From this weekend until the beginning of April, Mercedes-Benz will be exhibiting their electric car models at Palma's Palacio de Congresos. An international promotion, invitations for attendance reflect a global reach that the German car manufacturer is seeking. People will be arriving from Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
In economic terms, it is estimated that the exhibition will be worth 20 million euros to Mallorca. Some 35,000 hotel stays are forecast, and while Palma will clearly benefit the most, the director of operations for Meliá Hotels International in Palma, Ramón Vidal, says that the benefit will extend to the rest of the island, as those attending will want to take the opportunity to discover Mallorca and what it has to offer in terms of culture, gastronomy, leisure and sport.
In the city, the president of the Palma-Cala Major Hotels Association, Javier Vich, says that "there has never been a start to the year with this volume of business, and it is due to the direct impact of MICE tourism". For the first quarter of the year, it is forecast that there will be average occupancy in excess of 60%, an all-time high.
Over and above this, though, is the promotional potential for Mallorca. Mercedes have been creating videos of the cars in settings in various parts of the island. For Vidal, this will be "another promotional tool for the island, especially for the low-season months". "This will benefit the island by addressing seasonality."