By Jason Moore
THE local tourist industry needs to diversify and offer new things to an increasingly demanding holidaymaker. Over the weekend I was briefed on a project which could make a difference.
Soller was once home to a major Spanish navy submarine base. It has since been closed down but there are plans to transform the base into a major museum and a decommissioned Spanish Navy submarine could be given pride of place. This would be a fantastic tourist attraction which could give the Soller valley a real tourism boost.
The Balearic government has given the project its backing and all that is needed is funding. In Britain former Royal Navy bases have been transformed into highly successful tourist attractions and the same could easily happen in Soller. In Minorca some of the former military bases have been transformed into very popular attractions. Majorca has plenty to offer, alot more than just the sun and the sea. All that is needed is a bit of imagination. I sincerely hope that the Soller naval base project goes ahead and it is not torpedoed by a lack of funds. It is not a costly project but it could certainly make a major difference. The local authorities should be encouraging projects like this because at the end of the day they can make a big difference.