The popular beach at Portals Nous.

The popular beach at Portals Nous. | Teresa Ayuga

Humphrey CarterCalvia04/12/2015 00:00
TW
0

Calvia Council yesterday unveiled its proposed budget for 2016 and it includes sharp increases in the amount of money being invested in tourism, sport and security. The budget, which has to be put to council for full approval, includes a 64 per cent increase in the amount of money spent on the upkeep and installation of facilities and services at the municipality’s beaches:
in particular, greater access for the disabled and a general improvement of the quality of the services already on offer in the resorts.

The council intends to use this extra money and the improvements to extend the season by at least a month until what will officially become the new end of the season, 15 October. In order to make sure that visitors know about the important improvements being made, the budget for tourism promotion is going to be increased by nearly 11 per cent to 758,000 euros for 2016.

The council is also proposing the injection of an extra 57 per cent, some 665,000 euros, into the municipal sports centres and increasing the amount of funding available to help sponsor local sports stars and federations by 10 per cent. With the council keen to tighten the relationship between sport and tourism, they consider the increase in funding makes sense considering that, next year, the municipality is going to be hosting the Business World Games, the Islands Games, World Beach Volleyball Championships, an international basketball event, the Paguera challenge, the four-day walking event plus the beach rugby and football tournaments and the world police and Majorca five-a-side tournament in May which will attract over 1,500 competitors.