The CAEB calls for more adventure sports activities

Joan Collins THE President of the Balearic Confederation of Company Associations (CAEB), Josep Oliver, yesterday called upon the tourism sector to offer adventure sports activities to make the Balearics a “destination of choice” in this field, thus contributing to making the Balearics an all year round holiday destination. He was speaking yesterday during the presentation of a Plan for encouraging nature tourism and sports tourism in Spain. This was developed by the Department of Tourism which proposes, amon st other things, the creation of a commission made up of different heads in this sector of tourism to coordinate the projects proposed. Oliver said that, due to the growing popularity of traditional nature activities in the Balearics, such as cycling and trekking, the administrations should concentrate on creating the conditions for, and the formation of, specialised monitors for adventure sports tourism. According to the CAEB's figures, more than 20 percent of tourists who visit the islands during the low season and more than 25 percent who visit in the high season consider sporting activities “important” or “very important” when choosing a holiday destination. The most practised activities in the Balearics are cycling, golf, sailing, SCUBA diving and trekking. In addition to these there are other less popular activities such as horse riding and tennis. As for the approach set out by the Plan at national level, the director of ANTAR (the company responsible for the study), Reyes Avila, explained the need to get an overall agreement to improve the procedures for the authorisation of adventure sports activities, which are at the moment different in each autonomous region. Avila also proposed negotiations with insurance companies to agree insurance standards and premiums, an agreement with the education administrations for the training of monitors and guides, the execution of a Plan for Promotion of the Product and the development of a manual for the planning of nature tourism, among other things. According to Avila's figures, the number of people staying in rural accommodation and campsites in Spain has risen by 20 percent in the last five years, a figure which has more significance when compared to the fall of one percent in people staying in hotels. “These numbers point to the fact that nature tourism is a growing sector”, he said. The average person requesting nature tourism is between 30 and 39 years old with a medium to high social and economic level, Spanish (71 percent), who spends an average amount per day of between 30 and 45 euros (Oliver said that it is 60-70 euros in the Balearics with an average stay of 10 days), who organises his holiday himself (93 percent), his main interests being photography (68 percent), walking routes (32 percent) and a general interest in nature. Avila also said that the involvement of the tourist administrations is important because between 15 and 20 percent of the investments made in projects for the environment and tourism in the last few years had financed Plans of Advancement and Excellence of this product.