Mallorca Report CW 2

8/2/2019 Mallorca Report CW 2

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Sustainable Tourism Consulting-

Developing Mallorca

ENTRY UNIVERSITY- FACULTY OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY

Module Title: Sustainable Tourism

Module Code: 318GED

Module Leader: Marcella Daye

Carmen Valeria Culcea

SID: 2818711

Hand in date: 30th January 2012


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Table of Contents

Executive Summary.p. 3

Introductory Paragraph ..p. 4

Destination Briefingp. 5

Identifying Sustainable Indicators...p. 5- 7

Long- term sustainable Strategies.p. 7- 8

Challenges and Opportunities of

Sustainable Management.p. 8

Conclusion and Recommendations..p. 9

List of Appendix..p. 10- 11

References..p. 12


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Executive Summary

According to Weaver (2006) for the past half- century the newly formed concept of

sustainable tourism is continuing to expand as the result of both internal and external progress ofthe tourism industry and the model is all about minimizing negative impacts and maximizing the

positive ones for tourists and local communities alike. Thus this assessment is thoroughly examining

the destination of Mallorca and the sustainable initiatives taken towards establishing regulations that

encourage a more sustainable approach of the tourism activities undertaken by both private and

public organizations. In order to do so there will be conducted an extensive research on the

destinations past tourism activities and on the challenges and opportunities which have arisen and

will continue to arise. At the end, the coursework explores the various options that the destination has

in order to further strengthen the system and to make sure that all sustainable policies chosen and

implemented will be effective and efficient.


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Introductory Paragraph

Nowadays travel and tourism represent one of the worlds most importantsector, as

through both direct and indirect factors it can bring a series of benefits to the destination, especiallyfrom an economical point of view. As a result, tourism in many small islands (e.g. around the

Caribbean Sea, around the Asian- Pacific rim and the Mediterranean Sea) has become the main

source of income, as a matter of fact some are so dependent on this sector, that any type of

influences from terrorism to natural disasters- can impact majorly upon its performances

affecting the destinations structure (Briguglio et al., 1996). Therefore this report will focus on the

Tourism industry from the Spanish island, Mallorca, which as any other Mediterranean destination

is very fragile. Hence the assessment will focus on the degree of involvement in creating sustainable

approaches towards tourism and to do so the following tasks are discussed:

1. Identify and highlight what type of sustainable policies and strategic actions are being putinto practice so that tourism is being conducted in accordance with the best principles of

practice for the destination;

2. Explore the range of both internal and external challenges and opportunities that the regionis confronted with, in the attempt of managing their resources form a sustainable point of

view.

3. Based on the first two tasks offer practical suggestions towards further developing a moresustainable tourism in Mallorca.

Last but not least in order to achieve all of these, the report will focus upon the three

dimensions of sustainability and there will also be utilized a series of indicators for change which

can be continuously monitored and measured, so that one can make sustainable decisions in whatconcerns the areas management of the tourism activities undertaken (Blackstock et al., 2006).


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1. Destination BriefingThe Balearic island, Mallorca, located in the Mediterranean Sea started becoming a very

popular destination beginning with the early 60s, especially for Europeans due to the sunny

weather, its coastlines (e.g. the virgin beaches and the Serra de Tramuntana Mountains) and other

attractions such as the local culture alongside other leisure activities gulf courses, casinos, etc(Mallorca Online, 2011). Due to airline deregulations and more affordable holiday packages there

has been noticed a great rise on the influx of mass- tourists in recent years, which represents a

desirable context, as this sector accounts for some 84% of the regions GNP (Molz, 2004). However,

even though the sector can bring many positive effects to the destination, rapid developments of

the industry can lead, as mentioned above, to many negative impacts (e.g. exploitation of natural

resources), all of which will be investigated in the following paragraphs, in order to identify

potential sustainable approaches (Molz, 2004).

