SERIOUS PROBLEMS
According to a shocking report on sustainable destinations by the prestigious National Geographic Magazine, Ibiza has serious problems as the 'Pitiuses' finished bottom of a worldwide report on the islands of the world.
To see how the integrity of island destinations around the world was holding up, Traveler and the National Geographic Centre for Sustainable Destinations conducted their 4th annual Destination Scorecard survey, aided by George Washington University. A panel of 522 experts in sustainable tourism spent time reviewing conditions in these 111 carefully selected islands and archipelagos. The destinations were scored from 0-100 with the places most in trouble scoring the least points. The categorisation, according to the magazine, was the following -
0-25: Catastrophic: all criteria very negative, outlook grim.
26-49: In serious trouble.
50-65: In moderate trouble: all criteria medium-negative or a mix of negatives and positives.
66-85: Minor difficulties.
86-95: Authentic, unspoiled, and likely to remain so.
96-100: Enhanced.
Ibiza scored just 37 points, marking it as having serious problems and finished joint bottom of the list with St.Thomas of the US Virgin Islands. The island was described by the panel as follows:
"Ibiza is not Spanish anymore. Or Balearic. It is a colony of Europe and, at times, seems more a colony of British ravers. Half the island is still 'natural.' The other half has been lost completely to the party circuit. Ibiza cannot get rid of the vicious circle it went through a few years ago. Booze, partying, and drugs are a big part of an increasingly sleazy scene. Culture and environment take a back seat to development, with little to no consideration for ecological, social, or cultural preservation. Some might argue that Ibiza has been de-spoiled, but a closer inspection reveals much that is still appealing: centuries-old defence towers and churches; walks from beach to beach on largely unspoiled stretches with rocky outcrops; and beautiful views of Es Vedra rock off the south west coast.
A truly damning report indeed, and one which coincided with Balearic Day at the World Travel Market. Our near neighbours were also heavily criticised, with Majorca scoring a lowly 54 points and just 51 for the Canaries.
The report was topped by the Faroe Islands with 87 points, closely followed by the Azores (Portugal), Lofoten (Norway), the Shetland Islands (Scotland), Chiloe (Chile) and the Isle of Skye (Scotland) all scoring over 80 marks.

AROUND THE ISLAND

WTM London
It was good news all round as the World Travel Market got off to a bang last week. Whilst everyone was predicting a bumper 2008 for the Balearics, the importance of the British market to the islands was underlined. The Brits are about to take over the mantle held by the Germans, as the most numeric within the islands. This year an estimated 3,081,054 British tourists visited the Balearics, a rise of 2.8 per cent. Although this figure was lower than the total number of Germans to arrive - 3,332,012 (down 1.2 per cent) - it was confirmed that the Brits would overpower their nearest competitors in 2008.
Ibiza received 602,058 Brits in total this year, a rise of 10 per cent, by far the highest of any sector. However, it was also revealed these tourists had the lowest spending power of any British holidaymakers, confirming the fears of local retailers who had complained this year about the limited spending power of the tourists.
The Balearic stand lacked any famous names this year - only the internationally renowned guitarist Paco de Lucia made a brief appearance - which led to a far more family atmosphere, with the natural beauty of the islands the true star.
The president of Thomas Cook Group, Manny Fontenla-Novoa, confirmed the good news claiming his company would take a total of six million tourists to Spain in 2008, two million of which would go to the Balearics. He said it was a very safe and secure destination which would, for the time being, remain very popular. The president of the travel group Iberostar, Miguel Fluxa, was in agreement but did heed some warning to hoteliers in Ibiza, that more work needed to be done to reform their properties, as had happened in Majorca.
There was further good news as the president of the Govern Balear, Francesc Antich, announced the Balearic Islands will be given 7.5million to spend on the promotion of the islands in 2008. This will be the highest amount on record. 5.5 million of this will be spent on publicity, with the remaining 2million going directly on tour operators and travel agents, so they can get to know the islands. A third of the entire budget will be spent on the British market, which has once again proved to be the highest growing and most dependable sector for the four islands.

