A NEW initiative by Balearic tourism
chiefs could signal the end of package holidays for British tourists.
Island
bosses say the market is moving away from the traditional sun, sea and sand
package deal, with a growing number of holidaymakers researching and tailoring
their trips independently.
Tourism
officials have set up a panel of experts to devise a strategy for cashing in on
the growth by widening the region’s product range.
Institute
of Balearic Tourism (IBATUR) director Tiffany Blackman insisted the strategy
reflected a change in holiday trends and was not a reaction to a 500,000 dip in
tourist numbers this year. “There are people flying in on EasyJet and staying
in five-star hotels,” she said. “It’s a revolution. People are getting what
they want, and not what they are sold as part of a package.”
The Balearics Ministry of Tourism is repositioning the
region by investing in facilities for activity holidays. Bosses will also be
concentrating on promoting the region’s history and culture and developing
rural areas. The panel of 10 academic experts, announced last week at a
conference in Palma, will look at issues facing the industry and report back in
March 2003.