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  "Sustainable development for mature tourist towns : the Calvià model"

Javier BUSTAMANTE - Strategic Development Manager, Calvià (Mallorca)

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to start by thanking the organisers of this event which is so important for the future of tourism and its sustainability.

Representing Calvia, an important tourist municipality in the Mediterranean and in Spain, we would like to share our experience of the last few years.

Presentation plan Calvià : well developed tourist town in the Mediterranean. Analysis of the present situation and forecast Rehabilitation plans : tourist excellence plan local agenda plan 21 Activities relative to the integral rehabilitation scene of Calvià's local agenda 21 Tourism in the 21st century

As I think that some of you have not yet visited Calvia, I would briefly like to tell you a little more about Calvia and what it represents.

Calvia is on the Island of Majorca, in the western Mediterranean, and less than a two-hour flight from any European destination. This easy access means that more than 8 million tourists visit Majorca each year, with 20% (more than one million, six hundred thousand), coming to Calvia.

Calvia is made up of six large tourist zones situated on the south coast. It has 57 km of beaches and cliffs forming a highly varied tourist area.

Calvia's population is 30,000 and the number of tourist nights is estimated at twenty-two million with more than 1,600,000 tourists per year.

As you can see, this is a tourist zone, similar to those found all over the Mediterranean with rocky inlets, beaches, buildings, pleasure ports, golf courses, etc.

Since the 1960's Calvia's wealth has resulted from the many tourist centres which have been developed on this outstanding coast.

I would like to show you the reality of Calvia's first equilibrium-related problem, namely the damage caused to the coast by the excessive urbanisation as at illetes.

Magaluf's zone (picture). And this is Santa Ponça (Picture)

As you can see, the coast has been abused with a line of buildings constructed in front of the littoral's best natural zone.

Fortunately there are still many natural areas to protect and conserve.

The graph that you can now see perhaps illustrates my message best of all. It shows the Life cycle of Calvia and you can appreciate that in the brief 30-year period, we have covered birth, growth and maturity to reach the stage where we risk saturation and decline.

 

A cartoon published in the local newspaper (Diario de Mallorca) shows our island running away from an avalanche of aeroplanes, which reflects public opinion that the island has reached saturation in terms of tourist areas.

The best proof illustrating this is for three years now we have had to import drinking water from the Peninsula, by boat and at a very high cost.

Before going any further, I would like to point out that for me and for all those present, tourism offers great opportunities… And is highly threatening in the long-term…

To deal with the situation at Calvia, since the beginning of the 1990's, we have taken action with the Plan of Excellence which has shown considerable results in the following three areas :

• Infrastructures
• Quality
• Social cohesion and local participation

According to surveys taken each year both in winter and in summer, tourists have noticed the improvements made to the quality of their stay.

However this is still not enough which is why we have started to implement Agenda Local 21 as our new Plan, so as to adapt Calvia to the new standards that are compatible with the environment.

Let us firstly look at the aims of the Agenda Local 21.

Anticipate A long term strategic view Avoid destroying natural resources Shape the future according to new emerging values Rehabilitate Make the city profitable Promote natural, cultural and social heritage Increase the product value-added margin Diversify the economy

And how it operates with respect to the Citizen's Forum and the five major topics which guarantee its sustainability.

Let us look at a few examples.

• Firstly the " cleaning up " Plan, with the demolition of hotels and buildings on the coastline, which aims to reduce the number of buildings. The results are clear for all to see… Another hotel was also replaced by a green area. In total, we have demolished 14 hotels and tourist buildings and replaced them with green areas.
• Awareness campaigns promoting the use and conservation of the natural resources, especially WATER.
• Let us not forget the battle against seasonal work, with free, active programmes for tourists throughout the winter. These were organised by hotels using grants given out by the town council as well as a tax directly assigned to this cause.
• Another important action is the renovation and enhancement of the cultural and artistic heritage.
• There is also the revision made to town planning in relation to sustainability criteria.

This enables us to ensure Calvia's equilibrium.

To sum up, the current situation is :

Evaluaciõn de la situaciõn actual en Calvia (1998)
Areas Temãticas y Campos de Referencia
250 Indicatores testigo
775 Indicatores totales

Black : bad situation
Grey : deficient
White : correct

With a net tendency to worsen if we do nothing.
But the situation is encouraging if we act with determination.

Here are the ten strategies already proposed by the Forum of Calvia.

 

10 strategic lines of action Limit growth, control human pressure and rehabilitate the territory Encourage social solidarity and the quality of life Preserve natural heritage Recuperate artistic and cultural heritage Rehabilitate all the tourist areas Improve Calvia, as a tourist destination Improve public transport and pedestrian areas Sustainable management of resources Diversity the economy and invest in human resources Innovate in government and management

Initiatives approved by the Citizen's Forum.

40 short term initiatives some examples : an ecologically minded urban plan housing program : live in Calvia recuperate the landscape and the heritage network of natural areas and miradors city clean-up plan fight against seasonal activity : Calvia, the European winter request for water, energy and regeneration of rural areas modernisation of municipal organisation create a tourism observation site

One of the major actions is that which converted a road into a promenade for pedestrians and cyclists over 32 km long.

All this has enabled us to create an observatory for sustainable tourism for Calvia.

However our initiatives may be able to help all tourist communes, whether they are established or emerging.

The campaign for popularisation and personal commitment is very important.

We are very proud of being awarded the European Union's 1997 Sustainable Town Prize.
And also because three lady Mayors received it :

• Stockholm
• Heildeberg
• Calvia

In 1998 we received the Green Globe Award in London.
And in 1999, the prize for the Ecological Commune in Spain.

As you will have noticed, statistically, sustainability and feminity go well together.

Allow me to mention a little theory.

 

Challenges in tourism Quality in all areas : public and private sectors, employment Diversity of tourist activity New tourist attractions : shops, sports, culture and social tourism Economic, social, and environmental durability

Working towards an integral tourist policy Demand general social recognition of tourism as a strategic industry Clear and efficient definition of the role of the different staff and administrations Private staff : companies and trade unions Public administrations : Europe, state, local authorities and municipalities Co-ordination of part policies Assign public and private budgets according to objectives

And a few recommendations of basic working methods.

 

Working towards sustainable development of tourism Three basic objectives : Ensure a favourable and consensual change in the model Show that economic results depend on a good administration of the resources Show that development, respectful of the environment, creates quality jobs

And a few relating to reality.

Tourism in the 21st century The necessity to promote long term training of all public and private staff Greater involvement of private initiative in global support strategy. The need for a territorial scheme to ensure coherence between activities and initiatives at all levels

 

To conclude…
Thank you very much for your attention…
You are welcomed in Calvià…
Specialy during the winter…
See you

http://www.calvia.com