José Marcial Rodríguez is the new councillor for tourism at the Council of Mallorca. Previously a director-general of the Balearic government's AETIB tourism agency, he has taken over at a time when the Council has vastly greater responsibilities for tourism than it once did, the consequence of delegation from the tourism ministry in 2022.
Highly experienced in the tourism sector - he is a former manager of the Cala Millor Hoteliers Association, for instance - Rodríguez and his party (the Partido Popular) will not be engaged in what he describes as the "tourismphobic policies of recent years". "I want to reverse the effect of attitudes and remarks. We have to take action for the image we want for Mallorca and for the tourists we want to come. Anti-social tourism is of no interest. For this, public and institutional collaboration with the private sector must be permanent." In this regard, he says that he will be rethinking promotional strategy.
"The fundamental objective is to help improve coexistence in Mallorca within a framework of sustainable development of tourist activity, which is itself fundamental to the current state of well-being we enjoy and to the future state of well-being. This is coexistence between tourists, residents, businesses, society and the public sector."
He accepts that there is a situation of tourist saturation, which needs to be analysed carefully. "The saturation is in specific places and at specific times. Demographic growth, connectivity, globalisation and changing habits will continue to exist. Travel will grow and we will continue to be a highly desired destination. Mallorca doesn't have a demand problem, it has a problem with modelling the demand."
Rodríguez argues that Mallorca has not reached its growth limit but that there is nevertheless a growth limit. "We may have reached the limit of all illegal activity and this is the crux of the matter. The illegal supply (of holiday lets) has run rampant. Despite the fact that the number of inspectors has increased, nothing has been done. entire structure has not resulted in improving coexistence. For eleven years there has been no improvement in the way of managing inspection, control, sanctions and the administrative process."
In general, his aim is to: "Protect and regenerate all those qualities and virtues that make Mallorca a wonderful place to live with the benefit that it is equally wonderful to visit."