Days numbered for Palma port

PALMA
THE Mayor of Palma, Aina Calvo, used her address to open this year's Palma boat show to claim the time has time for the Port of Palma to be reformed.
Calvo said that this year's international boat show provides the relevant local authorities and administrations with the perfect opportunity to start discussing the future of the Port of Palma and how it can de remodelled and improved.

Calvo praised the city council and the Port Authority for having been able to successfully cooperate in setting up a larger boat show this year adding that the magnitude of the event is proof that the two bodies can work together. “The boat show is extremely important for Palma, it's the showcase of an industry which plays a vital role in the local economy, tourist industry and society as a whole,” she said. Last year nautical tourism generated 627 million euros in the Balearics, nearly 15 percent more than in 2006 and, according to the Palma City Councillor for Commerce and Industry, Francesca Vivas, a further growth in turnover is expected this year.

She said that the boat show is the most international annual trade fair in Palma and for that reason, it is 25 percent bigger this year.
Vives admitted that not only would she like to see the Port of Palma reformed but also Palma become a key Mediterranean centre for the nautical industry.

A number of ideas have been thrown up over the past few years with regards to reforming the harbour. The most popular is swapping the cruise port with the commercial docks in front of the Cathedral.

There is also a proposal to build a new shopping and entertainment centre, including a possible opera house, alongside a new cruise terminal.
However, it would appear from Calvo's comments yesterday that there appears to be a bone of contention between Palma City Council and the Port Authority; construction the new Palma sea front with the convention centre and luxury hotel will surely have to be completed first.