On Thursday evening, Calvia's mayor, Alfonso Rodríguez, stated that there is an urgent need to question the suitability of the current tourism business model.
Rodríguez was speaking at the opening of the Santa Ponsa Rei en Jaume fiestas. He outlined the "exhaustive" efforts made by public institutions in tackling the effects of the pandemic in Calvia and went on to say that lessons taken from the pandemic will "undoubtedly accelerate some processes already started" in the tourism industry, which "needs to draw conclusions about its adaptation to this 21st century".
"We cannot continue to measure tourism seasons just by the millions of tourists and stays per year. Nor should we believe that these indicators must grow year after year. We have to change our outlook. Quantity and the short-term profitability, thanks to the volume, will not mark the success of our future seasons. It will instead be medium-term competitiveness linked to the quality of the tourism offer and to service as well as to environmental, economic and social sustainability."
Future success, in the mayor's view, will be based on the singularity of what is Mallorca's own - "Our landscapes and rural environments; beaches, coves, the interior and the mountains; and also our way of being and living, our culture, tradition and gastronomy. Be authentic in order to be different. In short, offer experiences that tourists are seeking and fulfil the expectations that inspired them to come here."
Rodríguez stressed the importance of protecting the natural environment - a "generational responsibility and key to the future". In advocating a reduction in the consumption of natural resources, he called on the tourism industry to show "determination".
Among those in attendance were President Armengol and Catalina Cladera, the president of the Council of Mallorca.
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I'm sorry but haven't they been saying this for years and years. They have now had 2 years to make some changes in the law, but no, nothing has been done. Then they expect the EU to give the islands money without making any changes to employment law, low wages, high rents and temporary employment contracts.