Immigrant Ring
Eleven people were arrested last week in a police crackdown on illegal immigration. The operation, codenamed Operation Kaskai, resulted in the arrests on the mainland in both Zaragoza and Navarra. The organisation had been actively working for the last few years, and had brought illegal immigrants from Algeria to the Balearics and then on to the mainland. Most of the trips were made from Dellys (Algeria) to the Balearics, a distance of 275 kilometres, because of the temperate climate normally enjoyed on the journey, as well as the lack of security around the islands. The immigrants had paid anything up to 2,500, for which they received administrative assistance on arrival to help them secure their papers.

Trial Begins
The trial into the causes of the sinking of the Don Pedro began on Friday, with the lawyer representing the members of the New Port of Ibiza claiming there was a dual responsibility between the ships crew and the boat sent out to move the vessel once it had hit the rocks close to es Daus.
The vessel, which now rests a mile out to sea off the coast of Ibiza, hit rocks as it left the capitals port in July of this year. The captain and the first officer were both called as witnesses in the trial. Both reconfirmed their original stories, the captain claiming he gave certain orders which were not followed, the first officer, who was at the wheel, assuring the judge the orders he received were different to those the captain now claims were issued.
This was the first part of the case, because after the collision occurred the crew managed to stabilise the boat, and asked if they could be allowed back into port. The Port Authorities gave a negative response, claiming there were no adequate mooring facilities. They then sent out a boat which carried out a number of inappropriate manoeuvres in its attempt to drag the vessel away from the busy entrance to the port. These movements opened up the crack in the vessel even more and, according to lawyers, it was then that the vessel sunk. Responsibility, they continued, should therefore be shared between the owners of the ship, Iscomar, and the Marine Captain, who gave the orders for the ship to be moved.
The trial continues

President Matutes?
Abel Matutes, the controversial Ibicencan businessman and ex-foreign minister, was being considered for the presidency of the tourist group, TUIAG, it was revealed last week. The news came after the board had been debating whether to renew the contract of the current president, Michael Frenzel. It was later revealed Matutes was favourite to take up the post had Frenzel not been re-elected. However having guided TUI through the take-over of their rivals, First Choice, and increased profits by 70 per cent this year, Frenzel was always in a dominant position, and received the backing of the vast majority of the board as his contract was renewed until 2012.
There has been much criticism within Germany as the company has become much more British-run over the last year, which has upset many. This was further underlined as the former boss of First Choice, Peter Long, was appointed the new CEO of the company; further evidence the company saw the British market as by far its most important sector.
The company will now be known as TUI Travel PLC, and company shares were listed for the first time on the London Stock Exchange on 3rd September. TUI AG has a 51 per cent holding in the company, with several of the smaller shareholders including RIU Hotels (5.1%), the CAM bank (5%) and the Matutes Group (3%). Based on the figures of the 2006 business year TUI had revenue of around 18 billion with profits close to 500million created under the umbrella of TUI Travel PLC. Last year some 29 million clients travelled with the companys tour operators and airlines.
The firm also announced prices for package holidays to Spain for the coming year would be lower than in 2007. Company heads said they would be trying to encourage early bookings by heavily discounting holidays up until January.

New Website
The Consell Insular announced the launch of a new website to promote the island at the World Travel Market in London. The news comes on the back of a report last week which showed 40 per cent of people visiting the island in 2007 used the internet beforehand, in some shape or form. The new site was up and running last week in Spanish, Catalan and English. Under the main headings of Plan your Trip, What to do, Gastronomy, Culture and Nature, the website hopes to give the potential visitor a taste of the island, with a link via Google Earth enabling them to see specific areas. The site will also inform visitors of the various upcoming cultural and sporting events during their stay. A special team will ensure the site is regularly updated.
The Consell also revealed they were planning the launch of a digital television channel to promote the island. Although the project is still some time away, they made it clear the project was urgent and would prove invaluable to the islands tourist promotion, as well as informing residents of the upcoming events on the island.

Bomb Threats
A bomb scare at the headquarters of the Partido Popular in Palma on Monday led to the building being evacuated for two hours. The incident began after a man of Moroccan descent entered the building claiming he was going to explode a bag he was carrying if he was not attended to by a member of the party. A secretary immediately rang the police, who were soon on the scene to arrest the man. However, after repeated threats, the police decided to evacuate the building and make a more detailed search of the premises.
The arrested man had entered the building to complain about being included on a list of suspects connected to the Madrid bombings. Threatening to set off explosives to show he had not been involved with another bombing was not really the most intelligent form of protest, and ensured the man will spend the foreseeable future behind bars.

