PARAD-ISE
The International Tourism Trade Fair, known popularly as FITUR, took place over the weekend with the Balearics yet again playing a major role in the event. The 18th edition of the Fair welcomed 13,000 companies to an exhibition space of 100,000m2. Initial estimates revealed around 200,000 people visited the fair, of which 150,000 were described as trade professionals.
The event was open to trade professionals from 30th January-1st February and to the general public from 2nd-3rd February, and had twelve pavilions, totalling 100,000m2 of exhibition space and a total of 845 direct exhibitors.
First time exhibitors among the 170 countries present at the fair included Bhutan, Madagascar, Greenland, and the St Thomas and Prince Islands. Other destinations included China, Switzerland and Austria both of whose stands concentrated on the upcoming Olympic Games and European Football Championships respectively. Meanwhile Zaragozas stand was drawing the crowds due to the Expo 2008 campaign which is due to open on 14th June.
All of the principal representatives from the Balearics, Ibiza and Formentera were present, with Ibiza Town and San Jose sharing a stand to try and increase punching power. The main event for the Ibiza stand was the unveiling of the new Parador of Ibiza the construction of which is due to get underway this year, although an exact date has not yet been given.
Paradores de Turismo de Espana are a chain of Spanish luxury hotels founded by Alfonso XIII of Spain as a means to promote tourism in Spain, with The Parador de Gredos in Ávila, the first to open in 1928. A profitable state-run enterprise, the hotels are often in castles, palaces, fortresses, convents, monasteries and other historic buildings. Nowadays Paradors are found all across the country from Galicia in the North-West through Catalonia to Andalusia in the south of Spain, the Canary Islands and even the Spanish cities in North Africa.
The chain has been keen on opening a Parador in Ibiza for several years but the idea has always been delayed due to the very sensitive nature of the project. In keeping with their policies, the establishment would have to be located close to the Old Town, which has caused a certain amount of controversy and concern. It also means the project had to be planned very carefully. However an agreement was reached, and although the news had been revealed earlier last year, FITUR saw the presentation of the project with the help of a small-scale model. The project will be based within the Old Town, close to the cathedral and it is hoped it can be started this year, although the final permits have yet to be granted, but considering all of the representatives at the presentation, including the mayor of Ibiza Town, Lurdes Costa, the secretary general of Tourism, Amparo Fernandez, and the president of Paradores Nacionales, Antoni Costa, permission seems a mere formality. The project will cost a total of 20 million and it is hoped it can be finished by 2011.
Lurdes Costa said she was extremely proud of the project, and underlined that the plans respected the history of the area and the current installations. The project will include the building of two tunnels within the Old Town ensuring the Parador is easily accessible to vehicles.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary for Tourism, Amparo Munoz, said the construction of a Parador in Ibiza was an extremely positive move for Ibiza, but also for the Parador Chain which will now be able to sell their product on a worldwide scale due to the popularity of the island.
The mayor of Santa Eulalia, Vicent Mari, was also at the Fair to promote the new Conference Centre which is due to open in April. Mari said the centre would be an important tool in trying to increase the longevity of the season within the municipality. The installation will contain a number of different smaller conference rooms, as well as a large auditorium which will be able to hold cultural events and shows.
Francesc Buils, the minister for tourism at the Govern Balear, was very optimistic about the forthcoming season and said the Balearic Islands were on the up. He said that despite the current economic crisis across Europe and a weakening British Pound, he expected reservations to increase during 2008.
It was difficult not to agree with his positive comments which were backed up by extremely favourable figures from 2007. In total the Balearics received over 13 million visitors in 2007 for the first time ever. Ibiza and Formentera were also in record-breaking form, welcoming a total of 2.2 million tourists. This was an increase of 18 per cent on 2006, in comparison to rises of 3.2 per cent in Majorca and 4.4 per cent in Minorca. The British market brought a total of 3.4 million tourists to the Balearics. However, it was the Spanish market that saw the highest growth, especially within Ibiza and Formentera, with a total of 839,000 Spanish tourists visiting the two islands, an increase of 49.8 per cent on the previous year.
However he finished off with a word of warning to businesses that competition would become even fiercer over the coming years, and it was vitally important to maintain a sufficient level of quality.