Figure 1, Mallorca Coastline (Conde Nast Traveller Internationally, 2010)

2. Identifying sustainable indicatorsTo begin with it is imperative to comprehend that sustainable tourism is not an easily

attained objective as there are many elements against it such as the fact that tourists may have

different needs than those of locals and they may also compete with the community for the

destinations resources (social- cultural impacts) (Convention on Biological Diversity, 2009). Hence

sustainable tourism is highly dependent on an adaptive management approach so that effective

evaluations, learnings and action changes can be made through the utilization ofindicators

(Blackstock et al., 2006). According to a lecture delivered as part of module 318GED, sustainable

indicators represent the youngest and most debated tools of sustainability and can be internal(e.g.


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number of tourists or % of tourism employees) and external(e.g. water pollution or greenhouse

emissions) (Daye, 2011). When taking a closer look at the case study there has been put quite a lot

of effort in assessing Mallorcas sustainability. However this evaluation has been mainly conducted

on the Municipality of Calvia, which is the most important region from the Balearic Islands and was

fulfilled by UNEP (Local Agenda 21) in association with the local authorities. Based on this,

according to WTO (2004) there have been established a set of core indicators, which are as follows:

A) Site stress and protection; E) Stability and Seasonality (useintensity);

B) Socio- cultural impacts of Tourism; F) Local satisfaction;C) Employment and economic

welfare;

G) Consumer satisfaction;

D)

Management of resources andenvironment (e.g. water, energy

and waste system);

H)

Development control.

Hence, taking as an example the municipality of Calvia, it was noticed that after 20 years of

majorly and uncontrolled developments, the tourism industry was reaching its saturation point due

to the environmental damages and outdated accommodation facilities, forcing the local councilors

to approach a more sustainable development model (UNEP, 2003). Listed below, based on the basic

indicators are established above are some of the crucial issues which need to be dealt with.

A) Mallorca is highly dependent on European mass tourists receiving in 2006 somewherearound 9.6 million of which 62.6% were UK and German visitors (see appendix 1)

(Johannes Luberichs, 2009). Additionally, more than a third of tourist beds are comprised

in Palma and Calvia (see appendix 2) and in the later there are about 120,000 tourist beds

(e.g. 50% hotels and 50% villas and apartments) (UNEP, 2003).

B) There has been a great lose of cultural values because of the Tourism Industry, especially incertain areas which have changed their customs so that they would fit the psychocentrics

ones (e.g. UK citizens) (Johannes Luberichs, 2009). Also some very important but

underdeveloped historical and cultural sites were heavily affected by the large numbers of

visitors (UNEP, 2003).

C) For example in Calvia alone 95% of jobs are directly or indirectly linked to Tourism and theTourism income was approximately 860 million Euros (UNEP, 2003). However there were

negative impacts as well due to a mono- economy which had a seasonal pattern and poor

business enterprise, leading therefore o work pressures (UNEP, 2003).


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D) First of all because of the exceeding of the carrying capacity, there have been seriousimpacts on the costal and marine ecosystems (UNEP, 2003). None the less there are

noticeable water shortages, excess petrol consumption plus urban waste (UNEP, 2003).

E) In Mallorca in 2005, during the high season (July- August) some 55% of visitors arrived, inmid season there were 28% of tourists and in the low season only 16% of the total number

of visitors came to Mallorca (Johannes Luberichs, 2009).

F) Due to the economical conditions, the seasonality nature of jobs, loss of some cultural valuesand the fall of the populations living standards, it becomes quite obvious that most of the

Mallorcas citizens are not totally satisfied with the sectors outcomes (UNEP, 2003).

G) The lack of proper transportation and the fact that the destination has reached at one pointa saturation level, it was quite normal for consumers in general to become less and less

satisfied and attracted to the destination, thus for the time being Mallorca will be still highlyreliant on the allocentric typology.

H) The urban system is overdeveloped and there are numerous possibilities of developmentthrough the destructions of natural and rural sites, even though there are building

restrictions in planning regulations (UNEP, 2003).

