours are not recommended for beginning cycling tourists.
A Thousand Miles of Cycle Routes
Spain offers cyclists nearly a thousand miles of cycling routes - small by comparisom with some countries, but on the increase. Routes are being expanded each year to accommodate even more cyclists.
The routes include an array of difficulty levels, but most are flat, very clearly marked and beautifully groomed. Many routes have been created to cover old railway tracks. These unused railway tracks were built flat and stretch many miles across Spain, making them perfect for cycling trails. Mountain trails are also available for the more experienced cycling tourist.
Family cycling vacations are available in nearly every city, town and village in Spain. Popular routes include historical sites, gothic cathedrals, coastal scenery, poppy fields and riverside trails. In Mallorca for example careful route planning and support are available from a variety of locally owned cycle touring companies. Some tours include a back-up vehicle stocked with supplies and emergency equipment, including first aid kits.
Cycling Holidays on Menorca and Mallorca
The Balearic Islands offer a unique experience for family cycling holidays. Residents of the islands are accustomed to tourists, especially in areas surrounding the highly popular resorts. Inland areas of the islands offer a much different view of the island lifestyle.
Open air markets and family owned restaurants await weary travelers in the smaller less touristy villages. Cyclists often enjoy authentic Mediterranean cuisine and locally made wines after a long day on the trail. The Balearic Islands are relatively small, making them great cycling destinations for families or for a first cycling vacation.
Professional Cyclists Train in Spain
During the off-season, professional cyclists can often be found on the trails in Spain or the Balearic Islands. Most locations in Spain and the Balearics offer more than 300 days of sunshine per year, making them perfect for year round training. Cycling trails in Spain and the Balearic Islands provide many miles of scenic landscapes for professionals looking for a change in scenery.
And training in Mallorca certainly paid off for the British Olympics cycling team, who came away from Bejing this summer with more gold medals than any other nation, they obviously found a good number of different routes on their map of Mallorca map!
The island of Majorca has been a favourite with foreign tourists since the 1950s. It was at this time that merchants began working with the government in an effort to boost the economy. They began an aggressive marketing campaign of the island to Europeans, to Germans in particular.
Majorca tourism packages became popular within just a few years. The island now graces the top of the popularity list for holidays. Businesses on the island have relied heavily on this fact for over 50 years for their economic prosperity.
It’s little wonder that Majorca businesses panicked when the world economy began to crash earlier this year. The island’s population, after all, barely grazes 800,000. Yet it maintains the highest Gross Domestic Product in Spain. Its GDP is, in fact, over 50 percent higher than Spain’s average. More than two thirds of Majorca’s working population is employed in the tourism sector. Majorca businesses and workers stand to suffer significantly if the economic crunch reaches the island’s graceful shores.
It remains difficult to accurately predict just how the economic crunch will affect Majorca tourism. However, tourism watchers have been somewhat pleasantly surprised to date. The numbers of British and French visitors to Majorca have dropped. Despite this, the number of German tourists has actually risen compared to previous years. ‘Thank God for the Germans!’ says tourism board president Alvaro Middelmann.
The increase in German visitors has somewhat made up for the loss in tourists from other European areas. However, the Germans are also notorious spendthrifts. The money they are spending (or not spending, depending on how one looks at it) isn’t making up for the economic losses.
Hotel and resort owners on Majorca remain sceptical. Financial losses haven’t been as significant as predicted as of yet. The outlook though is at its lowest in recent history for many of these owners.
Businesses and the Majorca holiday resorts are caught in a conundrum. They are finding it difficult to cover costs as the world market suffers. The rising cost of fuel earlier in 2008 was also eating into profits as the cost of a flight to Majorca went up.
However, many have been reluctant to raise prices to cover the losses. Rising prices are just one more discouragement to tourists. Few despise rising prices more than the Germans, who are currently the staple of Majorca tourism.
