One glance at Susanna Sciacovelli’s CV, and it’s abundantly clear why she was asked to fill the pivotal role of Director of Tourism Demand and Hospitality. Born in Turin to Italian parents, she grew up in Holland (where her aeronautical engineer father worked for NASA) before continuing her studies in the United States, mastering seven languages along the way. A well-respected professional in the tourism sector - public and private - Susanna has plenty of arrows in her quiver to capably steer the evolution of Mallorca’s indispensable industry.
How does an Italian woman raised in Holland wind up in Mallorca?
For this we can blame my Mallorquin husband, Juan Miguel, who I met in New York in 1997 when I was studying for my Master’s. I devotedly followed him back to Hamburg where he worked for skincare giant Beiersdorf and I became a consultant with Arthur Andersen. In 2002, Juan Miguel was summoned to Mallorca to support the family’s restaurant business during a tricky six-month period - the same year Arthur Andersen collapsed. Six months morphed into 22 years and here we are. Juan Miguel continues to be a restaurateur and is President of Mallorca’s Restaurant Federation.
Did you dive straight into tourism?
Yes, specifically the airlines. My first role was in sales and marketing for Air Europa, before the Minister of Tourism poached me to head up IBATUR – Institut Balear de Promoció del Turisme – which I did from 2007 to 2010. I then joined the senior ranks of Air Berlin, jumping between Rome, Palma and Berlin, until the airline descended into bankruptcy. Shareholder Etihad offered me a similar position in the Middle East, but our teenagers were settled on the Island and I didn’t want to go it alone in Abu Dhabi. Instead, I swapped teams to Vueling for four years, before taking on Chief Communications, Public Affairs and Environment, Social and Governance for Viajes Corte Ingles. When Marga Prohens led the PP to victory in summer 2023, I was offered my present position in the Tourism Department.
Has the legislative structure changed since you presided over IBATUR?
Enormously. IBATUR - now AETIB - used to collectively handle the Balearics but, since 2021, each Island is now responsible for its own promotion. The Regional Government initiates legislation, but the power to implement is in our hands. At the Consell, Tourism Minister José Marcial Rodríguez Díaz is at the helm, Clara María del Moral Torres looks after supply and quality, Pedro Mas Bergas governance and sustainability, and me in charge of demand and hospitality.
And how have tourist promotion tactics shifted?
We’re no longer talking about numbers. Historically, we’d sit down with airlines and tour operators, measure how many tourists had arrived, and congratulate ourselves on having X percentage more than the previous year. Today, we are not worried about how many tourists come to Mallorca only the impact they have. Admittedly, in the year following COVID, we were happy to toast a return to pre-pandemic numbers but, since then, the focus is firmly on sustainability.
What do you mean by sustainability?
At our recent Sustainable Destinations Summit supported by UN Tourism, it was often referred to as ‘net-positive tourism’, travel that benefits both people and planet. Step one is to raise awareness, which is why we launched our Responsible Tourism Pledge in November 2023. This manifesto for conscious coexistence between visitors and residents marked the starting point of a dramatic shift in the promotion and positioning of Mallorca.
Can you summarise the value that tourism brings to Mallorca?
Let’s be clear that we live off tourism: currently 87% of GDP and 40% of employment. Taxes paid by hoteliers, business owners, employees, plus the money spent by tourists, help build our hospitals, our schools. It’s a circular economy that gives locals their quality of life. This is perhaps sometimes not understood, and we must communicate this better to our residents.
Is there such a thing as ‘overtourism’?
Many destinations would kill to have what we have. In the same day, you can enjoy a round of golf, play tennis, relax at the beach, go to work, dine in a restaurant – it’s such a privilege. And, if we didn’t have tourism, where would we be? Look at ‘la España vaciada’, areas of rural Spain suffering from mass emigration, or the little towns in Italy where all the children are leaving to work in the cities - they’ve lost all tourism. Working on sustainability, moderating tourism, is a nice problem for Mallorca to have. Space and resources are limited, and we must manage them carefully. This is why we recently lowered the maximum number of tourist places - down 4.2% to 412,000 – and the reason my colleague Clara is getting tough on illegal vacation rentals.
