News reports 2018.

[El Gordo]

Fines of 200 euros for ignoring Formentor traffic restriction:

Majorca Daily Bulletin

 

[JPALCOVER]

https://majorcadailybulletin.com/news/local/2018/08/04/52745/august-hotel-prices-being-cut.html




https://majorcadailybulletin.com/ne...769/hotel-occupancy-falling-ten-per-cent.html



... see full articles on the MDB website

Nothing like a few official numbers from the statistical institute of the Balearic Islands:

Estadísticas del turismo-Por islas

These are the official figures for “tourist entries"

2011 TOTAL MALLORCA: 8.926 M (From: Germany: 3.309; UK: 1.899)
2012 TOTAL MALLORCA: 9.174 M (From: Germany: 3.451; UK: 1.986)
2013 TOTAL MALLORCA: 9.480 M (From: Germany: 3.710; UK: 2.106)
2014 TOTAL MALLORCA: 9.650 M (From: Germany: 3.731; UK: 2.166)
2015 TOTAL MALLORCA: 9.978 M (From: Germany: 3.740; UK: 2.229)
2016 TOTAL MALLORCA:10.907 M (From: Germany: 4.188; UK: 2.289)
2017 TOTAL MALLORCA: 11.637 M (From: Germany: 4.434; UK: 2.316)

2017 TOTAL MALLORCA (6 Months): 4.836 M (From: Germany: 1.983; UK: 950)
2018 TOTAL MALLORCA (6 Months): 4.910 M (From: Germany: 1.856; UK: 949)

Difficult to defend the point of view that the trend is downwards!

July and August may be less positive than in previous years, but this still has to be confirmed with "Hard Numbers".

Furthermore, what is more interesting is "revenue from tourists" (as opposed to "number of tourists"). The Illa d'Or seems to have understood that!

Ever since I started looking at Balearic tourism figures in 1986 (after working for a major tourism operator of the island), I do not recall one year when the locals did not complain in the summer that “tourism was going down” and then, lo and behold, when the official figures came out the following year, agree that “it was a better year than last”!

 

[Luckjon]

Drugs den raid in Puerto Pollensa

https://majorcadailybulletin.com/ne...ons-arrested-puerto-pollensa-drugs-swoop.html

 

[Sparky]

From the UH :-

Cala Barques, in Pollença, loses half of its sand, hammocks and parasols for a 'torrenteda.

The beach of Cala Barques (Pollença) lost on Monday half of its sand , hammocks and umbrellas for the effects of the storm that left at dawn important rains in the area. On the beach flows a torrent that dragged rocks and plant material and the force of the water took away much of the beach furniture.

The Neighborhood Association of Port de Pollença (concessionaire of the beach) worked throughout the morning to clear the area as much as possible. It was not the only effect that the storm had in Pollença.

The increased flow in the torrents caused traffic problems in different roads and the release of two large rocks in Cala Carbó, without causing casualties.

The original report can be seen here :- https://ultimahora.es/noticias/part...-arena-hamacas-sombrillas-por-torrentada.html

 

[sws97sdg]

We saw the torrent flowing for the first time ever, never seen it even in the winter

 

[mike_dublin]

https://majorcadailybulletin.com/ne...15/holiday-rentals-places-will-disappear.html

The holiday rentals association Habtur has presented its submissions related to the Council of Majorca's PIAT plan for intervention in tourism areas. The association considers the plan to be "another measure" against the holiday rentals sector. Its president, Joan Miralles, said yesterday that the current period of government (since 2015) "should have been a time to regulate activity, but instead each step moves towards prohibition".

The most important challenge that Habtur is making has to do with the limit on the number of accommodation places. PIAT is the legislative device for establishing limits, and at present this means 430,000 in Majorca, of which 315,000 are hotel places. There is, however, no mechanism for recovering rentals places for properties that had been licensed prior to legislation coming into effect.

Habtur puts a figure of 90,000 on these places, these all being legal places in stand-alone properties such as villas. The point about these properties is that if an owner decides at some point to withdraw a property from the holiday rentals market and de-registers the places, these places cannot then be made available to any other owner. ...

The association is more positive about policies such as energy efficiency for holiday rentals properties, but it is concerned that some requirements contained in PIAT will mean owners who already have licences having to give them up.

...

 

[mike_dublin]

https://majorcadailybulletin.com/news/local/2018/10/04/53337/balearics-human-pressure-easing.html

Data from the Balearics Statistics Institute show that the highest number of people on the islands in July was 1,982,406 on the 24th of that month. This was lower than last year's record for July (2,033,640) and also down on the maximum in July 2016 - 1,996,146. If there has been a perception that there have been fewer tourists this year, then the institute's figures back this up.

The numbers for August are not available yet. This is the month when the annual maximum is typically registered. On 9 August last year the figure was 2,078,276. It is unlikely that this will have been exceeded this year.

Over the course of 2018, the trend has been down. The only exception was March. Easter led to a marked increase in the number of visitors.

Statistics for human pressure have been gathered since 1997. In that year the maximum (it was in August) was 1,364,594. The registered population of the Balearics has grown from 796,483 to 1,128,139, the figure at the start of this year. The minimum human pressure so far this year was on 8 January - 1,131,953.

 

[sws97sdg]

Terrible news overnight, 2 dead and 20 missing in the floods, 200 litres of rain fell per m2, thoughts going out to all affected, terrifying videos and pictures on Facebook, scenes of disaster like you see in other parts of the world and not our beloved Mallorca

 

[Doogz1874]

Terrible news overnight, 2 dead and 20 missing in the floods, 200 litres of rain fell per m2, thoughts going out to all affected, terrifying videos and pictures on Facebook, scenes of disaster like you see in other parts of the world and not our beloved Mallorca

Just seen some of the footage on Facebook - absolutely horrific.
Already seen other reports showing the number of dead as 4 or 5 and fear it'll only get worse.