3. Long- term sustainable strategiesBased again on Calvias example, after evaluating the situation and noticing that tourism

activities have dropped 20% after the 80s, in the late 90s, according to the study conducted by

UNEP (2003) the local councilors in collaboration with the Balearic Autonomous Community have

set some new objectives so that the destination will approach a more sustainable model, such as:

New general town planning and eco- responsibility regulations were set in regards toconstructions (e.g. reduction of more than 40,000 accommodation units and the

declassification of 1,660 hectares of land which was allocated for constructions).

Improvements of residents integration, co- existence and of the life quality (e.g.volunteering programs).

To preserve the natural environment and the marine heritage by imposing in 2002 in theBalearic Islands the 1 euro per night eco- tax (enhancing natural water resources,

protecting forests and soils, replacing artificial beach regeneration by adopting a more

natural method, developing marine reserves, etc).

There were also plans for an environmental airport fee, which was unsuccessful due tostrong resistances (Convention on Biological Diversity, 2009).

Restoration of cultural, historical and natural sites.


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To increase expenditure per visitor by balancing the tourist seasons (e.g. The EuropeanWinter in Calvia).

To improve public transport in the area; To reduce water and energy consumption plus to focus on means of reducing and re- using

waste;

Too boost and enhance the financial system (e.g. to promote local agriculture). To focus on municipal management and move towards better planned investments in both

public/ private sectors (e.g. introduction of EMS with the eco- labeling and ISO standards in

tourism facilities such as hotels).

Therefore the local system is now based on six key thematic areas (population, social

integration and quality of life; local ecological, historical and cultural heritage; economic and

tourism; town planning and key environmental sector) and 27 Filds of reference and 775 indicators

(UNEP, 2003).

4. Challenges and Opportunities of Sustainable ManagementTo begin with it is imperative not to forget that planning and managing sustainability is a

continuously process and new concepts and models are always introduced or modified to suit the

destinations requirements. Therefore there will always arise challenges that need to be controlled

and opportunities that must be explored in order to conduct tourism in accordance to the best

practice of principles. In Mallorcas case some of the most notable are as follows:

CHALLENGES OPORTUNITIES

When analyzing the LA21 one can noticethat most of the initiatives which were

established and later enacted concern

mainly the municipality of Calvia.

The negotiation and implementationprocess can be a lengthy one (first

initiatives taken in the 80s

implementation in the 90s).

Maintaining and effectively enforcing thenew policies (e.g. the 2002 eco- tax

failure).

Economical issues still predominate incomparison to the environmental and

social (Ioannides and Holcomb, 2003).

Calvia represents a good starting pointand a suitable model to be followed and

further developed for the entire island.

Attracting other tourist typologies apartfrom the mass ones, such as: tourist

seeking cultural values and

environmentally aware;

Foster future collaborations with othermajor environmental institutions (e.g.

NGO, EEA, GEF).

It can be a good way to furtherencourage local participation.


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Conclusion and Recommendations

To conclude, the first most notable fact is that the actions of a single but popular

municipality to change their approach towards tourism and move to a more sustainable model canallow innovative ideas to develop and encourage the destination as a whole to revise their

development strategies (UNEP, 2003). Therefore bearing in mind the relatively fragile economies,

ecological vulnerabilities and social- cultural characteristics of islands, it is essential to comprehend

that the implementation of any tourism development model can pose difficulties (Briguglio et al,

1996). That is why, even though tourism represents an important part of Mallorcas economical

structure, the local councilors should focus more on diversifying it and creating alternative

employment opportunities (e.g. moving back to the agricultural sector) so that the region can reach

more stable and sustainable economical model (Ioannides and Holcomb, 2003). Non- the less,

Mallorca has always been regarded as a sunny paradise of refuge and tranquility, especially due to

its lush and authentic nature and cultural values; this makes it possible for alternative and moresustainable forms of tourism, such as: nature based tourism, agrotourism, extreme sports tourism

or even eco- tourism (Briguglio et al, 1996). Hence if further actions are not undertaken (e.g. visitor

flow regulations or integration of locals), not just for Calvia, but for the entire destination,

overcrowding can lead again to environmental degradation and possibly another tourism crisis like

the one from the 80s (Molz, 2004). Overall Mallorca represents a good example to follow as due to

it one can better understand the various implications and the importance of implementing

sustainable policies, especially for small islands.


