"Nobody will notice such small quantities..." was what some of the collaborators of the TIU headquarters on the island must have thought when the pocketed part of commissions. According to the German magazine Focus, they amount to "over ten million marcs". TUI's spokesperson, Rainer Ortlepp, calculates the loss to be of "a few hundred thousand marcs".
Three facts contradict this relatively modest sum:
1.) The day of the week that a press conference was called: a Sunday.
2.) The confirmation from Majorcan hotel owners who attended the fair of tourism in London, that a commission of 0.5 to 2% of the trading volume upon signature of a contract is common practice. 
3.) The sudden leave granted to TUI's local boss, Wolgang Graf Pilati ("the eternal shady minister") a year from his already announced retirement. Pilati, who, in the last thirty years, has undoubtedly made a major contribution to the tourist boom of the area, declared -- before the scandal broke out -- to the local newspaper Diario de Mallorca that "I announced my retirement years ago. You don't have to wait until you're old to fulfill your dreams."
Make of it what you will.

The competition for the grounds of the Davis Cup between Spain and Germany (see Mallorca News No. 17) has been resolved. At the meeting held between the director of the local Hotel Association, Ignacio Esteve (photo on the right) and the Spanish team's coach Manolo Santana (left) the Coll d'Os facilities (three courts), belonging to the Hotel L'Illot, were chosen over the Tennis Club S'Aguait (12 courts).
Santana, who had been against Mallorca being chosen as site for the big event, explained the reasons behind this decision: "In choosing between an excellent hotel which, however, is not equipped with quality courts and excellent courts which do not have an adequate hotel, I lean towards the first option simply because it is easier to build excellent courts".
It just so happens that Hotel S'Illot belongs to the man who so fervently defended Mallorca as candidate for this super sports event... the director of the local Hotel Association, Esteve.

Palma's first genuine German beer bar, Brahaus in German, recently opened at the cultural centre S'Escorxador, and is having a great success. First they won the battle to obtain the opening permit, then the bar had a full-house the day it opened on the 9th of November and now it is even filling up with Majorcans during the week. Quoting the manager, Thomas Dechow, "this is one of our main objectives", considering it is a first of this type of bar on the islands and was promoted by a group of German investors (the reformation of the old slaughter house cost approximately 25 million pesetas). The ingredients to its success are: a large space, tables on two floors, a separate ball room, a few appetizing German specialties and cerveza d'oro.. a deliciousnaturally brewed dark beer.