When we arrived in Puerto Pollensa at the beginning of March it was very quiet , almost everything touristic was closed. The tourist season has become much shorter, hardly what was needed. Now we have been in full cycling mode for a couple of weeks. Apparently the Hotels are fully booked here for April.
The overcrowding on the roads it is claimed is not due to tourism but to the locals. Mallorca is the region for 4 car families. For cyclists there are plenty of quiet roads and caminoes, if you choose your route carefully. many with new stretches of tarmac added over the winter. If you have any doubt please seek advice, remember many want to ride the well know mountain climbs and the Formosa lighthouse route. You can understand why , they are quite spectacular .An increasing hazard nowadays are electric bikes. they come with a wide range of performances and varying experiences of riders. Watch out for the wide handlebars.
Following the anti-tourism protests which has provoked much comment in the media The Hoteliers claiming that there is too much property for rental, much of it unlicensed. The rental associations claim that it is the large hotel groups that have a negative effect on the environment often constructing in areas that should be preserved. They additionally claim that the profits are retained by the owners and do not find there way into the community, whereas with themselves this is not the case. We all understand the problems of housing for the locals at an affordable price. Only the elected bodies can take steps to alleviate this problem. The media is claiming that either nothing or not much has been achieved in this direction. Surely the rectification of this lies in the ballot box.
At the end of the day Mallorca is a tourist island and it is a long way off being self sufficient to survive without tourists. Since arriving it was expected that there would be price increases. In some instances this is unjust and can damage tourism. In the Trump era the problem can become more acute. Which is why we have to be more attentive to this. Also the climate changes we have witnessed could possibly be disadvantageous to tourism on the island ( too hot in the summer and too wet in the winter).
The Balearics has an infrastructure designed for a population of 700,000 however this now stands at 1 million. More roads, hospitals and schools will have to be built and it is tourists who will pay for them. Quite apparently the tourist has to be cherished. The wish to go upmarket and not attract the undesirable element is a laudable aim. Value for money is a necessity and needs to be remembered . The super rich can only account for a smaller percentage of the numbers needed to fuel the economy. The average tourist needs to be taken into account.
See more on my Authors Website---------- cycling70yearsonceworldchampion.com. --------- Hopefully you might read my book.
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