The municipality of Arta has 25 kilometres of coastline, along which there are coves, some difficult to access, and only three beaches that attract visitors in any number.
At these three beaches - Cala Torta, Colonia Sant Pere and Sa Canova - Arta Town Hall doesn't operate any beach concessions for sunloungers and other services. The municipality's tourism model, which is also characterised by very little coastal development, is one of sustainability.
There has in the past been talk about what this approach costs the town hall. While there is no income from sunloungers, there are outgoings; the town hall pays for the lifeguard and rescue services at the three beaches.
This has cropped up once more, the most recent council meeting having unanimously approved a motion for there to be a means of compensating the town hall. One suggestion was via the tourist tax. The request is to be sent to the regional tourism ministry, the federation for town halls and the Costas Authority.
The annual cost the town hall has to bear is set to increase by €54,000 to €218,000 because of renewal of the contract for the services that are provided. The motion that was approved cited examples elsewhere in Spain, e.g. Asturias, where regional governments partially fund lifeguard and rescue services.
The town hall states that "the beaches of Arta are a first-rate tourist asset for the Balearic Islands as a whole, contributing significantly to the image of quality, sustainability, and appeal of the Balearics as a tourist destination".