New Kindergartens
The Town Hall of Santa Eulalia announced last week they were trying to find the most appropriate piece of land for a Consell-built kindergarten. The administration confirmed the new building would be outside of the urban centre, where there is already an existing public pre-school, and would be in one of the more populated sub-districts of the municipality. They claimed the decision was just days away, but was being carefully studied.
The Consell asked the Town Halls of both San Antonio and Santa Eulalia several weeks ago to find them a piece of land for the construction of two kindergartens. The Town Hall of San Antonio announced at the beginning of the week that they had found the appropriate spot, next to the school at Can Coix. The 2,029 square-metre piece of land will be handed over to the Consell so work can begin on the new project next year.

Strike Confirmed
The ambulance strike announced last week by members of the 061 service is to begin on 30th November and run until 29th December. During this period staff will work just forty hours a week, as stipulated in their contracts, instead of the sixty hours they are currently working. At the moment staff work twelve hours a day, five times a week. This will be cut down to eight hours a day during the strike. The action has been called after bosses failed to meet the minimum conditions required under state legislation, something which, according to ambulance staff, is making their work far more difficult and putting public health at risk.

Total Eclipse
On Thursday Ibiza took part in a worldwide call to cut electricity use by turning off the lights for five minutes. The protest to highlight the affects of global warming was carried out by a number of citizens, as well as all of the Town Halls on the island and the Consell Insular. The protest lasted just five minutes, but GESA reported a reduction in the average consumption that day of one per cent.

Price Increase
Consumer groups made an official complaint last week about the sudden increase in car park prices at the airport. New legislation brought out during 2007 meant cars paid by the minute and their times were not rounded up to the nearest hour. However, this has had a negative effect in Ibiza and an increase in prices has meant a stay of between nine and twelve hours, which would have previously cost around 6 has increased by fifty per cent to 9. The rises have been described as extortionate, and the groups are demanding the system is revised.

Surprise Route
Two migrating falcons, whose usual summer residence is the island of Tagomago, have surprised bird watchers by taking a more direct route south than at first had been thought. The falcons were tagged this summer in an attempt to record their flight path during their winter migration south to warmer climes. It was previously thought the birds kept closer to the water, hugging the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and eventually the Indian Ocean until their arrival at their winter hideaway in Madagascar. However, watchers have been surprised to see the birds taking a much more direct route, which meant crossing the Sahara Desert, Niger and Chad. The route will signify the birds crossing the breadth of Africa, a far more direct route than was at first thought. The migration continued this week.

Mayors Complain
The Town Halls of Santa Eulalia, San Antonio and San Juan, all run by the PP, have urged the PSOE-run Consell of Ibiza to clarify the new building legislation as soon as possible. The legislation is currently being changed to ensure it will be much harder to build in certain sensitive areas of the island. In the meantime the municipal administrations are left unsure of what is legal or not, which is making it difficult to currently issue licenses.
One of the first moves of the new Consell was to create regular Mayors meetings between the five municipalities on the island, and the president of the Consell, Xico Tarres. However, after three such meetings in quick succession, there has not been one for quite a while, and the three mayors in question criticised this lack of communication, saying the entire point of the meetings was to keep them all abreast of the latest changes and ideas. In the case of the new building legislation, this has not worked.
The Consell, on the other hand, said the changes were being considered carefully, and that the new ruling would be available for all to ponder within the next few weeks.

Cold Snap
The arrival of a polar mass of air from the north was blamed for a sudden drop in temperatures on the island last week. During the week temperatures dropped a staggering seven degrees with a minimum temperature on Thursday of just 5.2°C. However experts predicted a rise in temperatures over the coming week.

IBIZA TOWN

Lottery Win
There were celebrations in bar Rute in ses Figueretes last week after a pools win which netted the owners 464,454. The Quiniela, which is very similar to the British pools, involves predicting the correct weekend football results from fifteen matches. One of the winners, Isaac Molina, revealed how he normally took several hours filling out the slip but on this occasion he had done it within thirty seconds, boldly predicting amongst his fifteen the loss of Barcelona to lowly Getafe.

