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Areas Urbanism & territory, Tourism and Economic activities Handicraft, trade and markets

Formentera and Chamber of Commerce reward local businesses that decorated shop windows for holidays

foto 2019 aparadorisme 3The Consell de Formentera and Chamber of Commerce celebrated the top three contestants today in the thirteenth Christmas Shop Window Decoration Contest (Concurs d’Aparadorisme Nadalenc), a yearly initiative to get out the holiday spirit at Formentera businesses.

The winners were selected by a team of judges made up of Enric Riera, Sol Courreges, Álvaro Mendoza and José Manuel Alcaraz. (Riera is a painter and art teacher at Marc Ferrer High School; Courreges and Mendoza are artists; Alcaraz works in Formentera’s Department of Commerce.) Judges commended the imagination, originality and creativity on display at the following storefronts:

1.-Wecobol
2.-De Vino
3.-Atelier Kentia

Wecobol Construction scored the first prize for a Christmas tree pieced together from recycled material (think driftwood, parking passes, building bricks and scrap metal). Wecobol’s director, Jane Wenham, pointed out that every single employee had helped build the tree, and said the company would donate its prize to the Pau Mayans Association for the Integration of People with ASD. Second prize went to De Vino bodega, where the creators crafted angels out of bottles and customer snapshots, and the third prize went home with the florists of Atelia Kentia.

Commerce consellera Ana Juan and Lina Tur, from the Chamber of Commerce, visited each business to give the Yuletide decorators their due—three commemorative plaques and cash prizes of €225, €150 and €75.

2 December 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Diverse spread of activities to celebrate Christmas on Formentera

foto-cartell-nadal-20191The Consell de Formentera unveiled its activities programme today for the upcoming Christmas holidays. For over more than a month beginning Friday, 29 November, programming will include activities for children and youth, fun-for-the-whole-family stage productions, and quirky Christmas-themed entertainment.

Formentera's president, Alejandra Ferrer, took the opportunity to wish islanders a happy holiday season, and highlighted "a very special wish" from across the Consell: "Let equality rein in 2020 and beyond".

Christmas Market
At 7.00pm this Friday, 29 November, Plaça de la Constitució will once again be the centre of action as things kick into gear with the start of the island's 2019-2020 Christmas Market. Afterwards it’s a very special concert from Aires Formenterencs in commemoration of thirty years performing. The show starts at 8.30pm on Friday in the Sala de Cultura-Cinema.

Commerce chief Ana Juan described the market as “a holiday meeting point and a way to amp up the Christmas shopping selection as islanders hunt down gifts”. Two stalls at the market specialise in toys, Christmas gift baskets, kids’ fare and other items, while seven others offer food and drinks. The market is open until 7 January with occasional live music and programming for children.

Culture chief Susana Labrador held child-friendly entertainment up as a standout feature of the programme, “but it doesn't stop there”, she insisted. “There are also numerous cultural productions, musical performances and other programming to make sure that even adults will have fun at the holidays”, she said, while underscoring the “ever-present role of tradition in such festivities, too”.

Fun for kids
If you're a youngster, Mini Nadal at 5.30pm on Friday, 29 November, is the real start of Christmas. Things get started with a story-telling session titled Conta'm el món, with Clownidoscopio's David Novell. There will also be daily sessions of painting and fun with toys from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. Monday programming includes story time and workshops on plasticine, painting and mask making.

On Wednesday, 4 December at 4.30pm, the Sant Ferran library connection (Punt de Lectura) will host a workshop where kids can put recycled materials to work making Christmas arts and crafts.

Friday, 6 December, at 7.00pm in Sa Senieta festival tent, Sant Francesc youngsters can check out a concert from the Ramonets, an educational tribute to The Ramones that leverages Catalan-language adaptations of the punk-rock legends’ original material. The blend of rock'n'roll, learning and entertainment is for kids and families alike.
 
