Government all fore more golf courses

It would appear that after years of political and public debate the local tourism authorities are going to take a swing in the right direction by allowing more golf courses to be built in the Balearics. Regional Minister for Tourism, Celesti Alomar, presenting a report carried out by the Confederation of Balearic Business Association (CAEB), on how the golfing market has performed and developed over the past few years, admitted that if the Balearics intends to seriously compete with other golf destinations and not lose its present share of the market, the region needs more courses. Alomar said that last year, 80.000 tourists came to the Balearics to play golf; spending around 145 million euros. There will be strict parameters within which new golf courses must be built, such as in existing tourist resorts and not accompanied by sprawling urban developments. All courses have to be irrigated using treated sewage water and not have a negative impact on the environment. But, while Alomar favours more courses, the final decision rests in the hands of the Insular Councils of Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza. “Should the Insular Councils decide to build more courses, it must be done under the aforementioned circumstances. “From the point of view of the tourist industry, we do not have enough courses and we need a slightly higher number in order to compete with other destinations,” Alomar said.