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List of Appendix

Appendix 1

NATIONALITY TOTAL ARRIVALS PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL

German 3,378,986 38,4%British 2,230,045 25,3%

Spanish 1,517,507 17,2%

French 238,071 2,7%

Swiss 159,894 1.8%

Irish 136,262 1,5%

Italian 134,616 1,5%

Swedish 129,004 1,5%

Austrian 125,859 1,4%

Dutch 119,349 1,4%

Danish 95,908 1,1%

Belgian 94,343 1,1%

Norwegian 92,767 1,1%

Portuguese 82,938 0,9%

Luxemburg 27,330 0,3%

Finish 18,544 0,2%

Other European 57,937 0,7%

Russian 17,945 0,2%

Other 80,858 0,9%

Not differentiated foreignerarrivals by sea

63,995 0,7%

TOTAL 8,802,155 100%

Figure 1. Types of nationalities which arrived in Mallorca in 2005 (Johannes Luberichs, 2009)


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Appendix 2

MUNICIPALITY BEDS PER

METRR COAST

DENSITY PER

METER COAST

COAST LENGTH

PER BED IN

METR

MIN. COAST LENGTH

PER PERSON PER

METER

Sant Llorenc desCardassar

3.41 4.14 0.2 0.2

Muro 2.89 3.83 0.4 0.3

Son Servera 1.18 2.15 0.7 0.5

Santa Margalida 1.08 1.81 0.5 0.6

Calvia 1.03 1.69 0.8 0.6

Palma 0.99 9.32 0.8 0.1

Alcudia 0.66 1.01 1.2 1.0

Capdepera 0.58 0.86 1.5 1.7

Manacor 0.47 1.58 1.7 0.6

Ses Salines 0.34 0.69 2.3 1.4

Santanyi 0.33 0.52 2.8 1.9

Felanitx 0.31 1.11 3.1 0.9

Llucmajor 0.25 0.89 4.0 1.1

Soller 0.19 1.05 5.3 1.0

Fornalutx 0.13 1.01 7.8 1.0

Pollenca 0.1 0.31 9.2 3.3

Andratx 0.08 0.31 10.9 3.3

Deia 0.05 0.13 19.3 7.9

Arta 0.03 0.26 31.2 3.9Banyalbufar 0.02 0.08 41.3 12.2

Campos 0.02 0.78 18.2 1.3

Estellencs 0.02 0.07 56.2 14.2

Valldemossa 0.02 0.25 66.2 4.0

Escora 0.00 0.01 - 105.1

Figure 2. Tourism Density Indexes at the Coast of Mallorca in 2005 (Johannes Luberichs, 2009)


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References

1. Blackstock K. et al. (2006), A Framework for developing Indicators of Sustainable Tourism(Online). Available from

. [12th January

2012].

2. Briguglio et al. (1996), Sustainable Tourism in Islands and Small States: Issues and Policies.London: Pinter, ch. 5.

3. Daye M. (2011), Sustainable Tourism. Lecturer delivered for module 318GED 5th ofDecember 2012 at Coventry University.

4. Ioannides D. and Holcomb B. (2003), Misguided policy initiatives in small- islandsdestinations: why do up- market policies fail? (Online). Available from [15th January 2012].

5. Luberichs J. (2009) The spatial profile of German Low cost carrier Passenger in Mallorca(Online). Available from

[17th January 2012]

6. Molz V. (2004), Consequences of Mass Tourism in Mallorca- Is quality tourism asustainable alternative to solve the environmental problem in Calvia, Mallorca? (Online).

Available from [10th January

2012].

7. The Convention on Biological Diversity (2009) A good practice guide: Tourism for natureand development (Online). Available from [11th January 2012].

8. UNEP (2003), Tourism and Local Agenda 21- The Role of Local Authorities in SustainableTourism (Online). Available from [8th January 2012].

9. World Tourism Organization (2004) Indicators of Sustainable Development for TourismDestinations, A guidebook. Madrid, Spain: World Tourism Organization.
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