Mallorca - Majorca local news
06 January 2009

The Three Kings Arrive
Thousands watched the arrival and parade of the Three Kings in Palma. The Kings arrived with their retinue aboard the Rafael Vereda, The oldest ship in the Spanish flotilla. The Kings and New Year are the most celebrated fiestas on the island although Christmas is catching up fast, 20 years ago it was hard to find Christmas trees and decorations, now all the big shops have large displays, children now receive gifts twice, how lucky are they. The 6 of January is one of the busiest days of the year at lunch time, many families eat out or hold large family meals at home.

Fastest growing population
The Balearic Islands lead population growth in Spain, according to new figures published by the National Statistics Institute. The report reveals that there are now 1,072,844 people registered as living on the islands, representing a 4.09 pc. increase on the previous year. This is almost double the population growth rate for Spain, which stands at 2.1 pc. The growth rate was attributed to the relatively stable economic situation compared to other regions of Spain, meaning that there has been an influx of job seekers in recent months.

Spain still top
An ABTA survey commissioned by the UK based newspaper The Daily Mail has found that changing economic circumstances are forcing Britons to reconsider their holiday choices. Although Spain still comes out top of the list of destinations with over 14 million trips booked by Britons last year, other countries, notably Egypt and Turkey have seen increases in bookings of package holidays. One of the prime reasons cited for the shift is the sliding value of Sterling, which has devalued significantly against the Euro. Many people who previously booked holidays in Europe now find that they can still have a Mediterranean holiday outside the Euro zone and make a significant saving. But research shows that those who think they may be making a saving may in fact are losing out due to inflated prices. In the face of increased demand some tour agents and hoteliers in Turkey have decided to cash in and have inflated their prices by 27%, according to research. By contrast, prices in Mallorca have held steady. Mallorca, Ibiza and Minorca still appear in the top 10 travel destinations for Britons.

Mount Mallorca
Six local mountaineers will set off to Nepal in March to explore a relatively unknown part of the Himalayas where they intend to scale and christen one of the mountains Mount Majorca. The six extremely experienced Majorcan climbers intend to reach the 6,310-meter summit of the mountain known as Kanti Himal which means dazzling woman and christen the peak Mount Mallorca as part of the ongoing campaign to take the names of Mallorca and the Balearics to new and high peaks. The expedition has been given the backing and support of the Council of Mallorca and the Ministry for Tourism.

Easy hotel search
Looking for that special hotel or just the cheapest apartment? Here you can compare prices and check availability from reliable and trusted tour operators. All you need to do is chose the location. Take a look at a2zmallorca Easy Accommodation Search.

** ** Add your business to a2aMallorca **
Add your business Link

Interesting websites for a2zmallorca users

PROPERTY
The a2z Mallorca Property Search.
Investment properties

HOLIDAYS
Majorca apartments
Majorca hotels
www.tobook.com
Majorca Hotels Guide

SPANISH LANGUAGE
Spanish course London
Spanish course Dublin

NAUTICAL
www.vita-bel.com - Charter trips
THE ISLANDER
Monthly newsletter for Boating & Living in the Balearics.

WEATHER
Mallorca Weather