Balearics joins forces with Cataluña to boost tourism

Staff reporter THE Balearics and Cataluña are about to embark on a joint tourism promotional campaign with the aim of consolidating the more traditional and established markets while opening up new ones. The Catalan minister for Tourism, Commerce and Industry Antoni Fernández Teixidó travelled to Palma yesterday for talks with Joan Flaquer, the Balearic Tourism Minister and president Jaume Matas. The joint-campaign is to run for the next two years with the main focus being on the British and German holiday markets. The Balearics and Cataluña will be constantly monitoring holiday market behaviour in the UK and Germany, sharing results and ideas while developing joint promotional campaigns for both the summer and winter seasons. Antoni Fernández Teixidó said that apart from the fact that both regions can bring a great deal of tourism “know-how” together, two of Spain's leading tourism destinations will able to work side by side in responding to changes in the holiday industry while sharing each other's experiences in order to significantly improve the quality of tourism products and services offered. Flaquer added that apart from the interests in tourism the two regions share, there are also very strong cultural and linguistic ties between the Balearics and Cataluña which make it only natural the two regions should work together to reach a common goal. Fernández Teixidó was quick to add that the Catalan government has always enjoyed close ties with the Balearics, irrespective of the politics involved and that this joint venture is no different. Over the past 12 months, Cataluña has experienced a boom in tourism, both domestic and foreign, and enjoys a thriving winter industry, something the Balearics is still trying to successfully get off the ground.