Then, on Friday, 13 December, in the church-front square in Sant Ferran, pupils from primary schools in La Mola, Sant Francesc and Sant Ferran and Marc Ferrer High School will be joined by the municipal band in hosting an evening of Christmas carols, or nadales. Immediately afterwards there will be gluten- and lactose-free hot cocoa served as well as a local signature treat, coca dolça.

No Christmas on Formentera would be complete without Diverespai. From 14 to 18 December, local youngsters will get their fill of fun with a wide-ranging activities programme in the fitness facility. Diverespai is open from 9.30am to 1.30pm and 4.00pm to 8.00pm.

On 17 and 18 January, the thirteenth Mostra d'Espectacles Infantils offers local kids a variety of culture-infused on-stage entertainment. FestucTeatre starts off the series on Friday with El carretó de contes, a story-time event. It's a journey to the world of insects, beetles, wasps, spiders, dragonflies and other critters that help our hero find her way.

The session happens on Friday, 17 January, at 6.00pm in the Marià Villangómez library.

Next day, the same troupe puts on Adéu Peter Pan, an admixture of puppets and live actors that is at once heart-felt and light-hearted, winning over viewers young and old with a stage design that captivates from the very jump. Adéu Peter Pan is a timeless tale for the whole family. The show starts in the Sala de Cultura-Cinema at 6.00pm. Admission is €5 for children, free for adults.

During school hours on Monday, 19 January, the troupe La Impaciència will put on their 2019 Bòtil Prize-winning La minyonia d'un infant orat.

Casal de Joves
Friday, 20 December, the Casal de Joves will host a demonstration of street dance from 4.00pm to 6.00pm in Plaça de la Constitució. This holiday season there will be plenty of activities tuned for teens as well. Take, for example, Christmas decoration workshops on 13 and 14 December, and, on Friday, 3 January, an afternoon of hot cocoa known in Catalan as a xocolatada.

Evening of concerts
As for show-stealing acts, the 2019-2020 Christmas programme has got a few, too. Joven Dolores and Itaca Band will be in Sa Senieta festival tent, doing just that, on 14 December.

Joven Dolores was brought to life by the union of singer-guitarist pair David Serra and Joan Barbé with the rhythm section composed by Frederic Torres (bass) and JC Marí (drums). Unlike anyone else on the domestic music scene, Joven Dolores don't just play songs to pull on heart strings, they deliver guaranteed high-octane performances. A product of 21st-century rock, Joven Dolores' first album reads like a litany of references to their youth, anchored by reflections on the power of positivity, on human relations, on the importance of women and their situation today.

Wrapping up the evening, it's the Itaca Band. The Catalan group have made a name for themselves blending apparently disparate musical styles, and are known for concerts most readily compared to hurricanes. Anthems like “Temerari”, “Ara i aquí” and “Com si no hi hagués demà” are irresistibly catchy, and will have the entire crowd dancing and singing along. Masterfully crafted lyrics in Spanish and Catalan, Jamaican rhythms, overdriven tempos and the surging energy of the group's brass section are all part of what makes Itaca Band guaranteed crowdpleasers.

Live Nativity scene and Father Christmas
Saturday, 14 December, the children of the Virgen Milagrosa school will stage a live Nativity Scene at 4.00pm in the Sala de Cultura-Cinema, and on Thursday, 19 December, children of Formentera will be treated to a visit from Father Christmas at a 5.30pm party in the Sa Senieta tent. The latter event will conclude with a gluten- and lactose-free xocolatada.

Traditional activities
In a nod to homespun culture and tradition, at 10.00am on Saturday, 21 December, Es Forn Gastronomy will host a culinary workshop in Jardí de ses Eres centred on the Christmas classic, Salsa de Nadal. On Thursday, 26 December, the Three Kings' Association injects new life into old traditions for the Mitjana Festa de Nadal. Mass will be observed, followed by holiday singing, traditional dance and a concert at the Sa Senieta tent.

