Balearic tourism minister Jaume Bauzá announced on Tuesday that 31 projects will be funded with revenue raised from the tourist tax in 2023.
The Sustainable Tourism Tax Commission, he explained, had approved 31 projects from 102 that had been submitted and which totalled 279 million euros in value. The 31 have a value of 94.5 million.
Just over half the 94.5 will go on seventeen projects related to the water cycle and environmental conservation (47.5 million euros).
For five projects related to addressing tourism seasonality, e.g. culture and sport, there are 20.6 million euros. Five training projects will receive over twelve million, three historical heritage projects over eleven million, and a scientific research project will receive the rest.
Three government bodies - the Ibanat nature agency, the Abaqua water agency and the Cofib consortium for fauna - will use grants from the 47.5 million euros for improvements to forest environment, livestock production, and water use and reuse. In three municipalities - Felanitx, Sant Llorenç and Selva - there are specific projects for modernisation of hydraulic infrastructure.
The minister pointed out that President Prohens had previously announced that tourist tax funding would prioritise sustainability, the water cycle, improvement of the destination and training.
In broad terms, the purposes of the tax are:
- Protection, conservation, modernisation and recovery of the natural, rural, agricultural and marine environment.
- Addressing seasonality through tourist products that can be used in the low season; also the promotion of sustainable and low-season tourism.
- Recovery and rehabilitation of historical and cultural heritage.
- Promotion of scientific research, development and technological innovation projects that contribute to economic diversification, the fight against climate change or that are related to the tourism sector.
- Improvement of training and the quality of employment in the tourism sector; promotion of employment, especially in the low season.
- Improvement of inspection, security and awareness for responsible tourism in the areas determined by decree law of January 2020 for responsible tourism and the improvement of quality in tourist areas (previously known as the tourism of excesses decree).