Palma de Mallorca, 05th Nov 04

TOURIST BOARD LAUNCHES CENTENARY YEAR AT WORLD TRAVEL MARKET AND PICKS UP A SILVER GLOBE AWARD

The Mallorca Tourist Board will launch its centenary for 2005 at World Travel Market in London from Monday, November 8th- 11th, where it will also pick up a special award.

The Mallorca Tourist Board launches its Centenary Year for 2005 at World Travel Market this week making it one of the oldest tourist boards in Europe. Furthermore, for the first time ever, it will be presented with a WTM Silver Globe Award in recognition of its achievements within the tourism industry.

Mallorca remains the Brit’s favourite overseas holiday destination. It has come a long way since the island really became famous in the 1960’s when the “package holiday” was created with the launch of the first charter airline service from the UK. Thereafter, followed a period of dramatic growth with, on one occasion, 10 hotels opening on the same day. By 1964 the island had received a million visitors.

Today, approximately 7 million visitors pass through Mallorca annually. The island has ensured constant investment in its own infrastructure culminating in the opening of a new international airport terminal in 1997 with a capacity for up to 26 million annual passenger movements. Continued investment on this scale ensures a quality tourism product for the future and the destination has become a blueprint in the Mediterranean for the tourism industry.

Over the past 15 years there has been a marked change in emphasis to convert Mallorca from a predominantly summer destination, into a year-round location by developing rural tourism, cultural tourism and sports such as golf, walking and cycling. The hotel industry has looked to improving its product delivering quality, service and style. In the last four years, over 20 new hotel spas and beauty treatment centres have opened around the island, 10 new/recently renovated five star hotels and dozens of individual “boutique” hotels both in towns and rural locations.

In spite of the huge boom in tourism, Mallorca has successfully managed to retain its culture, traditions and gastronomy. Now, home-grown produce and its budding wine industry is becoming better know by visitors assisted by the recently introduced gastronomic routes around the island to visit local producers.

The Centenary Year will be celebrated with a range of activities (visit stand no: EM560 for a brochure) and consumer and trade events including a “Best Holiday Photo” competition, a special exhibition in Palma telling the story of a 100 years of tourism on the island, golf tournaments, special cookery television series and a gala celebration in Palma’s Bellver Castle next summer.

The Mallorca Tourist Board remains a private, independent entity. When it was founded in 1905 its’ objective was to create awareness of Mallorca as a destination and to study and implement how to promote the island to potential visitors. Throughout the years its’ role has changed alongside an evolving tourism industry. It remains committed to constantly improving the tourism product and functions as a forum where tourism professionals debate important issues, policies, and decide on the future tourism strategy.

The Mallorca Tourist Board will be represented at WTM on stand no:EM560

Further press information IS NOW ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE UK from:

Julie Angove
Tel: (01582) 762 132 email: julie@angove.co.uk

For further information, please contact:
Mallorca Tourist Board, Dominique Carroll / Anna Skidmore,
Tel:(+34) 971 725 396 Fax: (+34) 971 713 540
E-Mail: info@fomentmallorca.org

Further Press Releases:

GOOD NEWS FOR MALLORCA IN 2012 (09th Feb 12)

THREE KINGS - THE FESTIVITIES CONTINUE! (05th Jan 12)

FESTIVE SWEETS CAN BE HEAVENLY (05th Jan 12)