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Tuesday 2 September 2003

Traveller's Insights

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Hello,


This is Nucha Aquino from Thailand/Philippines.  
Welcome to our Small World. We are sending this 
ezine to 3000 readers today.


We publish weekdays. The schedule is roughly like this:
 > Monday - Culture Shock
 > Tuesday - Traveller's Insights
 > Wednesday - Tales/Legends or Current Issues
 > Thursday - International Recipes
 > Friday - Q&A and Miscellaneous Talks

and, occasionally, a weekly paid solo advertisement on Saturdays.

Any comment is welcome. Please write to me

When I was in Germany (1996-1998), every summer there would 
be big "Mallorca" ads everywhere. It seemed to be the most
popular summer destination then....

Your Banner or 8-line ad here for $10. Order here.

Invasions of Mallorca

By Kim Davis

The island of Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic chain,
which lies off the eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain. 
Thanks to its rugged topography, balmy climate, and old 
world architectural charm, Mallorca has been a favorite of 
European tourists since the 1960's. Many Americans have 
found their way to Mallorca as well, but Americans do not 
have the advantage of the cheap air and rail fares that the 
Europeans enjoy. The history of the Balearics is rich and 
culturally diverse. The islands' numerous protected ports 
have made them a logical stop along the trade routes of 
sailors for centuries, consequently the influences of 
African, Asian, and diverse European peoples is seen 
throughout the indigenous culture.

The 1960's saw a massive influx of tourists from first 
France, and then England and finally Germany as dictator 
Francisco Franco relaxed his foreign policy in the latter 
years of his life. On Mallorca, the first wave of tourists 
to fall in love with and "invade" the island was French. 
Since the Mallorquin people never really accepted Spanish 
rule, and still consider themselves first Mallorquin, and 
second Catalan, accepting their French neighbors was not a 
long stretch. The Mallorquin people, by nature are very 
capitalistic; therefore, though they grumble about the 
foreigners, they quickly learn their languages and find 
ways to take their money.

On a larger and more unattractive scale, the "English 
invasion" which came in the late 60's was accompanied by 
under- regulated construction of budget tourist 
accommodations, and nightclubs. Fortunately this budget 
class tourist tends to seek sun, sand, and sex, and they 
have proven to be satisfied with one or two infamous coastal 
towns designed for their pleasure. Many of the young English 
tourists on package holidays spend their entire fortnight 
visit drinking and chasing the opposite sex in the town of 
Magaluf, and never venture any further. This arrangement
worked relatively well for the islanders for 25 years. The 
ugly tourists rarely encroached on their homes. The 
government of Mallorca, to their credit, learned a lesson 
from this period of unchecked development, and has since 
become quite strict about new construction. No longer does 
one see the poorly constructed high-rise eyesores of 30 
years ago. These unattractive buildings are gradually being 
renovated or replaced. 

The wealthy, well-healed tourists carved their niche on the
dramatic Northwestern coast from Estellencs through 
Valledmossa, Deia, and Soller. Here, care was taken to 
preserve the beautiful old fincas, and a number of them 
became small exclusive hotels and resorts. This area was 
always more exclusive than the more accessible regions of 
the island because of the Serra de Tramuntana Mountain range 
which divides it from the rest of the island. Up until the 
late 1990's when the EEC began to make money available for 
major development, even the major roads leading to the 
Northwestern coastal towns were very narrow and poorly 
maintained. The trip to Deia from the airport at Palma took 
over an hour even though the actual distance is only about
30 km as the crow flies. Now, however, new roads have made
travel much easier.

Today Mallorca is home to quite a few expatriate residents 
from England, and America, but many of these long-term 
residents are leaving due to the current "German Invasion." 
As European Union became a certainty in the 90's, Germans 
afraid of loosing money with the equalization of the 
European currencies began to flood Mallorca spending 
exorbitant sums on properties and businesses where the rate 
of exchange worked in their favor. The net result of all 
this German investment was rapid, massive inflation on the 
island. Now, less than ten years later, no native Mallorquin
can afford to buy property. On entering any restaurant, 
foreign guests now are addressed in German first. Upon 
learning that the guest is not German, many waiters will 
visibly relax, and if the guest speaks Spanish or 
Mallorquin, the waiter will often indulge in a bit of 
good-natured "German-bashing."

The negative effects of tourism long ago seeped through the 
very fabric of life on Mallorca. Now, however, with the 
dramatic escalation of prices the locals can no longer 
afford to buy houses. Maintenance work for those who already 
own their houses can only be done at outlandish prices since 
wages have increased to compensate. The Germans have been 
chilly neighbors, fortifying their properties with 
impenetrable walls to keep prying eyes away.

Now, however, the financial advantages for the Germans have
evaporated, and the other expatriate residents are expecting
property prices to return to a more affordable level.


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Author Kim Davis lived on the magical island of Mallorca 
for 6 years. Today Kim is a freelance writer specializing 
in information for job seekers in the adventure travel
industry. To learn more about her work, visit her two 
websites: http://www.kpdavis.com/, and 
http://www.yachtie.net/. Kim also publishes a free weekly 
online newsletter "Extraordinary Jobs for Ordinary People." 
Subscribe at: 
http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/Extraordinary_Jobs