Warnings of economic threat from all-inclusive holidays

According to statistics drawn from PIME's annual survey of its associates, tourist service companies reported a drop of 64% in income in June. The survey looks at the state of urbanisations and analyses twelve different aspects, including, for the first time this year, the all-inclusive holiday. The results show that, of the 34 urbanisations analysed, 10 were being affected by this type of holiday and 21 "badly affected", especially those situated in tourist areas in the districts of Alaior, Es Mercadal and Ciutadella which, together, contain 73% of the tourist beds in Menorca. Whilst recognising the hoteliers' right to sell their product in the way they consider best, PIME's General Secretary, Pau Seguí, stressed the damage caused by all-inclusive deals to small businesses and emphasised that companies and authorities must remember that on an island like Menorca any decision can have negative consequences on a sector of the population and on the economy. "All we know is that the all-inclusive trend is growing. People don't leave their establishment and the rest of the tourist service companies are affected", he warned.