Michael Collins notes
UNWTO, Mallorca, March 31st 2023, Sustainable Destinations Summit.
13.30-14.30. #sdsummit2023
Living and Promoting Sustainability

Intro
• Good morning. My name is Michael Collins, I have worked in the travel media sector for 20+
years, as a travel editor, journalist, presenter, adviser and PR. This is my time in the Balearics.
Also, this is my first sustainable conference and trip. I am here today because I love this industry.
The people, the opportunities, but we are at a cross roads. When we talk about communities, I
don’t think we can forget about our own community. We have lost a lot of good people.
• Welcome everyone. Thank you for being, to those here in person and also those joining us online.
• Panellists. We are interested to hear about what is happening in your markets, what you have
done, but also, this session is about the way forward, how we can lead. I think this is a key word
here. I believe we must lead.
• AUDIENCE. Show of hands. Who is here from Mallorca. Now who is here from the Balaerics, now
Spain and now those from outside Spain. Anyone here from outside of Europe.
• Panel, mix of private and public, Mallorca and two largest source markets, Germany, UK.

Panellists
• Ms. María Frontera, President of the Mallorca Hotels
Association (FEHM).
• Mr. Norbert Fiebig (Fee-big), President, the German
Travel Association (DRV).
• Mr. Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA, UK
(Association of British Travel Agents, now known as
the Travel Association)
• Mr. Andreu Serra, Island Minister of Tourism Mallorca

Mallorca stats. Some context
1. Just under 12m visitors in 2019, down to 2m in 2020 and 5m in 2021.
2. 74% increase in population during the summer, Balaerics.
3. Tourism is 48% of the Balearic GDP (directly or indirectly) and 31.5% of
employment.
4. 2016: Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS). Balearic Islands.
5. Strategy: grow more in value than in volume. Since 2016, “a more sustainable,
competitive, responsible, and quality tourism”.
6. Council of Majorca. Plan of Intervention in Tourist Areas of Majorca, PIAT. 2018
to 2019 in,2020 into force. Majorca of 400,000 (300.000 in hotels and 100.000 in
holiday apartments) and a maximum density of tourists per hectare in urban and
rural areas. Besides, registered hotels must have a certain standard of energy
efficiency and a low water consumption.

Questions, Maria, Norbert, Mark, Andreu.
1. Hybrid and remote working and digital nomads. Is this an opportunity for destinations. Does
Mallorca hotels/destination have a strategy in this sector. E.g. Selina, Canary Islands.
2. What are we selling, destinations or experiences?
3. Staffing, recruitment. How are you dealing with this problem/challenge? Any new/interesting
strategies? E.g. Park Hotel Kenmare.
4. As we come out of the pandemic, no more government supports, will we see more small
businesses fail, e.g. small travel agents. Cashflow is an issue.
5. Carrot or stick, e.g. plastic bag tax, coffee cup tax.
6. How do we encourage slow sustainable tourism? Carbon tax on flights levied on length of stay?
E.g. tax higher the short-break, the long weekend?
7. Unintended consequences. Max 400k beds in Mallorca. How do new hotels get into the market,
buy a 2 star and invest? Does limiting supply automatically push up price?
8. Will travel become out of reach for some people, where will entry level market go, if everyone
else is moving up the value chain? Mark, Norbert.

Questions, Maria, Norbert, Mark, Andreu.
Page 2.
1. The Vacationer. 87.32% of American adults say sustainable travel important/very
important. 4.65 percentage point increase from the same question in our 2021
2. 78.28% would pay more for a vacation to lower their carbon footprint. Only
71.37% said they would pay more in last year's survey.
3. 81.43% either think there are not enough sustainable travel options or simply do
not know if there are.
4. 19.43% use sustainable travel filters like "low emissions" when booking trips.
43.98% are not even aware they exist.
5. Question. Are we as an industry doing enough to inform the traveller. To
give them the choice/option.
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Questions, Maria, Norbert, Mark, Andreu.
Page 3.
1. Taxes or investment. Is taxing the customer the right way to raise funds?
She investment come from government.
2. What is the plan for 5 and 10 years from now?
3. Have we leaned any lessons from the pandemic?
4. Should destinations be allowed develop too fast, no infrastructure. E.g.
Iceland Air, my TBEX trip.
5. Is sustainability enough, do we need to step back, regenerate?
Sustainability implies we standstill. Status quo.
6. Carbon offset, too much demand, not enough supply. Therefore we invest,
we don’t tax. Invest in green energy.