Evening festivities
The evening of Saturday, 21 December, the Three Kings' Association celebrates its tenth Christmas on the island with entertainment for young ones, song, dance, good music and barbecue in the festival tent. Revellers are invited back to Sa Senieta one week later, from 8.30pm on 28 December, for an evening of concerts hosted once again by the Three Kings' Association.

Sant Ferran will remain the centre of attention on New Years' Eve, la nit de Cap d'Any, as islanders bid farewell to 2019. The New Years' celebration kicks off one hour into the new year, ringing in 2020 with cover songs at the hands of Dalton Bang, a band of musicians with just one objective: to deliver unparalleled party wherever they play. It's a guaranteed night of dancing, merriment and, above all, whether seventies hits or party anthems of today, good music. Next comes French record-spinner Tom Costino, shutting the night down with music that will make a dancer out of everyone within a 200-metre radius.

Visit from the Three Kings of the East
At 5.00pm on Sunday, 5 January, Formentera welcomes a yearly visit from the Three Kings of the East. The cavalcade will pull in first at La Savina before setting out on their tour of the island. Bover Circus will be along for the ride as well, performing their show Or, encens, mirra i CIRC ("Gold, incense, mirth and CIRCUS"). Full of magic, theatrics and humour, the production showcases the range of disciplines that make up the circus, all with a heavy dollop of Christmas spirit. The show is overseen by a master of ceremonies who will have spectators jumping and laughing no matter what their age. This year the cavalcade will tie up at the commercial dock on the Passeig de la Marina in La Savina. The retinue's first scheduled visit is at 7.00pm in the Sant Francesc square, with stops to follow in Sant Ferran (from 8.00pm) and La Mola (from 8.30pm).

Group exhibition
From 2-7 December, island artists come together to pay tribute to David Vergara with a Christmas exhibition. The show is open Monday to Saturday, 11.00am to 2.00pm and 5.00pm to 7.00pm. Contributing artists will be on hand as the exhibition opens, Monday 2 December, at 8.00pm.

Award for best shop-window display
In 2019, the Eivissa-Formentera chamber of commerce- and Consell de Formentera-sponsored Concurs d'Aparadorisme Nadalenc returns for the thirteen year of the annual push to promote the festive holiday spirit at local businesses. Prizes will be handed out Monday 2 December.
 
Collaborations
The Consell de Formentera wishes to thank Trasmapi. Every year, the company helps bring part of the holiday magic to the island. Thanks also go to the Balearic Port Authority, the Three Kings' Association, TalentIB and the rest of collaborators who make the holiday programme possible.

27 November 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Formentera unveils array of incentives for islanders who support small businesses in winter

img 1822-1-Consell de Formentera commerce chief Ana Juan was joined today by Josep Mayans and Lydia Álvarez, the president and director of the island’s small- and medium-sized business association, Pimef, along with Caterina Tur from the Eivissa-Formentera chamber of commerce, in rolling out a run of commercial drives to encourage local shoppers to patronise small businesses in the months ahead.

This Friday, 29 November, Formentera and Pimef present ‘Black Friday on Formentera’, as part of the Compra a Casa customer loyalty programme. All day Friday, purchases of €15 or more at participating shops will be automatically entered to win a €50 gift card. The winner will be announced Tuesday, 3 December, and prizes can be picked up at the Pimef offices.

This Christmas, shop local
As the winter holidays draw nearer, Formentera has begun activating 'Al Nadal compra a casa', the latest in a yearly line of initiatives to reward islanders for shopping this Christmas season. Three local shoppers will be rewarded with €50, €100 and €200 Compra a Casa gift cards.

In the words of consellera Juan: “Compra a Casa is Formentera’s way of encouraging islanders to support small business, help inject life into our streets during Christmas time, and see to it residents can enjoy holiday season worthy of its name without leaving the island”.

