Catalina Cladera, president of the Council of Majorca. | Jaume Morey

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Catalina Cladera, the president of the Council of Majorca, wants the island to become a benchmark for sustainable and intelligent tourism. The responsibilities that the Council now has for tourism promotion will be carried out in line with this ambition.

Cladera was speaking earlier this week at a conference about public-private cooperation for "a tourism of the future" at Palma's Es Baluard. Among other matters, this conference considered strategic plans for tourism, the value of the Majorca brand and tourism competitiveness in the Balearics.

The Council has been developing the first ever tourism promotion plan specific to Majorca. A diagnosis of tourism on the island shows that Majorca has excellent connectivity, with the third busiest airport in Spain, and that it is one of the principal destinations for cruise ships. Majorca is also identified with tourism of the masses and has a concentration of hotel accommodation. This is in the Palma Bay area and along the eastern and northern coasts - 88% of all hotel places (298,358).

According to the Council, the "notorious positioning" of the island internationally will act as a key lever for a new tourism scenario. Promotion will focus on the island's protection, its natural values, the reinforcement of image and reputation, and the intelligent management of Majorca as a tourism destination.

For Cladera, it will be important that a path is set out for working together with the various stakeholders. Promotion will be guided by well-defined "master lines" so that it is tourism promotion for the future. This means that future tourism will be sustainable in accordance with all aspects of the Agenda 2030 (for sustainability) and that it will also be intelligent.

She stressed a working-together of business, unions, associations and ecologists - a pact for sustainable tourism that will ensure that Majorca is a highly modern and advanced destination that doesn't lose its leadership.

In terms of tourism competitiveness, the director of the Fundació Impulsa, Antoni Riera, presented an analysis based on some 100 indicators. The Balearics were compared with 180 other short to medium-haul destinations served by the main tourism markets, e.g. the UK. The analysis concluded that the Balearics occupy eighth position - "a very good position".