Storm Gloria has cost hoteliers in Llevant around 900,000 euros in lost revenue, according to the Hotel Association’s José Marcial Rodríguez.
During the storm, significant amounts of sand disappeared from the beaches of Sa Coma, Cala Nau and Cala Millor and there’s very little money available for regeneration projects.
The Government delegate Aina Calvo and Mayors from Llevant held a meeting in the Sa Màniga Auditorium to ways to fix the storm damage before the start of the season.
Hoteliers say the situation is very worrying and that with just over a month between now and Easter it’s unlikely that a solution can be found before the beginning of the tourist season.
On Wednesday, the President of the PP, Biel Company, visited Cala Nau beach with Councillors from Son Servera, Sant Llorenç and Manacor to denounce, in situ, the "laziness" of the Central Government and the paltry amount of aid being offered for damage caused by the storm.
"We have talked to hoteliers and there is a lot of concern that tourists won’t want to come and sunbathe on a stone beach and it’s not just the hotels that are affected, it’s also the waiters, bartenders and the whole social and economic structure of the area,” said Biel Company who was also very critical of the Central Government and Pedro Sánchez.
"Since he arrived at Cala Rajada by helicopter we have never heard the end of it, the Balearic Government has zero influence, Madrid is laughing at the Balearics, and President Armengol doesn’t say a thing,” he says.
The PP is amending the State Budget so that President Sánchez can increase the aid for the Balearic Islands to 12.5 million euros to compensate for damages caused by the Storm Gloria.
In the meantime, Councils in Majorca are struggling to find alternative ways to pay for regeneration projects in a bid to get everything ready before the start of the season.