AROUND THE ISLAND

Pimeef Results
The recent upward trend of small businesses on the island came to an abrupt end last year, as sales fell for the first time in several years. The statistics were backed up by a study last week by Pimeef (the Association for Small and Medium Sized Businesses) who questioned 340 of their members. A massive 24.92 per cent reported sales had fallen during 2007 in comparison to the previous year. This was double the amount than in a similar survey carried out in 2006. However it was not all doom and gloom, with 28.24 per cent claiming sales had increased. One interesting fact showed that most of those who had improved sales from the previous year put the increase down to investments which had been made in the business.
Despite the fall in sales confidence was high regarding the upcoming season, with 29.90 per cent saying they expected it to be superior to this year, whilst 45.18 per cent said they thought it would be the same.

Flight Reductions
After a series of meetings it was announced last week the price of inter-island flights is set to fall by 7 per cent. The average price for a resident flying from Ibiza to Majorca will now be 41, a reduction of 3.
The meetings between the Transport Minister, Albert Prats, his counterpart at the Consell of Minorca, and representatives from Air Nostrum proved extremely productive with the flight carrier showing a firm commitment to reducing prices. The company will be able to increase the price by up to 25% as long as the average ticket for each flight remains 41. This will give the air carrier the chance of rewarding early bookings with discounts of up to 50 per cent, a policy they say they intend to start immediately. They announced they would be offering a total of 20,000 flight seats a year at just 18. This is a change from the current policy which did not allow such discounts to be made, as the company was unable to sell a ticket at more than 44.

Subsidy Anger
The president of the Tourist Board in Ibiza, Jose Tur Olmo, has heavily criticised the recent signing of an agreement which will give a total of 7.5 million to the Balearics to be used in the promotion of the Islands. Olmo is incensed by the fact that just 17 per cent of this total (1.2 million) will be spent on the specific promotion of Ibiza. Minorca will be given the same amount, while Majorca will have 60 per cent, with the remainder used in joint promotion, with Formentera receiving just 500,000. Olmo pointed out that Ibiza received double the amount of tourists last year than Minorca, and has three times the number of hotel beds. However, the latest announcement was unsurprising and nothing new for the island.
In other news, officials at the Consell Insular had several meetings with a number of the owners of the new 5-star hotels planned on the island during FITUR. There are six planned to open over the next three years, and the Consell wanted to make clear it welcomed their arrival on the island, and saw their opening as vitally important in improving the category of the island and in its attempts to increase the length of the season.

Barracks to Close
The last active military base on the island is to close, according to a report from the Ministry of Defence released at the end of December. The cost cutting measures are taking place on a national scale, and will affect several bases across the country. At present there are just 21 military personnel working from the quarters based in sa Coma. As the defence budget cuts begin to take affect, an active military base in Ibiza is seen as unnecessary in what is to become a far more streamlined armed force.
Although the future of the barracks had been in doubt for some time, there was confusion in Ibiza as reports of the closure were denied by the Governments Balearic Delegate, Ramon Socias. He claimed that although the closure was a distinct possibility, no decision had yet been made.
However, despite his assurances it seems the future is extremely bleak for the last military installation on the island.

Flag Day
The design of Ibiza´s new flag was revealed last week, by sources at the Consell Insular. The now defunct model, which had hung over all institutional buildings for the last 30 years, has always been a representation of both Ibiza and Formentera. The formation of the new Consell of Formentera in June 2007 has meant a change to the design of a flag whose origins go back over two centuries. The original design dates back to the 18th Century, and was copied from the old University logo which during these times ran both of the islands.
The flag was re-introduced on 1st April 1977 after the death of Franco. However, it has always been used to represent the two pine islands, Ibiza and Formentera. The recent emergence of the new Consell in Formentera has forced the flag to be redesigned. The old model was yellow and red and incorporated the four stripes of Catalonia, as well as four castles, one in each corner. The new design, which was revealed recently, incorporates all of these symbols but with just one castle, which appears in white on the left hand side over a blue background.
It is hoped the Consell of Formentera will soon be able to reveal a new design for what will be the islands first flag.