Work Begins
Work to improve the accessibility of Vara de Rey and El Parque squares in Ibiza Town began in earnest last week with the Town Hall promising it will be finished within two months. The remodelling will involve making the pavement more accessible for disabled use, something for which the Town Hall was heavily criticised for in a 2006 report. The work will cost a total of 100,000 and, as well as lowering the curb on pavements, will also involve a specially adapted pavement being installed to aid the blind.

SAN ANTONIO

Purifier Delay
The mayor of San Antonio, Jose Sala, voiced his concern over the weekend about the continued delay in starting the reform work which is due to take place on the municipalitys water purifier. The plans were agreed in November 2006 and the first stone of the project was laid by the former Environment Minister, Jaume Font, back in January. However, since then work has not progressed, and Sala fears the company which had originally won the tender for the work has pulled out altogether. He claimed his administration had spoken to the company, but had not received any information.
The work, which should have started this year, will cost a total of 4.8million and take 18 months to complete.
The mayor was described as very concerned by the delay, and urged the Consell Insular to chase up the matter and immediately appoint another company if they have, in fact, pulled out of their agreement. He claimed if the work was not carried out soon he feared the worst for this summer, and a return to the bad smells produced two years ago.
His fears were not allayed by comments made several weeks ago by the Environment Ministry who stated that the priority at the moment was the purifier in Playa den Bossa.

Road Reopened
After having been closed for a total of three weeks, the entrance to San Antonio via the Ibiza road was eventually reopened on Wednesday. The Consell announced that although the work was not supposed to have been completed until 21st November, the road was reopened a week early after work had carried on around the clock. A spokesman said they understood the chaos the road closure had caused, and for that reason they had insisted the contractors finish the repair work ahead of schedule. The road had become dangerous after work had taken place to install underground sewage pipes in the area. The pavement and road were never rebuilt properly, causing a dangerous situation for both traffic and pedestrians.

School Delay
It seems the municipality is going to have to wait a while longer before a new secondary school is built. The mayor, Jose Sala, said the decision of the Consell to delay the building of the school was incomprehensible and that the residents of San Antonio were going to suffer as a consequence.
The project has been dogged by delays and controversy since the idea first surfaced four years ago. The land was found by the Town Hall at Can Micolau and even the road network has already been constructed. However, the decision has now been taken by the Consell to delay the project even further, a move which has angered Sala.

Total Raised
The Solidarity Walk in San Antonio last weekend raised a total of 22,459. There was a good turn out on both days of the walk, with 700 people joining walkers for the barbeque on Sunday. The money raised will go to the building of a centre for disabled children within the municipality.

SAN JOSE

Work Delayed
The work to complete the Plan of Excellence in Cala de Bou was temporarily suspended after complaints from residents about the proposed closure of a large section of the road. The company in charge of the work, Ferrovial, was due to begin the final phase two weeks ago, and had been planning to cut the es Calo road (the old Port des Torrent road) from calle Burgos to calle Jaen (the Ibiza Sun office!). This would have meant a large number of residents, especially those living in the Pinet Playa area, would not have been able to access their properties. The Councillor for the area, Maria de los Angeles Mostazo, after a meeting with various resident associations, decided to postpone the start of the work until a new solution could be found.
A solution was eventually found and as the paper goes to print work has begun in blocking off the road. However Mostazo confirmed that to ease the inconvenience, part of the Granada and Guadalajara roads will be opened to allow traffic to cut up on to the top road (Avenida Sant Agusti).
The Plan of Excellence has caused a great deal of unrest amongst neighbours during the last two years, and was a major factor in the previous PP-run administration losing at the last elections. It is therefore a very sensitive subject and will ensure the new Town Hall tread very carefully to make certain they do not incur the wrath of local residents. The work is due to take five months and will hopefully be finished by the beginning of the 2008 tourist season, although the probabilities, as seen over the last two years, are slim!