Can we keep everyone satisfied?
Editor of the Annals of Tourism Research, Dr Jafar Jafari, recently said it wasn’t enough to only measure the satisfaction of the tourist but also that of the resident. You cannot have a happy tourist if you don’t have a happy resident, as hospitality will morph into hostility. For the first time in our history, we’re talking more to the resident than to the tourist and learning so much. We’re not trying to win fans or public opinion, simply striving to transform the tourism industry such that it satisfies everyone.
How can we preserve Mallorca’s traditions?
The only way to go forward in anything, not just tourism, is to go back to the roots. Within the Culture and Heritage Department we have a Director of Artesanía whose job it is to highlight the talent and quality of our craftsmen. When we attend international trade fairs, we bring our musicians and our chefs, and pack hand-blown Gordiola glassware and brightly coloured llenguës fabric in our luggage. This summer’s ‘Cultura en Vena’ program featured dozens of events from jazz concerts to flamenco shows and photography exhibitions to guided walking tours. It’s now a matter of awareness.
You’re passionate about accessible tourism.
Having worked on diversity, inclusion and equality with Viajes Corte Ingles, this has become a real mission of mine. Regardless of psychological or physical disability, you should have the same right to travel as anyone else, and we cannot be proud of our tourism industry until we’re proud of being leaders in accessible tourism. Yes, we’ve worked hard to improve the accessibility of our beaches but, if I live with a disability and holiday in Mallorca, there isn’t a resource that tells me what hotels are suitable, which restaurants I can go to. We’re working with relevant non-profits, both here and in the United States, to improve this.
Likewise, the digital world.
We need to embrace digital technologies, whether that’s with AI or social media. We no longer use social media to share the beauty of Mallorca – it’s unnecessary to tell an English or German person how gorgeous the Island is, they already know - instead, we share interviews with local people about the real Mallorca. The only person I still wish to educate on Mallorca’s beauty is the American, they come here and say ‘wow, I didn’t know this existed!’. The aim is to have strong messaging and brand consistency across all digital platforms, but first, we ought to be clear what our brand is. We’re working towards this and have interviewed upwards of 90 people - residents, tourists, trade unionists, artists and musicians - to understand what Mallorca means to them.
Are you hopeful for the future?
Definitely. I’ve been in tourism such a long time, 30 years, and I’ve seen that it goes up and down like waves. This wave was totally expected, as it always comes when everything is fine. When I originally presented the Pledge in 2023, nobody was talking about protests or anything like that. But you cannot, especially on a small island, continue to fixate on numbers and bringing more tourists. Resources are limited and this is why we are now debating the ‘Island of tomorrow’. Everyone is on the right track; we just need to improve our messaging.
How are you making yourselves heard?
Historically, we’d do a big low-season promotion, have Rafa Nadal invite everyone to visit Mallorca, but this year we opted for high-season campaigns to generate maximum awareness. Putting the Pledge at the centre, we joined forces with signatories Jet2 and easyJet and asked tourists to take care of the Island.
What if the Government changes?
Things that are life-changing for Mallorca must be done apolitically so they continue, regardless of who gets elected in three years’ time. It’s a question of finding the right partners, for example the TUI Care Foundation which is a real force for good. If it’s positive for Mallorca, the appropriate partners will be proud to carry through the projects.
Are you enjoying your time back in the public sector?
Mallorca has given me so much as a person. When we were living in Rome - bearing in mind my husband is from here and I am from Italy - I was the one who wanted to come back to Mallorca. It’s small but it has something special, a real balance of work, culture, sports, nature and gastronomy. There’s are many challenges ahead, but Mallorca is worth it.