Majorca tourism officials and business owners on the island wait to see how 2008 plays out. They continue to make efforts to market the island even as they fear what lies ahead in 2009.
Majorca’s natural appeal hasn’t changed even though the economy falters. Holidaymakers continue to return home to speak highly of the island. The sun keeps shining and the water sparkling, beckoning those looking for some relaxation. Perhaps Majorca tourism and businesses will bank on this fact as the tourist season kicks off in a few months time, and those holidaymakers who have been to Majorca before remember the good times they had and pull out a map of Majorca to decide which town to visit in 2009.
Alcudia Majorca www.yourmajorca.net
Local authorities in some of the world’s top holiday locations are beginning to take matters of environmental protection into their own hands.
Both local government and nonprofit organizations are banding together in the fight against pollution. Efforts to sustain tourism to favorite destinations without harmful effects to the local environment, as well as culture and social interactions, are the main focus for the most recent campaigns.
Majorca Promotes Environmental Protection and Tourism
In order to maintain sustainable tourism in the Balearic Islands, Majorca is promoting a campaign that promotes environmental protection. Environment friendly tourism in heavily travelled areas is important for the overall atmosphere of tourist areas.
Island tourist locations tend to take more abuse from tourism than most other areas. The new campaign, developed by Palma’s Tourism Institute, IMTUR, is called “Palma, Responsible Tourism.” The World Tourism Organization also supports the initiative. The primary goal is to encourage tourists to be more environmentally responsible in Palma.
A few of the programme’s objectives are:
* Educate tourists and residents on water consumption.
* Promote Palma and holidays in Majorca as a prime tourism destination that places emphasis on protecting the environment and the Mediterranean.
* Encourage environmentally safe tourism once tourists arrive.
* Decrease carbon levels and air pollution from vehicles.
* Increase energy awareness and introduce energy conservation practices.
This was not a comprehensive list, only examples of what tourists can expect from the “Palma, Responsible Tourism” campaign. The programme includes incentives, activities, competitions and a cycling event available to all interested tourists. Palma Town Hall will donate 1 euro to the campaign for every tourist that takes part in activities related to the campaign .
Other Environment Friendly Vacation Locations
Palma’s campaign may be new to the Balearic Islands, but the general idea is not new to other tourist destinations around the world. Whether it is referred to as “environment friendly tourism” or “ecotourism,” the end result is the same. The general idea is to introduce tourists to recycling and other activities that will help sustain tourism in their favorite destinations. In protecting their favourite holiday areas, tourists also help to protect neighbouring rivers, streams, wildlife and communities from potential harm caused by pollution.
Similar campaigns already exist in the Caribbean. One development firm was quoted as saying sustainability is “finding the right balance between the need for development and the need for environmental protection.” Overdevelopment of a destination can lead to a drastic downfall of the quality of vacations available to tourists. Locally owned shops and fisheries on the Caribbean Islands have joined the efforts to help combat the negative effects of mass tourism.
Resorts and hotels on Malta promote environment friendly tourism by setting a high standard for their guests and employees. Water and energy conservation are very high on the list, as are reuse and recycling. Employees and guests are urged to turn off lights in rooms that aren’t being used and to ensure water has been used conservatively and turned off when not in use. Recycling bins are placed in hotel rooms, and guests are encouraged to use only environment friendly, recyclable containers.
Environment Friendly Hotels and Resorts
Each passing year sees more hotels and resorts join the fight against pollution. Environmental agencies have begun offering initiatives and awards to hotels and resorts that go the extra mile to protect the environment. The very environment they seek to protect is the one that draws more tourists to their location year after year.
With the ski holidays season just around the corner, it’s worth noting that several U.S. ski resorts have earned awards from environmental protection agencies recognizing the work they put into protecting the environment and local forests. Their efforts include using environment friendly cleaning products and recyclable take-out boxes, cups and flatware, as well as encouraging reuse of linens and towels and composting kitchen scraps with wood chips for use in landscaping.