Coastal Plans
The new sustainability plan produced by the Ministry for the Environment has recommended the demolition of a number of beach side restaurants and bars. The study, carried out on the coast of San Jose, showed there were many establishments which had encroached onto public coastal land, which was collectively having a negative affect on the environment within the municipality.
The study called for a revision of the plans in the construction of several hotels and restaurants situated in Cala Bassa. It also recommended the demolition of the restaurant, ses Eufabies in Cala Tarida, as well as an evaluation of all of the beach huts in the area. The restaurants/bars in Cala Tarida, Cala Moli, Cala Carbo, Cala d´Hort and ses Boques will also be reviewed.
The study also demanded the removal of all fences around the coast, claiming that as well as being aesthetically displeasing, they also prevented access to certain areas of natural beauty.

SANTA EULALIA

Hotel Ready
The new hotel and spa planned for Santa Eulalia, Aguas de Ibiza, is to open its doors in July 2008. However, before you pick up the phone to make your reservation, it was announced in a presentation of the establishment to the British media at an exclusive London hotel that the 5-star property was already fully booked from July through to November. When finished, the hotel will have 112 bedrooms, as well as two restaurants, a spa, swimming pool, gardens and a chill-out zone.

Purifier Promise
It was announced during the Parliamentary session last Tuesday that the water purifier destined for Santa Eulalia will be finished by the third trimester of 2008. The minister, Albert Moragues, was responding to criticism from the opposition party about the lack of investment being made by the new Govern Balear. The purifier will be able to initially produce up to 10,000 cubic metres of water per day, rising to 15,000 later on in the year.
However, his prediction was questioned the following day by the mayor, Vicent Mari, who claimed the minister had become confused and that the purifier would not in fact be ready until the first few months of 2009, a far more realistic prediction looking at the state of affairs at the present time.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Fatal Accident
A 34 year old Spaniard became the 13th fatal road victim of the year after being knocked off his moped on Wednesday. The accident occurred at 6.15 a.m. on the Santa Eulalia-Ibiza road, close to Ca na Negreta, on a section of straight road. According to police sources the moped was clipped from behind by the driver of a Renault Clio. Emergency services were soon at the accident, but could do nothing to save the life of the motorist, who although he had been wearing a crash helmet, died at the scene from horrific head injuries. The driver of the car was later released after passing a breath-test.

Three Accidents
Three accidents on Thursday ended with the death of a 50 year old man in Santa Eulalia. Although the two other incidents were far more spectacular and involved both cars overturning, it was the smallest accident which ended with the fatality.
At 9.15 a.m. the victim was driving close to Can Guasch when he suffered a heart-attack, causing his car to collide with a tree. Although medical officers were quickly on the scene, they could do nothing to save the life of the man.
The second accident took place on the road from Cala Conta to Cala Bassa close to the popular bar, Stop. For reasons that are still unclear the 31 year old driver lost control of the car on a straight section of road. His car proceeded to collide with a tree and then overturned, leaving the man trapped inside. He was freed by a passerby and taken to hospital, although his condition was not considered serious.
The third accident occurred on the Santa Eulalia road close to Jesus. Two cars collided side on, causing one to hit the central reservation and overturn. Again the driver of the vehicle escaped without any significant injuries.

By modern day standards Ibiza is an extremely safe place to holiday. This is a weeks worth of news and so its effect is magnified. Please do not fret while you are here you are quite safe!!
If you have any stories for our incidents section then call or fax 971-348-271 or e-mail on: editor@theibizasun.com

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

Royal Split
The King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, was again in the news this week after it was announced that his eldest daughter, Princess Elena, had officially separated from her husband. Rumours had been rife in the press over the last few months, but the official announcement came via a statement from the press office of the Royal Family.
The Dukes of Lugo first met when Elena was perfecting her French in a Parisian school. Jaime de Marichalar was a successful economist working for a large bank in the French capital at the time. They married on 18th March 1995 and have two children together. Although they had appeared together publicly for several family occasions in recent months, there had long been suspicion that things were not quite as they should be. This rumour was confirmed by the announcement on Tuesday morning of a split. It is the fifth separation in the history of the Spanish Royal family.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Emirate Investment
The Middle-Eastern based airline, Emirates, announced the biggest purchase of aeroplanes in history last week at the opening of the Dubai Air Show. The president of Emirates, Sheik Ahmad Bin Sayed al Maktum, revealed the company had signed an agreement to buy twelve Boeing planes, seventy A350´s, and eleven A380´s. The total cost of all of these planes will be around 25,000 million. The agreement also included the right to buy 50 more planes in the future, which would take the total price to over 35,000 million. It is the biggest investment by any aeronautical firm in history and underlined, according to the Sheik, Emirates place as the number one airline on the planet. The company is hoping to receive the first of the planes by 2014.