 

[sws97sdg]

Latest reports are 5 dead and 15 missing, so sad!

Reports now saying 2 of the dead are from the UK travelling in a taxi, taxi driver also feared dead

 

[Sparky]

I am watching the local TV channel IB and it's a scene of devastation, 5 confirmed dead but this might rise, terrible news .

 

[Sparky]

Some photos here :- https://www.diariodemallorca.es/mul...10-139546-despues-inundacion-sant-lloren.html.

And here :- https://www.diariodemallorca.es/mul...-10-139535-inundacion-mortal-sant-lloren.html

 

[animagic21]

Very sad news. We landed at 6pm last night in constant thunder & lightning. The traffic in Palma was gridlocked, we had never seen anything like that in nearly 30 years. Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones.

 

[Rosie34]

Yes - it is just a frightening situation and just so tragic for the people who have lost their lives. I do hope you both manage to have a relaxing break despite all the terrible happenings.xx

 

[Tommo]

Terrible terrible news. Just hope that they find the missing soon.

 

[Lorenzo]

Pollensa Council has announced that there will be a minute's silence held in the Plaza Major in Pollensa tomorrow (11th Oct 2018) at 7pm in honour of the poor people who died in the recent devastating floods in the San Llorenc area.

 

[Sparky]

Pollensa Council has announced that there will be a minute's silence held in the Plaza Major in Pollensa tomorrow (11th Oct 2018) at 7pm in honour of the poor people who died in the recent devastating floods in the San Llorenc area.

Communities always come together in times of need. Rafa Nadal has been helping with the clean up and also opened his sport center to those affected

 

[mike_dublin]

https://www.majorcadailybulletin.co...a-tourist-resident-ratio-highest-majorca.html

A study of housing in Pollensa by Ivan Murray and Margalida Mestre at the University of the Balearic Islands geography department suggests that Pollensa has one of the highest numbers of tourists per inhabitant on the planet.

The ratio is put at 24.76 tourists per municipal resident. Only Ibiza Town in the Balearics exceeds this - 25.56. The average in the Balearics is 10.25. The Pollensa ratio is more than four times that of Barcelona, which is 5.48. As the number of holiday rentals places (legal ones alone) is above the number of hotel places, the data, suggests the study, explain why there is a housing crisis in Pollensa.

The town hall, which was given the results of the study on Wednesday, points to the need to guarantee access to housing and is examining ways of doing this, such as through the building of social housing. There hasn't been any of this for some twenty years. ...

A comparison has been made between incomes from holiday and residential letting, and the study concludes that higher average annual income can be obtained from the latter. ...

The social impact of housing problems has been the loss of 1,103 residents since 2009....

see full article on the MDB website

 

[mike_dublin]

https://www.majorcadailybulletin.co...t-backs-pollensa-control-ternelles-finca.html

There is a new development in the seemingly endless and complicated saga of access to the Ternelles finca in Pollensa.

The biodiversity department at the regional environment ministry is giving its support to Pollensa town hall's argument that it should maintain the right of access to the sea (Cala Castell). This would be in accordance with what was approved by the Council of Majorca in 2006.

The town hall had been giving authorisation to hikers, but the owners (the March family) organised guided visits - the town hall's were not guided - operated by the Mediterranean Wildlife Foundation. The town hall disagreed but since July has not been processing any requests for authorisation.

The environment ministry's support would essentially mean that the situation which existed from 2006 would be revived. There would be a limit on the number of hikers (twenty a day), and the town hall would only place restrictions on access to the Castell del Rei, which overlooks Cala Castell, if this puts the breeding of black vultures at risk. There would also be restrictions if the town hall is advised to introduce these temporarily on conservation grounds.

...

see full article on the MDB website

 

[mike_dublin]

ETIAS from 2021 for UK travellers

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46564884

Britons will have to pay €7 (£6.30) every three years to travel to EU countries, as a consequence of Brexit.

The European Commission has confirmed that while UK travellers will not need a visa, they will need to apply for and buy another document from 2021.

It is called an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) and although not launched yet, is expected to come into force in 2021.

The travel requirement is not just for the UK but for many non-EU countries.


What is the ETIAS?

Citizens of EU countries - which currently includes British people - are able to travel anywhere in the EU.

But anyone from a non-EU country has to apply for a visa - unless they are from a special list of 61 countries, which also includes the US, Japan and Australia.

Nationals from these 61 countries can travel within the EU's Schengen zone - the area where people can travel without border checks - for up to 90 days without a visa.
However, because of the migrant crisis and security concerns over terrorism, the EU has decided to bring in more controls over the countries on this special list.

So it is introducing the ETIAS - an electronic application form - which is Europe's version of the United States' $14 ESTA, although as the EU Commission points out, it is "way cheaper".


It is not a visa but a travel requirement for anyone on that list of 61 non-EU countries who are coming to the EU for business, tourism, medical or transit-related reasons for up to 90 days.

The EU says the ETIAS system will "undergo a detailed security check of each applicant".


What will UK travellers to the EU have to do?

Under the Brexit deal, EU citizens and UK nationals will continue to be able to travel freely with a passport or identity card until the end of the transition period in 2020.

After this period ends, the European Commission has offered visa-free travel for UK nationals coming to the EU for a short stay, as long as the UK offers the same in return.

But although they do not need a visa, UK nationals will need an ETIAS - deal or no deal.

The form will take no more than 10 minutes to fill out, the EU says, and anyone between the ages of 18 and 70 must pay the fee.

The details needed for the application form will include passport information, education and work experience, as well as background questions about criminal records or medical conditions.

...

see full article on the BBC website