Costa referred to meetings this week at the Seatrade Europe fair in Hamburg involving the tourism minister Iago Negueruela and cruise operators.
These had proved to be fruitful, with the cruise companies having expressed a willingness to cooperate on regulating arrivals in Palma.
“It is positive that there has been sincere dialogue with the cruise companies.” The minister for the presidency stated that the government isn’t seeking to prohibit cruise ships but wishes to regulate them in order to prevent accumulations of ships on the same days and at the same times.
The initial talks in Hamburg have not produced anything concrete, but Costa explained that it had been proposed that cruise operators should introduce more staggering of stopovers.
She added that there won’t be any preferences for certain cruise operators rather than others and that the aim will be to have the most consensual plan possible.
Meanwhile, the opposition Partido Popular expressed their support for cruise tourism and criticised the government for failing to take into account the economic contribution made by cruises and the jobs that are created.
The PP leader, Biel Company, believed that it was incongruent that the government in Madrid (via the State Ports) should announce investment of 116 million euros in Palma while the Balearic government should wish to limit cruise ships.
Company called on President Armengol to recognise reports which highlight the positive effects of cruise tourism and to not take any decisions that will have a negative impact.
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Senior Company, could you give some examples of the breadth and depth of the positive Impact cruise ships have on Palma? Where are these positive reports and who are they from? I'm struggling to see beyond the state port making a packet, perhaps some shipping service companies and then some cafes and bars and some shops perhaps. Meagre amounts for the local businesses too, I shouldn't wonder, certainly not proportionate to the vast numbers that can swamp the city centre.