LEISURE & SPORT

Ibiza Cricket Club ended a highly successful season with five wins and one loss.
The touring teams of Zamigos from Holland, and the Old Lincolnians were goodish sides, but lost both their games against a resurgent home XI. It was most gratifying that these wins were very much team efforts, and were achieved without the help of a significant innings from Adam Johnston. Also encouraging was the fact that no fewer than four bowlers totalled five or more wickets in these matches. The only downside was that whilst the out-fielding remained excellent, far too many catches were dropped by a side that has been exemplary in this direction all season.
The first game against the Zamigos was interrupted by rain and having bowled them out for 171 (Martin Makepeace 3 for 20), Ibiza was set a revised target of 135 in 20 overs. All Ibizas batsmen who were involved made contributions to reaching the target with six wickets and two overs in hand. In their next game Zamigos could muster only 140 in the face of some cunning bowling by Bob Short (4 for 22). However, chasing even this modest total Ibiza were in distinct trouble at 49 for 5 before determined innings by Stuart Browne (32), Ben (Kiwi) Morris (28 not out) and Martin Cooper saw Ibiza safely home by three wickets.
Old Lincolnians batted steadily in amassing 195 for 5 (Ben Morris 3 for 28) but their total never looked enough as Sam Feasy played the innings of his life. Eighteen fours and three sixes featured his coruscating 116 not out, and he scarcely gave a chance. Able and unselfish support was provided by Bob Short, whose plethora of well judged singles enabled his partner to face the lions share of the bowling. Their unbroken stand of 160 left us winners by nine wickets. By the time of their next fixture, traditional Ibizan hospitality had taken its toll on the Lincolnians, and they scored only a jaded 129 which Ibiza surpassed for the loss of just two wickets, Bob Short, whose 53 not out took his average for the season to 102.25, and Sam Feasy having both retired.
Ibizas weekend trip to play Sporting Alfaz on the outskirts of Benidorm was an up and down affair. Saturday's match against the 1st XI, Spanish Champions was always going to be difficult but with Alfaz scoring 320 off 40 overs and Ibiza being 12 for 4 off 7 overs, it could have been a complete disaster. However Ibizas middle order, namely Stuart Browne, Martin Cooper, Jim Harvey and Martin Makepeace, managed to get some valuable time in the middle and contributed significantly to take the score up to the 160 mark, so instead of spiralling into depression Ibiza took some positives out of the game. Eventually losing by 150 odd runs was no disgrace against an excellent side and Ibiza, somewhat strangely, came away from the game feeling quite upbeat.
Sunday's game against the 2nd XI was totally different with Alfaz fielding an emerging side boasting several of Spain's top youngsters. Alfaz scored well but too slowly and Ibizas bowling and fielding was right on the money, as it has been all season, to restrict them to 161 from their 40 overs. Ibiza achieved the target in the 38th over with 3 wickets to spare. It was a great team effort with Robin Parmenter and Martin Cooper being the standouts with a 60 run partnership to take the team to within touching distance, two cover drive boundaries by Martin Cooper at the business end of the innings will be remembered for many years to come.
Any victory over a Sporting Alfaz team has to be earned, and this performance
capped an excellent season for Ibiza Cricket Club on the pitch - winning 8 matches and losing only 6 and also bringing home the Balearic Cup for the first time in 17 years. Many thanks to all who have played, supported and helped over the last season. Ibiza Cricket Club goes into 2008 with confidence.

Ibiza News powered by Ibiza Sun

By modern day standards Ibiza is an extremely safe place to holiday. This is a weeks worth of news and so its effect is magnified. Please do not fret while you are here - you are quite safe!!

If you have any stories for our incidents section then call or fax 971-348-271 or e-mail on: editor@theibizasun.com