Pimef chief Josep Mayans highlighted Compra a Casa’s 29-strong roster of participating businesses, and running tally of 2,322 customer loyalty cards since the programme débuted in 2016. Mayans also pointed out the growing heft of islanders’ total purchases, which went from €1.3 million in 2018 to €1.8M in 2019. Compra a Casa is offering more discounts, too, with this year’s running total of €35,967 dwarfing the total of €24,451 handed out last season.

Christmas Shop Window Decoration Contest
To stir the holiday spirit at shops across the island, the Chamber of Commerce and Consell de Formentera are teaming up to host the thirteenth Christmas Shop Window Decoration Contest (Concurs d’Aparadorisme Nadalenc). Registration ends today and 12 businesses have signed up so far. Winners are announced 2 December, with €75 and a commemorative plaque going to the third-place contestant, €150 and a plaque for the runner-up, and €225 and a plaque for the number-one contender.

Fresh winter push
Formentera’s commerce chief pointed out that the Consell and Pimef’s wintertime campaign would extend after the holidays to continue promoting local businesses through the winter months. In January, February and March, every purchase made in participating Compra a Casa businesses during the final week of the month will automatically be entered to win a €50 gift card.

Purchases must be €15 or more. January’s winner will be announced during the first week of February; February’s winner the first week in March; and March’s the first week in April.

25 November 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Tourism barometre points to high tourist satisfaction, encourages strategic focus on price-quality ratio

foto-reunio---sectorial2Representatives of Formentera’s tourism sector and regular islanders met today in the Formentera Sala de Plens for a once yearly gathering where attendees found out the latest tourism figures and discussed the overall lines of Formentera’s strategy on tourism in the year ahead.

President Alejandra Ferrer presided over the opening and closing parts of the gathering. Local chief of tourism promotion Carlos Bernús reviewed the 2019 data as well as marketing efforts over the course of the year.

Ferrer and Bernús also gave an overview of conclusions from tourist satisfaction surveys administered by the Formentera government. “On the bright side, 96.2% of Formentera’s visitors said they came away satisfied, and 47.3% said they’d likely visit us again. And daily, per-tourist spending is up to €133”, pointed out Ferrer.

She identified stagnant levels of tourist satisfaction as an area in need of improvement, calling for renewed efforts to give visitors “a good value for their money, not just in services, but in facilities, as well”. Ferrer underscored the importance of highlighting the points —“local products, gastronomy, culture, leisure”— that set Formentera apart from other destinations. For tourists, Formentera’s main draws remain its beaches, nature and tranquility.

Launch of data observatory
During the day, personnel of the island’s new data observatory were introduced as well. The new department will be responsible for analysing data and administering surveys to tourists and residents to support drawing strategic lines, improving everyday life for islanders and boosting tourist satisfaction. The president asserted that “this time next year we’ll have increasingly specific data to help us deal with our weaknesses as a destination and as an island”.


22 November 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

Consell launches fresh sweep of web listings for holiday rentals

foto consell premsaThe tourism office and inspection service of the Consell de Formentera report that from 1 December the administration will begin trawling online listings of vacation rentals to check if they note an ET number (for estada turística, i.e. "tourist stay"), or failing that, the code verifying inclusion on the Responsible Declaration of New Activity (Driat).

Legislation passed 19 July 2012 requires that owners of accommodations rented to holidaymakers "incorporate or post an ET number in rental portals" (article 19.n), or, pursuant to article 23.7 of the same legislation, make permanently public their Driat registration number.

Created as part of Formentera's strategy on tourism-related inspections, the push aims for legislative compliance among businesses and tourists, as well as protection of islanders' right to housing, and certifying the exclusively residential use of dwellings not authorised for rental activity.   

The legislation establishes failure to list an ET or Driat number as a minor offence punishable by fines of up to €4,000. Not obtaining the proper permit for rental activity constitutes a major offence, and the infraction carries fines of €20,000 to €40,000.

13 November 2019
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

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