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Council blasts Govern's “cynical” funding model for tourism promotion

alej ferrer 60515Local councillor of tourism and transport, Alejandra Ferrer, representing the Formentera Council, reproached “the cynical behaviour of the Regional Ministry of Tourism of the Govern Balear, which for two years has refused to provide the kind of sufficient or fair funding that would be necessary to transfer authority in tourism promotion to the smaller islands. And suddenly, the same administration has managed to make 43 million euros – exclusively for the Palau de Congressos in Palma – appear out of thin air”.

Ferrer explained that “this past April the Regional Ministry ('Conselleria') of Tourism earmarked a 20-million euro loan and 15.7 million in funding to a facility that serves Mallorca alone. This money is in addition to the 8 million plurianual assistance package that also benefits the Palau de Congressos project”.

Alejandra Ferrer explained her exasperation: “On the three other islands we have listened to the Govern tell us for two years that its proposed funding was as high as it could be. We even listened while regional minister Jaime Martínez's went before the Parlament Balear and accused Formentera of “irresponsibility” for not accepting Palma's proposed funding".

The Govern Balear's 2015 economic package proposed 5.3 millon euros for the four islands. Of that money, €644,000 was earmarked for Formentera, with very little possibility to increase that amount in future budgets. The proposal, according to Ferrer, “compromises the future of our island's promotion of tourism”, all the more dangerous because “[that promotion] is a key part of our strategy in distinguishing Formentera from our other major competitors”. Ferrer put it plainly: “This is a clear sign of the Govern's lack of interest in guaranteeing quality, unique promotion for each of the Balearic Islands.”