The Mallorca Tourism Foundation, which is under the authority of the Council of Mallorca, will remove the word ‘promotion’ from its statutes and will be renamed the Responsible Tourism Foundation of Mallorca, as part of the island government’s effort to shift the tourism strategy followed up to now. This was announced on Monday by the president of the institution, Llorenç Galmés, during the General Policy Debate.
Galmés defended the need to rein in the sector to ensure harmonious coexistence between residents and tourists. “We are proud that tourism is the main economic driver of our land, but if we want to remain leaders, we must stop growing in volume and focus on quality,” he reiterated—something he has been saying since his party, the PP, changed its messaging shortly after the protests in the Canary Islands against mass tourism.
He stated that the Council of Mallorca understands “the discontent of some residents” with the current tourism situation, which he blamed on the “irresponsible” policies of the left during recent legislatures, when, in his view, they allowed the greatest expansion of tourist accommodation in the island’s history. However, he did not mention that the majority of these were created under the PP government of José Ramón Bauzá through the Delgado Law, and that the Pact temporarily regulated them during its first term, with a tendency toward phasing them out.
Even so, Galmés argued that under his leadership a “new era of responsible tourism” is being promoted, and a new tourism identity has been launched to showcase values such as heritage, culture, and gastronomy. In reality, this strategy has already been in place for many years, as these kinds of experiences have long been promoted in an attempt to extend the tourist season — such as with the Pact’s ‘Better in Winter’ campaign.
In this vein, the president noted that this year the Council of Mallorca will attend 11 tourism fairs, 70% fewer than in 2019. “Mallorca doesn’t need promotion, but rather to raise visitors’ awareness of a form of tourism that respects the environment and local culture,” Galmés insisted.
