Calvià, Majorca (Spain)

1) Which is the authority responsible for preparing the Local Agenda 21?
The authority responsible for preparing the Local Agenda 21 is the Municipality of Calvià.
2) What about Calvià’s local context?
Calvià is the most important municipality in the Balearic Islands. It was built ut in the sixties, during the first international tourist boom, and experienced major demographic and economic growth. Economically speaking, Calvià is a dynamic town whose activity depends entirely on tourism. It is one of the Mediterranean’s leading tourist resorts. 3) Is tourism the main economic activity in Calvià?
Yes, Calvià depends entirely on tourism. 4) What are the main problems concerning sustainability?
Calvià saw twenty years of major growth, based on unbridled construction having no regard fot the commune’s environment and natural resources. Some of the signs of non-sustainability include:
- the carrying capacity being exceeded, with serious impacts on the coastal and marine ecosystems
- the negative impact of tourism as a monoculture on the local population’s social and cultural life, and on high season working conditions
- the negative impacts of tourism as a mono-economy: poor business enterprise, lack of diversification of facilities, seasonal pattern...
- negative impacts to an important and undervalued historical and cultural heritage
- an overdeveloped urban system (although building restrictions were introduced into Calvià’s planning regulations)
- lack of good public transportation and over-motorisation of the area
- shortage of water, excess petrol consumption and urban waste
5)What is “The Calvià Plan for Torusim Excellence”?
In the early 1990s the municipality od Calvià worked out “ The Calvià Plan for Tourism Excellence”. This plan questioned Calvià’s uncontrolled type of tourist development and opened the way for the adoption of certain important measures. But it became obvious that sectoral objectives and actions had their linitations if they were not part of an integral concept and medium- to long-term development.

6) Which are the new objectives for the development of Calvià (1995)?
- conservation of the natural land and sea environment by taking into account its absorption capacity
- local development based on sustainable use of available resources and the priority of restoring existing heritage as opposed to new construction growth
- restoration, modernisation and environmental improvement of the residential and tourism urban area
- a modernised tourism sector, without additional mass tourism, and opened to new tourist demands
- residential conditions with high level of social integration and quality of life
- a municipal authority capable of taking action with other administrations and private agents in order to achieve the objectives
7) Is Calvià’s action isolated?
No. The Balearic Autonomous Community took important decisions in order to improve tourism offerings and to protect the environment.

8) What are the main tourism-related issues in Calvià’s Local Agenda 21?
The LA has defined the project as a “complete restoration scenario”. There is a set of 10 strategic lines of action, 40 initiatives and 15 immediate actions. For example:
- to contain human pressure, to limit growth and to foster complete restoration of the territory and its coastal area
- to foster the resident population’s integration, housing assistance for permanent residents, creating an ombudsman for citizen and tourists to assist them in their contact with the administration and to monitor the quality of services provided
- to protect the natural land and marine heritage, protection of natural water sources, soil and forests; promote the establishment of a regional tourist eco-tax to be used for the environment
- To restore the historical, cultural and natural heritage
- To encourage the complete rehabilitation of residential and tourist areas
- To improve Calvià as a tourist destination, to seek an increase in expenditure per visitor and aim at balancing the tourist season
- To improve public transport and encourage people to walk or cycle
- To reduce water demand and energy consumption
- To invest in human and knowledge resources
- To innovate municipal management and increase the capacity of public/private planned investment

The Local Agenda 21 includes a number of initiatives for public participation and public awareness.

For example: Calvià’s volunteer programme, istitutionalisation of the Citizen Forum, environmental week for schools, creation of IFOC (training institute) acting as the agency for sustainable development in Calvià...
9) What about management tools?
- planning, including spatial planning (general town planning has been revised, with a reduction of accomodation, reduction of the population and prohibition of new buildings on rural land; new building regulations have been passed)
- EMS and eco-labels (the Ecotur environmental quality label and ISO standards have been introduces in hotels and tourist facilities)
- economic instruments (the creation of an eco-tax decided by the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands; it should ammount to 1 euro per night paid by tourist- this budget is being allotted to the environment)
- volunatry instruments (a renovation programme for hotels, tourist accomodation and tourist facilities has begun under the Spanish quality tourism plan)
10) What about the preparation and implementation of Calvià’s Local Agenda 21?
In 1995, the Town Council drew up an Initial Document as a first approach to the principles and objectives of the Local Agenda 21. The document was raised for discussion at the Citizen’s Forum. This body was also organised in committees reflecting the 6 Key Thematic Areas (population, social integration and quality of life; local ecological, historical and cultural heritage; economy and tourism; town planning system; key environmental sectors). Two years were spent on drawing up the reports and discussing them. All discussions and input were summarised in a new Document presenting the fundamental proposals of the Calvià Local Agenda 21. The document (“Document for Debate”) han now been presented to the rest of the populaton. At the end of information and consultation period, a Final Document will be drawn up, including any suggestion received. Local players were largely involved with the LA21 process:
- thorugh the Citizen’s Forum
- through the partecipation of municipal and economic agents, NGOs and other ostitutional support organisations
- through a survey of all households.