The experimental European Senior Tourism programme put in motion by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism last year has proved unsuccessful in Menorca and the other Balearic Islands. The pilot scheme, which was run by SEGITUR with a budget of 11 million euros, offered 80,000 places in Andalucía and the Balearics (40,000 in each region) to pensioners from 16 Eastern European countries between October 2009 and April 2010. The majority of the 50,000 bookings were for Andalucía, only 5,000 choosing the Balearic Islands, with Menorca expecting around 100 pensioners from Greece.
In view of the poor results gained from a programme designed to lengthen the tourist season in Menorca, the President of ASHOME has called for changes in the programme. Joan Melis has been in contact with the management of SEGITUR with a view to studying ways to promote the scheme.
Although the programme started in the Balearics later than planned (due to a delay in selecting a company to run it), Melis feels that this was not directly the cause of the scheme's failure, nor was the weather which is traditionally better on the mainland than in the islands. He feels several factors were to blame: the low spending power of Eastern European countries and the eternal problem of air transport to Menorca which has no direct flights to countries such as Slovakia, Hungary or Poland, meaning that passengers have to change at Palma, thus lengthening the journey.
The Menorcan Hoteliers' Association is asking that the European Senior Tourism Programme be extended to other countries, such as Great Britain, Germany and France. Melis also suggests that, in the same way that the hotels are taking a risk in opening in low season for this type of tourism, the airlines should likewise take the risk of operating flights.
IMSERSO - helping to lengthen the season
Three of the island's hotels have been working with the IMSERSO (senior tourism in Spain) programme this year, enabling them to stay open for ten months of the year: the Club Hotel Aguamarina in S'Arenal den Castell which has had an average of 1,000 tourists per day; the Club Hotel Almirante Farragut in Cala en Forcat with a daily average of 850 visitors; and the Hotel Barceló Hamilton in Es Castell which is actually open all year round.
The Club Hotel Almirante Farragut opened on 14th February for the senior programme which will run until May, when the ordinary season starts, and plans to stay open until the end of November or early December.
The 900 bed hotel is almost full, thanks to the IMSERSO programme. The clients come for a week at a time, staying on a full board basis.
The hotel director, Vicente Arocas, believes the IMSERSO programme to be a positive initiative as it enables the hotel to remain open for ten months and, although not bringing in a lot of money, it helps to lengthen the season, maintain the building and grounds and give work to the personnel (in this case between 115 and 120 workers).
This year, for the first time, the programme has been extended until May and will see around 32,000 senior tourists visit Menorca.