The Port of Palma set to register its best ever winter cruise season.

The Port of Palma set to register its best ever winter cruise season.

18/12/2013

This winter, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is set to register its best ever low season in cruise traffic, with an 80% increase in calls from November 2013 to March 2014. This constitutes an excellent measure to counteract the seasonal nature of tourism. A total of 61 cruise calls are scheduled during the low season, i.e. 15th November 2013 to 15th March 2014, compared to the 34 calls registered during the previous year. The most significant increase has come in the number of home port calls, due in part to the fact that the ships AIDAmar and AIDAsol have chosen the Port of Palma to start and end their cruises, and to the constant efforts of the APB to promote the Balearic Islands as an attractive destination on the international tourism market. A monthly analysis of cruise activity at the Port of Palma reveals that February, which has traditionally been very quiet, is now on a par with the other winter months. The month of December is set to register 14 calls compared to 8 in 2012. Fifteen calls are scheduled for January 2014 compared to 7 in 2013. Calls in February are set to rise from 4 in 2013 to 13 in 2014, whilst figures for the last two weeks of November and the first week of March remain stable. Back to a million In addition, the Port of Palma has returned to the million mark in a single season with figures hitting 1.2 million cruise passengers during the current year, i.e. a 25% increase over 2012. As a whole, the five public interest ports managed by the APB have recorded a total of 1.5 million passengers, an increase of 15% for the year. The number of calls has risen to 703, a 11% rise over 2012. A moderate increase in the number of calls and passengers is also expected for 2014.

The APB headquarters plays host to the official presentation of the 63rd Ciutat de Palma Dinghy Class Trophy

The APB headquarters plays host to the official presentation of the 63rd Ciutat de Palma Dinghy Class Trophy

04/12/2013

The APB headquarters played host to the official press presentation of the 63rd Ciutat de Palma Dinghy Class Trophy. The event will be held from 5th to 8th December. The regatta, which has been organised by the Palma Royal Yacht Club, has 493 participants from 14 different countries. The fleet is made up of 383 Optimist, 22 Laser Radial, 24 Laser 4.7 and 32 420 dinghy boats. The Ciutat de Palma is the most important youth sailing competition in the Balearics and the oldest sporting contest held on the Islands. The large numbers of participants means two regatta courses need to be drawn up and the Optimist fleet has to be divided into several different groups. Over 50 staff are needed to organise the event. The APB contributes to the organisation of this prestigious sporting event by providing public port land, APB staff, and logistics. It also awards the prize for the winning Balearic Island sailor in the Optimist category. The APB Chairman, Alberto Pons, highlighted the sailing promotion efforts made by Ports de Balears in the organisation of this and other sporting events that are held at its State-owned public-interest ports.

The Unimarina Experts’ Committee visits the APB’s facilities

The Unimarina Experts’ Committee visits the APB’s facilities

26/11/2013

Today, Alberto Pons, the Chairman of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), and representatives of the Balearic Islands marina industry held a meeting at the APB offices in the Port of Palma with the executive members of the Unimarina Experts’ Committee who are currently visiting Palma to finalise the details for the official launch of this global distribution platform for marinas at the next Palma Boat Show. Unimarina (GDS-Marinas) is the name given to this tool aimed at carrying out online marina transactions, which is just as revolutionary as the first Global Distribution Systems (GDS) were for airports and airlines in the 1970s. Unimarina has been jointly developed by Portbooker and Travelport with the support and active participation of the State Agency for Innovation Management and Tourism Technology (Segittur) which is dependent on the Secretary of State for Tourism. The main stakeholders in the region’s pleasure boat industry coincided that the GDS for marinas developed by the Majorcan company, Portbooker, together with Travelport will constitute a landmark in the business management of marinas around the world, as it will bring all online marina service operations together under one umbrella. In addition to highlighting the important existing market in the Balearic Islands in terms of the implementation of new technologies for marinas, the APB Chairman, Alberto Pons, also pointed out to the Unimarina Experts’ Committee “the sector’s huge development potential on the islands of Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza” . For further information, go to www.unimarina.org.

