Playa de Palma plan needs 1´000m euros

ONCE the tourist consortium which will mastermind the ambitious refurbishment plan for the Playa de Palma is set up, the central government will ensure that the human and material means for developing the project are made available. Tourism chief Joan Flaquer confirmed that the central industry and tourism minister, José Montilla, had made a definite commitment to set up the consortium this month, as reported yesterday. The first task of the consortium will be to organise a competition for town planners, to design the refurbishment. The entire plan calls for an investment of 1'000 million euros spread over 15 years.
Flaquer said that Montilla agreed that “sun and sand” has been the predominant model of tourism in Spain for the past 40 years and will continue to be so, although he admitted that “small renovations” were needed to complement this model today. These initiatives include cycle paths (see story above). Following his meeting with Montilla in Madrid, Flaquer announced plans for two Paradors or State-run inns in Ibiza and Minorca. There is already a firm commitment to invest in one in Ibiza, while the one proposed for Mahon “is not on the imminent calendar for including in the budget” although the Balearic government fully backs the request made by the Council of Minorca for such an establishment to be built. Flaquer also said that he “respected” the decision taken by Balearic hoteliers to purchase 150 million dollars of public debt in the Dominican Republic.