“The beach at Es Trenc has gone from being a tourist attraction and the base of the economy to being a big problem,” according to the President of the Hotel Association of Colònia de Sant Jordi, Pau Bonet. “Tourists have complained repeatedly in recent years and now they ask about the state of the beach before they make a reservation. If this situation is not corrected, we will have serious problems,” he said.
The President of the Hotel Association also claims that the purchasing power of tourists has slumped by 50% because most of the holidaymakers are only interested in booking ‘all inclusive’ holidays.
The Mayor of ses Salines, Juan Rodríguez, says that’s hurting the economy.
“This situation is affecting bars and restaurants in Colònia de Sant Jordi,” he says, “we used to have quality, family oriented tourism, and now the situation has been reversed and much of that is because of the Management of the beach at Es Trenc.”
Both the Hotel Association and the City Council are urging the Ministry of Environment to provide Managementat Es Trenc-Salobrar Natural Park that will improve services for residents, tourists and swimmers.
"The natural park is a total nonsense," says Pau Bonet, who claims a large number of services have been eliminated.
“The management only offers services for about 1,000 people, when in reality around 12,000 go to es Trenc every summer. There are not enough bathrooms, the number of beach bars, hammocks and umbrellas has been drastically reduced and tons of garbage is accumulating,” he says.
"We are not against the Natural Park, Mayor Rodriguez points out, “but the management, has turned out to be a fiasco. We want sustainability, but at the same time we have to defend economic progress and we are totally against having dirty beaches.”
The Minister of Medi Ambient, Miquel Mir, disagrees with Mr Bonet and Mayor Rodriguez.
”The beach is managed better now than it ever was and nobody has contacted me to complain,” he insists. “The Government is obliged to guarantee the conservation of the beach and we are working to protect it because scientific studies show that the beach receded by 6 metres between 1956 and 2015.”
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Maybe NOW with this COVID-19 virus issue is concerned, the Majorcan Government will sit up and take note that us tourists with our Euros contribute to the coffers of this fine island and will require us from Northern Europe to return and provide the funding to help an economy which is surely almost on it's kneesPut a vote out to the thousands of unemployed for their opinion ?No doubt the politicians are still being paid wages ?
Putting it this way, I have been coming to Majorca, twice a year since 2001. The last time I visited Es Trenc was 3 years ago. Just before the chiringitos were pulled down, straw parasols removed and illegal to remove the dead posidonia because it wasn’t dry...... I won’t be going to Es Trenc again as I have found other better alternative arrangements
This part of Majorca used to be a paradise. Now it is ruined and overbuilt. The ministers are saying they don't want cheap holidaymakers yet you are still building as in Camp De Mar and creating too much hotel capacity.
Unfortunately , this is only the start. Far too many of the so called managers and politicians can talk the talk , but because they have very little experience or common sense , they cannot walk the walk. Most of them seem to have their own , petty projects and care about nothing else. Until the public wake up and realise their beautiful island is being destroyed by these people , nothing will change. Tourists will vote with their wallets and already Egypt and Turkey are seeing huge gains this year.
Surely the currency is Euros not dollars !
Dirty Beach´s , basically a Government who talks about tourist as they are bad and not needed locking off then beach to tourist , no parking , expensive , it will be interesting to see how the music will change when they need the tourist $$$ .