Hospital Stats
Recent statistics released by Can Misses have confirmed just how urgent the building of a new hospital has become. During the period from 1st December 200715th January 2008 the Accident & Emergency department dealt with an average of 133 emergencies per day. Although this was a drop of 2.8 per cent from the same period last year, the total number of patients being treated in the hospital increased with occupancy levels close to 92 per cent, a massive 10 per cent more than last year.
The most cases seen on a single day so far this winter is 181, way down on the record of last year which was 263 cases. However, staff are preparing themselves for a significant increase in numbers over the next two months as cases of flu and respiratory problems increase due to the cold weather.
A day after the report was published, the Association for Patients claimed the Health Department had not kept their promise to those who have been on the waiting list for an operation for over six months. Last year they were promised they would be able to use the private system to carry out the procedure. This has so far not happened.
However it was not all bad news from the Association, and while they claimed there was still a lack of surgeons, endocrinologists (a doctor trained in diseases of the glands) and radiologists, they did admit that, in general, waiting times were down year on year, and for that the Health Department should be applauded.

IBIZA TOWN

Capital Report
A recent study made public by the mayor of Ibiza Town, Lurdes Costa, has shown the capital is one of the most densely populated towns in the country, with an incredible 3,800 inhabitants per square kilometre. In total 42,884 people live in the 11 square kilometres which makes up the capital. This puts an incredible strain on resources, and is one of the reasons, according to Costa, Ibiza Town should be re-classified and given capital status. At the moment the grants and subsidies which are received by Ibiza Town are based on its category as a town.
The sheer numbers of people living within the capital are even more startling, when compared to the numbers in other areas. On the island as a whole there are an average of 198 inhabitants per square kilometre, which rises to just 200 for the entire Balearics Islands.
Costa is, at the moment, trying to get her municipality reclassified, and the report will only add fuel to her cause. The argument is backed up by several other revealing facts including some of the following - 50.8 per cent of the working population lives in the capital, 50.3 per cent of all small businesses are also located there, as well as 39.6 per cent of all restaurants and bars. Of all industrial companies, 27.6 per cent are based within Ibiza Town, as well as 27.9 per cent of all construction companies, signifying a total of 42 per cent of the islands economic activity. Finally, 38.2 per cent of all non-Spanish residents also reside in Ibiza Town. Costa will continue her fight in the coming weeks, which will mean a huge economic boost for the Town Hall.

SAN ANTONIO

On Time
The mayor of San Antonio, Jose Sala, claimed last week the work currently taking place around the town centre was ahead of schedule, and would be finished by the start of summer. Over the last several years local businesses have been angered by delays in improvements, especially to the road network, which have caused huge inconvenience as the tourists begin to arrive. However, Sala has promised this will not be the case this year and claimed, whilst on a tour of the current developments alongside a local architect, that work was ahead of schedule and would be complete by the start of summer. He even claimed some of the roads being re-done would be ready by the end of this month.
The project is all part of plans by the Town hall to make the centre of town much more pedestrian friendly, and to improve access to the commercial part of the town. Work is currently underway in the calles Cervantes, Balanzat and Santa Agnes, all of which has caused a great deal of congestion in the town centre this winter.
The car park which is currently under construction in the Plaza de Espana is also well ahead of schedule. Although work will continue for most of the year, close to a quarter of the site has already been finished.

Dog Debt
The Town Hall of San Antonio owes a total of 17,000 to their counterparts in Ibiza Town for the use of their kennel facilities during the last few years. The debt had reached 30,000 by November of last year, but following an ultimatum, 13,000 was paid in December. The debt has arisen solely from the accommodation of canines collected from the streets of the municipality, as their veterinary costs are met by the Town Hall of Ibiza.
The actions of the administration were criticised by the opposition party, who claimed 1,202 had been put aside in the annual budget in both 2003 and 2004 to help cover these costs. This increased to 18,000 in 2005. However the money appears to have been used on other activities, and the debt has been left to accumulate.
For any readers who do ever lose an animal, the kennels are always the first place that should be checked.
And finally for anyone thinking of getting a dog, all of the animals at the facility are available for adoption.

