The Partido Popular and Podemos have both queried a planned increase in the number of tourism inspectors in 2019.
The tourism minister Bel Busquets explained her ministry's budget to the parliamentary committee on Thursday. Nuria Riera of the PP and Alberto Jarabo of Podemos both had questions about the eight more inspectors. Busquets said that the additional inspectors would be for combating "illegal tourism offer" and for responding "to the need to attend to the increase in tourism businesses". Riera didn't think they were enough. Jarabo, while welcoming the increase, questioned how effective they will be.
Although there is more money for the Aetib tourism agency, because of its role in managing tourist tax funds, the general budget for the ministry will go down next year by 13 million euros. The 50.2 million in 2019 is for the whole ministry - innovation and research as well as tourism.
Riera didn't accept one of Busquets' explanations for this reduction - the transfer of promotional responsibilities to island councils. The government's whole budget for 2019 will rise by almost nine per cent. She contrasted this with the reduction for Busquets' ministry, suggesting that it was an indication "that this ministry is not really a priority for this government". The ministry, Riera added, "has been stripped of management".
Busquets maintained that tourism is "the main economic driving force" for the Balearics but emphasised the "roadmap" that the government is following in diversifying the current economic model in the Balearics.