"8 million people a year can't be wrong ! " a Majorca Island Travel Page by sourbugger

8 million tourists come here every year.

It was Majorca that perhaps set off the boom in mass travel in the 1960's but the history of tourism in Majorca goes right back to Roman times.

I rather like the fact that tourism to Majorca is democratic. What I mean by that is that the King of Spain will Holiday here (presumbly out of choice) and Michael Douglas and Zeta may live here, but the place is equally the playground of the factory worker from Rotherham on his annual week in the sun.

There are actually two spellings in common use of the island, either of which is usually pronounced My-YOR-ka.

Mallorca is the technically correct version and is the official Spanish name for the island (note a double-L in Spanish is pronounced with a Y).

Many will recognise the popular phrase: "The water in Majorca don't taste like what it oughta!"

It comes froma brilliant Heinekan advert some years back that was a parody of Pygmalion or My Fair lady.

In it a 'posh bird' is being trained to pronounce words in a cockey working class way. She is trying to say the words 'Majorca, but it comes out as 'Ma York ah', until the young assistant offers her some Heniken with the words 'Get your larfing gear around this' and she magically comes out with :

"The warter (water) in Maj-jaw-car (Mallorca) don't taste loike wat it oughta'. Success.
Although incorrect, the name Majorca has stuck with Brits.

P.S The Water is fine and fulfills all EC standards. The beer is a different question !

P.P.S I notice that VT sticks with and anglicised version of the name.