News 20.08.15 HOTEL STATS
Magaluf starts to clean up act
CRIME AND anti-social behaviour in the popular Majorcan resort of Magaluf have fallen, new statistics have revealed. Data from the Magaluf Hotel
Association showed that the number of young people (aged 16-25) visiting the resort had also decreased by 9%, meaning 50,000 fewer tourists in this age range had stayed in the town. Couples (aged 30 years and over)
and families had increased by 5.2%. Meanwhile crime rates, constituting
robberies, prostitution, hawking and drug dealing, fell 87% between May and July 2015, compared with the same period in 2014. There were three arrests in 2015 compared with 23 in 2014, and a further 50% fewer guests were expelled from hotels for bad behaviour. In addition there have also been 50% fewer cases of balcony falls in Magaluf. The MHA attributed this to the
approval of new law-enforcement measures and a greater presence of Spanish and British police. Organised pub crawls were also
“significantly reduced”, the MHA said, with pubs in Punta Ballena reporting revenues down by 40%. The MHA said in a bid to attract
“a more affluent and sophisticated guest”, hotels were moving away from all-inclusive packages, which currently comprise 30% of the Magaluf hotel market. “The typical Magaluf tourist is
steadily being replaced by families and more mature holidaymakers, which is affecting the season in two ways; first, by causing a fall in hotel occupancy (around 4% less in July 2015 than July 2014), but optimising at the same time the balance between occupancy and prices, in which an increase of 5-8% in prices, lowers temporarily room occupancy but, in turn, helps to change the mix of customer profiles,” it added. British holidaymakers comprised
55% of the 1.5 million stays up to July 2015.
08 20.08.2015
India’s new visa move will ‘raise its profile’
Edward Robertson
TOUR OPERATORS have welcomed India’s move to add the UK to its e-tourist visa scheme. The country
was one of 36 to receive the upgrade last weekend, meaning tourists can apply for the paperwork up to four days before their arrival in the country, at a cost of $60. Indian authorities also added
seven new airports, including the tourist hot spots of Jaipur and Varanasi, to the list of nine where international tourists can have their visas processed on arrival. The Indian government said it
hoped the change would boost UK visitor numbers to the country, following the removal of the previous rules that required would-be visitors to visit an application centre where their fingerprints were taken. UK tour operators had been so
alarmed about the former rules that they met with Indian authorities in March to discuss the changes. If Only business development
manager Neil Sealy said: “This is great news. I expect that this will be a real boost for tourism to India because obviously it simplifies the visa process and makes it a lot fairer for prospective travellers. It also means people can book last minute too. “I suspect the Indian authorities
did listen at that meeting – several operators voiced their concerns and hopefully the message was made clear that India was losing market share to neighbouring countries.” John Telfer, Explore product director,
agreed: “This is absolutely excellent news, I’m sure this change will boost tourism to India among UK tourists. “I am delighted that the High
Commission took onboard tour operators’ concerns – not only will it be faster and less hassle for travellers to get a visa, it will
Varanasi is one of the airports that can process visas on arrival
also be significantly cheaper.” Wendy Wu Tours marketing manager Ben Briggs said the change would make the operator’s life easier, as they sorted out the visas for travellers taking an escorted tour of the country. “It is going to raise the profile of India,” he added. “I would definitely expect to see an increase in interest from consumers too.” Titan Travel director of product and
operations Andy Squirrell added: “It is a massive stride forwards. Anything that makes it easier to visit has got to be a good thing.”
A PRICKLY AFFAIR: Bath Travel Newton Abbot donated £200 to hedgehog charity Prickly Ball Farm to help make vital repairs for the organisation’s hospital. The donation will go towards fixing the roof of the hospital, to ensure the farm can continue rescuing and protecting sick, injured and abandoned hedgehogs across the South West. The branch manager at Bath Travel Newton Abbot, Debbie Penman, and three members of staff visited Prickly Ball Farm on August 9 to present the contribution. Staff then spent the morning learning about the hedgehogs and the work that goes into ensuring they are well looked after before they can be released.
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