Sex scandal resort Magaluf hit by bookings slump
comments
British holidaymakers are avoiding the Mallorca resort of Magaluf following its sex act shame, with last-minute bookings significantly down compared to last year.
Holiday searches increased by 25 per cent in the week following reports of the 18-year-old girl who performed a sex act on 24 men to win a free cocktail. But last year saw a 39 per cent surge in bookings over the same period.
The drop-off in holiday searches comes as the Spanish Tourist Office confirmed it was working with the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in an attempt to control the bad behaviour of tourists in the resort.
Wild behaviour: Two young girls ride a mechanical bull at Magaluf nightclub
The Spanish Tourist Office stated:'The aim of the discussions is to agree a series of measures to encourage responsible tourism in the Balearic Island.'
The tourism authority also admitted the video is damaging for the destination, which welcomes 3.3 million tourists a year.
Price comparison website trivago.co.uk, which recorded the figures, confirmed that a surge in bookings is normally seen at the same time each year as families and students rush to plan a last-minute summer break.
But the significant drop in interest this year could be due to families being put off by Magaluf's diminishing reputation, according to trivago.
A spokesperson for the company commented: 'It suggests some visitors were dissuaded by events in the media and perhaps the destination could benefit from cleaning up its image.'
While young holidaymakers may still be drawn to the resort, the tourism authority of Calvia, where Magaluf is situated, has passed a law to limit numbers of bar crawls in a bid to combat antisocial behaviour at the resort.
A teen (left) was filmed performing sex acts on 24 men, in a further blow to the reputation of the resort (right)
Celebrity ambassadors have also ditched Magaluf, with two stars of The Only Way Is Essex confirming they will no longer host pool parties for scandal-struck events company Carnage Magalluf.
James 'Arg' Argent and Dan Osborne, who both feature in the hit ITV show, announced they would not be taking part in the planned event after footage of the incident emerged two weeks ago.
Carnage Magalluf organised the controversial bar crawl where the young girl and 24 men became embroiled in the sex scandal.
A girl passes out on Magaluf's infamous Punta Bellena strip. The resort's reputation has crashed this summer
Not much left to the imagination: Magaluf has gained new notoriety in recent weeks
A spokesman for the TOWIE stars said: 'Arg and Dan Osborne won't be going to the pool parties because they started filming a couple of weeks late and are behind schedule.
'Whether they take part in the pool parties in future is something we will look at, but they definitely won't be going on the pub crawl, which is what the public has a problem with.
'They were only ever booked to go to the pool party and we are now considering whether to reschedule that.'
Making headlines: Magaluf has been in the press a lot in recent weeks
Party capital: Magaluf has been caught in the spotlight since the video footage emerged
It is believed the 18-year old had been told she would win a 'free holiday' for the sex acts, but a 'holiday' turned out to be the name of a cocktail at the bar.
The head of Carnage Events Magalluf, who organised the bar crawl on which the incident happened, caused further outrage by blaming the girl.
Paul Smith insisted he bore no 'moral responsibility' for the girl's actions, adding: 'She should be spoken to by her parents. It's something to do with her upbringing.'
Book your travel
Put the internet to work for you.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLove this place so much. Hope to visit Polynesia and Australia soon. Big thanks for sharing this with
ReplyDeleteSunPro - Ibiza