Tourism minister Bel Busquets yesterday met the secretary-of-state for tourism, Bel Oliver, in Madrid and pressed a claim for 57 million euros of state investment in tourist resorts.
This investment, explained Busquets, corresponds to money that has not been forthcoming in the past and to agreements for improvements to the non-hotel complementary sector and general infrastructure. The minister said that the demand had been "well received" by Oliver, who "knows the situation in the Balearics". Oliver is from Majorca.
Busquets added that the time was "opportune" for this investment to be formalised as the state budget is in the process of being drawn up. "We want to have a competitive and quality product. That is the commitment of this government and it is demanded by the people of the Balearics."
The investment would be broken down as follows: for the complementary sector there would be 1.62 million euros for Magalluf and Palmanova, 853,000 euros for Santa Ponsa, 523,000 for Paguera, and three million euros for Playa de Palma. All of these resorts are officially classified as "mature" resorts and thus subject to special intervention.
In addition, there would be 20 million euros for infrastructure in Playa de Palma and ten million euros for Calvia. The remaining 21 million euros relate to various agreements drawn up in the past for Playa de Palma and resorts in Minorca.