SAN JOSE

Conta Difficulties
The minister for Urban Planning at the Consell Insular, Miquel Ramon, has admitted it is becoming more and more difficult to protect certain parts of the island. His comments came after he confirmed it was unlikely the Govern would be able to interrupt a project currently underway in Cala Conta, which plans to build in excess of 100 properties. The problem, according to Ramon, is that the company undertaking the work has been given a legal licence, and as long as they stick to the original plans, it would be difficult to stop them. The only other way would involve a great deal of compensation being paid to the promoters, which Ramon admitted would be far too much of a financial burden for the current administration. He added that legislation is currently drawn up for all of the Balearic Islands together, which can sometimes prove a disadvantage to Ibiza.

Town Hall Promise
As building work in the Mirador de Cala Tarida continued unabated during the week, the Councillor for Urban Planning, Josep Antoni Prats, admitted the Town Hall hoped to change the Territorial Plan of the area (PTI) to ensure no further building permits were given the go-ahead. He revealed there were still vast areas within Cala Tarida that could be built on, and claimed a change in the local legislation would be the only way to stop the continued construction. He added that a great deal of public investment was now needed in the area to ensure basic necessities for the ever-growing community. The new project, which was not stopped last week as planned, will increase the population in the area by nearly 1,000 people. These increases mean a great deal of public money being spent on the area, while the profits from the construction of the new residential communities benefit a very select number of private companies.
Speaking about the Mirador de Cala Tarida, he said that work had continued during the week due to the fact the Madrid based construction company, Telisa Central, claimed they had not received the fax sent to them demanding its closure. A registered letter therefore had to be sent out which was not received until very late in the week, and he assured worried neighbours that the work would be stopped this week. The company now has 60 days to present the appropriate documents showing that the changes which have been made to the project are legal. If not, they will face the prospect of the construction site being closed for good.

SANTA EULALIA

Gertrudis Re-fit
The mayor of Santa Eulalia, Vicent Mari, claimed last week he wanted the people to decide the changes which are to be made as part of the project Santa Gertrudis XXI which plans to redevelop the village. The project is, at present, still in its very early stages, with plans currently being drawn up. However, in theory, the project hopes to build or re-locate a football ground, two all-weather sports pitches, a tennis court and a new civic building which it is hoped will eventually be used to house municipal offices. It is also hoped a nursery for 60 children can be built as part of the project.
A source at the Town Hall said the work would amount to a considerable re-distribution of a great part of the villages infrastructure, and the mayor was therefore encouraging the public to get involved in the project as they would know where best to locate everything.

Beach improvements
The Town Hall of Santa Eulalia is to introduce the international quality standard ISO 14.001 to all of the beaches within the municipality. The decision was taken at the beginning of the year, and will be financed to the tune of 15,000 by the current administration. In addition a further 60,000 will be spent on specific improvements, which will include the elimination of architectural barriers, as well as the installation of waste paper bins, showers and toilets. More money will also be spent on keeping the beaches cleaner. This award is different from other quality standards, as its emphasis is very much on environmental management.
The Town Hall is hoping the award will be granted in addition to the blue flag status currently enjoyed by four beaches in the municipal Cala Llenya, Cala Llonga, Santa Eulalia and es Canar. In total there are sixteen beaches on the island with the right to fly the blue flag, but none has ever been awarded the ISO 14.001.

New Location?
The Consell Insular of Ibiza has suggested that the new water purifier planned for the capital should be located in Santa Eulalie, after no suitable areas could be found in Ibiza Town. The Environmental Department at the Govern Balear had originally been looking at a site in sa Coma, but this was proving too complicated. They confirmed they had received a proposal from the Consell suggesting a site in Santa Eulalia. Although no details have yet been released it is believed the two locations favoured are an area between Puig den Valls and Montecristo, or close to Ca na Negreta.
The mayor of Santa Eulalia, Vicent Mari, expressed his surprise at the news and confirmed he had, as yet, not been consulted on the matter.

