On the 11thSeptember, 2017 between 9.00 and 11.00 a.m. the Balearic Islands stakeholders participated in the first Stakeholder meeting with BRANDTour partner, the Balearic Islands Region, represented by Mr Pere Muñoz (Managing Director of the Balearic Islands Tourism Board-ATB) and Ms Marga Picornell (ATB responsible of European Projects).The meeting was held in a building of the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands.
The regional stakeholders that attended the meeting come from the following sectors: -University: University of the Balearic Islands, Faculty of Tourism.
-TourismSMEs and business sector:
-Balearic Islands Travel Agents Association (AVIBA). The Travel Agencies & TTOO integrated in this association represent 90% of the international and national tourism arrivals to the Balearic Islands.
-Mallorca SMEs Federation (PIMEM). It gathers more than 7,000 SMEs.
-Balearic Islands Confederation of Business Associations (CAEB). It is the most representative business organization of the Balearic Islands. It defends the general interests of more 20,000 businesses of the region.
-Local administrations:Balearic Islands Federation of Local Entities (FELIB). It gathers all the municipalities and Insular Councils of the Balearic Islands.
Balearic Islands Stakeholders were welcomed and introduced to the meeting by Mr Pere Muñoz who stated: "we want the tourist sector to be aware of the project and to participate with the greatest possible involvement to make the most of it for the benefit of our islands'tourism. BRANDTour is a great opportunity to know what other regions are doing in regards to tourism policies, strategies and promotion, and to share in turn with them,our good practices".
Marga Picornell explained the Interreg Europe Programme, Project partners, Project objectives and policy themes, Policy instruments of the regions, project’s working plans for Phase 1 (2017-2019) and Phase 2 (2020-2021), the exchange of good practices, the role of the stakeholders, the Regional Surveys and the workplan and events for the coming months (until end of 2017). Stakeholders expressed their will to commit to the project’s objectives and their gratitude for being considered to take part on this regional groupof experts, right from thestart of the project.
After reviewing BRANDTour topic themes, the participants issued their opinion about the needs, problems and challenges facing the tourism industry in the Balearic Islands.The discussion started with the possibility to learn from other regions good practices on for example, theme routes created to promote local products within the tourists.Our islands have heavy concentrations of tourists in some resorts, so theme routes like for example those from Toscana region (Strada del Vino, dell’olio, dei sapori) could help distributing tourists throughout the territory and spreading economic wealth to local communities. If we want to get tourists closer to local SMEs as a strategy to develop experience-oriented tourism products, we have to get them out of their beach resorts. But we should not forget that since we are mostly a sun & sea destination, this can be a challenge. There are already in place some one-off initiatives on this. We could talk with SMEs & business associations to see what's already on offer and how it can be reoffered as new tourist products linked to local excellence.Then the group exchanged opinions on another important issue which is the promotion of tourism flows during the winter-autumn season. To achieve this goal motivations for the entrepreneurs to open their establishments in winter should be sought.
Menorca island cannot attract winter tourism because of poor flight connectivity and closedshops. In Ibiza the same situation happens, although to a lesser degree. This summer Balearic Islands Tourism Board (ATB) has done a promotional action at the airport, at the boarding gates. Tourists were given aspecial edition of the English newspaper Majorca Daily Bulletinand of the German newspapers Mallorca Zeitungand Mallorca Magazin to explain to tourists what the Balearic Islands can offer to them in winter. The idea is that tourists who already are on the islands, get to know what they can do during the low tourist season.Outbound European markets know little or nothing about Balearic Islands tourist offer off-summer.
Last topic was about relieving tourist pressure on the islands. Rented cars are growing in numbers year after year. Solutions proposed by stakeholders are: to boost public transport in tourist resorts, to encourage initiatives to leave cars outside cities/towns, to create special bus routes for tourists, etc.The meeting ended with the invitation to the regional stakeholders of ATB Managing Director Mr Pere Muñoz to take part in the BRANDTour 1st Interregional Learning Event which is currently being organised by ATB European Projects Dept., for next 24-25thOctober 2017 in Palma de Mallorca.