MORE than 200 Portuguese travel agents and tour operators yesterday took part in a presentation to promote tourism in the Balearics.
The presentation, which took place in the town of Oporto, is part of a series of promotional acts being undertaken by the Balearic Ministry of Tourism to promote the image of the islands and therefore to encourage tourism, according to Balearic Government sources. At the presentation was the director general of Tourist Promotion, Eduardo Gamero; the Spanish Consul in Oporto, Jose Antonion Yriarte; representatives of the Majorcan Tourism Promotion Board, the Council of Ibiza and Formentera, the Minorcan Tourism Foundation, and Palma and Soller councils; in addition to 20 companies from the Balearic tourism sector, such as hotels, agrotourism establishments and airlines. The Balearic Government highlighted the future potential of Portugal, as the Balearics was visited by 92'000 Portuguese tourists in 2005, an increase of 31.2 percent in comparison with 2004.
The presentation consisted of a workshop in which Portuguese travel agents a our operators could get to know what the Balearics had to offer tourists via contact with the Balearic tourist companies taking part. After this there was a presentation by Eduardo Gamero. Next, a promotional video of the Balearics was shown to all the participants and they were offered a dinner with dishes characteristic of the Balearic region prepared by the Majorcan chefs Toni Pinya and Oscar Martinez. This presentation was part of the tourist promotion programme which the Balearic Ministry of Tourism is carrying out in all tourist markets throughout the year.