Are regional political decisions the key element in reducing seasonal variation in tourism? The case of the Balearic Islands.

As a mature tourism destination, the Balearic Islands suffer the normal effects of the stagnation stage of the tourism area life cycle (TALC) model. During stagnation, reorientation policies are used in an attempt to mitigate some of those effects in order to reduce the prevalence of seasonality. Various planning instruments have been designed and implemented by successive local governments, a key priority being the attempt to find a strategic answer to reducing this phenomenon. Based on the analysis of successive marketing plans of the Autonomous Region of the Balearic Islands, and using the Gini index to measure seasonality, this study explores the link between the two and demonstrates that regional political policies adopted over the last 20 years have not reduced seasonal variation in tourism. The demand remains at the same levels of seasonality as in the 1990s, suggesting the ineffectiveness of the policies implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]