CRIME & INCIDENTS

Inquest Inconclusive
The inquest into the death of a British man whilst on holiday on the island has revealed ecstasy was found in his blood system. The forensic study carried out on the body of British man, Mark Barlow, following a fatal motorbike accident close to Aguas Blancas last August, showed he had consumed the drug in the hours leading up to his death. Barlow had recently arrived on the island to visit friends. He lost his life after crashing in to a wall at the 6.8 km. mark of the es Figueral road. His friends claimed he was an experienced rider, and suggested another car had been involved in the accident. Close to the scene what appeared to be an abandoned car had been left with the windows open. However, investigating police could not confirm this hypothesis.
Barlow died after receiving massive head injuries caused in the collision. Although the drug was not blamed for his death, it is believed it could have played some role in the pursuing incident. Assistant Deputy Coroner, Donald Coutts-Wood, recording a verdict of accidental death, told a Sheffield inquest that there was some indication he might not have been as aware as he could have been, due to consumption of the drug. However, he was unable to reach a definite conclusion.

Officers Disagree
An inappropriate joke was blamed for an incident which resulted in a Madrid-based police officer being injured in a fight with another plain clothed officer. The fight occurred in the toilets of the club, Pacha, as the officers, both in civilian clothes, were both enjoying a night on the town.
After a preliminary hearing last week it seems the incident began after the Madrid-based officer entered a bathroom cubicle with a friend to make a phone-call. The other officer became irritated because they were both taking their time. It was at this point he started to make jokes about what the two men were doing in the cubicle. The Madrid based officer then came out of the cubicle and squared up to the other man, with both officers threatening the other with the words You have no idea who you are dealing with. Well, it seems neither did and a fight ensued. Both were ejected from the club, and official complaints made. It was only then that officers realised both men were members of the police force. In the initial court hearing the public prosecutor asked for the case to be dismissed, as it was unclear who had thrown the first punch.
It was not made clear who the officer had been phoning in the cubicle.

Immigrant Released
The last illegal immigrant, who arrived in ses Salinas in a small boat along with eight other men, was finally discharged from hospital last week, after spending a total of 14 days receiving treatment. Like his other compatriots the man was escorted by police to a centre in Valencia, where he will now wait with his colleagues while the authorities try to send them back to their country of origin.

NEWS FROM THE MAINLAND

Prince Reaches 40
Following the King of Spains birthday celebrations last month it was the turn of his son, Felipe of Asturias, to reach a landmark as the popular prince turned 40 last week. Prince Felipe was born in Madrid on 30th January 1968. His birth, after that of his two sisters, the infantas Elena and Cristina, ensured a male successor to the Spanish Throne, legislation which has since been changed since the birth of the Princes own two daughters in recent years.
His full name is His Royal Highness Prince Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de la Santísima Trinidad y de Todos los Santos de Borbón y de Grecia, a handful for even his mother. The symbolic names given at his christening, by the Archbishop of Madrid Casimiro Morcillo Gonzalez included the names of the first Bourbon to reign in Spain; his grandfathers (Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and Paul of Greece); his great-grandfather King Alfonso XIII of Spain; and All Saints (Todos los Santos) as is customary among the Bourbons. At the time of his birth he was titled as Infante of Spain, as his father was not yet King, and Felipe was not yet heir apparent.
However, Don Felipe has been heir to the throne since his fathers proclamation as King in 1975 following the death of the dictator Francisco Franco in November of that year. He received the title of Prince of Asturias in 1977. He is also titled Prince of Girona, Prince of Viana, Duke of Montblanc, Count of Cervera and Lord of Balaguer.
On his 18th birthday, in 1986, he swore allegiance to the Constitution and the King in Parliament, accepting his full constitutional role as heir to the Crown.
The Prince began his further education in Ontario, Canada in 1984, where he spent a year at the Lakefield College School in preparation for university. He then spent the next three years in military training academies of the Army, Navy and Air Force. He is a qualified helicopter pilot and has his wings in both the Army and the Navy.
Don Felipe went on to study Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid, with additional courses in Economics, and obtained his Masters in International Relations at Georgetown University, Washington, in 1995.
Don Felipe is a keen sportsman and took part in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 carrying the teams standard at the opening ceremony. In the Games he was part of the Spanish sailing team which finished sixth.
The Prince married television journalist, Letizia Ortiz, in 2004. The couple have two daughters, Leonor, born on 31st October 2005, and Sofía born on April 29th 2007.
The Prince is an extremely active member of the Royal Family and is a popular Spanish ambassador to many of Spains closest allies in Central and South America, where he is a frequent visitor.

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