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands exhibits the entries submitted to the 4th Balearic Island port and lighthouse painting and photography competition

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands exhibits the entries submitted to the 4th Balearic Island port and lighthouse painting and photography competition

25/11/2013

From 29th November to 10th January 2014, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) will be exhibiting the entries submitted to the 4th Painting and Photography Competition at the Palma Military Culture and History Centre. The event has been organised in conjunction with the Palma de Majorca Fine Arts Society. The competition has received over 300 entries by artists from all the islands. These entries have been divided into three categories: watercolour, other painting techniques and photography. Around one hundred works have been pre-selected and will be exhibited from Friday in the Santa Margarita cloister on the Calle San Miguel de Palma. The competition awards, which include prize money of over €8,000, will be presented to the winners on Friday evening by the APB Chairman, Alberto Pons, and the Chairman of the Fine Arts Society, Gaspar Sabater. The exhibition will subsequently be moved to Mahon, and then to San Antonio on the island of Ibiza. Likewise, the idea of exhibiting some of the entries in Alcudia next June is also being studied. This is the fourth consecutive year that the APB has sponsored this competition on the Balearic Island lighthouses and the public-interest ports of Palma, Alcudia, Mahon, Ibiza and La Savina. The aim of the competition is to reflect the general interest in these everyday yet unique places through art.

Alberto Pons meets Trasmediterránea

Alberto Pons meets Trasmediterránea

25/11/2013

Today, the APB Chairman, Alberto Pons, met up with the Chairman of Trasmediterránea, Jorge Vega-Penichet, as part of the round of contacts he has initiated since he took up the position. The meeting between the two chairmen took place at the APB’s offices at the Port of Palma, and was also attended by the APB Director, Juan Carlos Plaza the Trasmediterránea General Manager, Ignacio Aguilera, and the shipping company’s manager in the Balearic Islands, Antonio Mercant. Trasmediterránea, which belongs to the Acciona group, is one of the APB’s main clients, and has an important presence in the public-interest ports the APB manages on the islands.

The Port of Maó tenders the management of the moorings at the D’en Reynés dry dock area

The Port of Maó tenders the management of the moorings at the D’en Reynés dry dock area

21/11/2013

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) is to tender the authorisation for managing the moorings at the D’en Reynés dry dock area on the Levante Quay at the Port of Maó, after accepting the company Menorca Moorings, S.L.’s withdrawal from the concession. The authorisation will be given for a period of one year. During this time, the APB aims to approve new tender conditions to award a new concession for the management of these moorings. If the concession tender has not been awarded by the end of this period, the authorisation may be extended for a further year. The aim of this first tender is to award a temporary authorisation for the management of 48 moorings for boats between 8 and 30 metres long on a total water surface of almost 11,000 square metres with 224 metres of quayside. The minimum annual charge threshold is €130,844.57. On 31st October, the APB’s Board of Directors accepted Menorca Moorings, S.L.’s withdrawal from the concession to manage the moorings at the D’en Reynés dry dock area. At the same meeting, the Board approved the terms and conditions governing the public tender for the authorisation to manage these moorings.

Alberto Pons visits the Port of Alcudia with its Mayor, Coloma Terrasa

Alberto Pons visits the Port of Alcudia with its Mayor, Coloma Terrasa

15/11/2013

Today, the APB Chairman, Alberto Pons, visited the Port of Alcudia alongside the town’s Mayor, Coloma Terrasa, with whom he discussed the main issues affecting this port. The visit was part of the round of contacts the Chairman has undertaken to the five public interest ports in the Balearic Islands since he took up the post in October. The APB Director, Juan Carlos Plaza, and the Port of Alcudia’s Director, Joan Gili, also took part in the visit. Both Pons and Terrasa coincide in the potential of this port, which has modern, user-friendly facilities, both in attracting more cruise ships as well as other types of regular or non-regular traffic. Pons also met representatives of the Port of Alcudia’s port community, and visited the Alcudiamar Marina’s facilities.

Alberto Pons makes his first official visit to the Port of Ibiza

Alberto Pons makes his first official visit to the Port of Ibiza

08/11/2013

Today, the APB Chairman, Alberto Pons, visited the Port of Ibiza to get first-hand information from the port community on the main issues affecting this public-interest port. In a series of industry encounters, Pons met the Harbourmaster’s Office, port pilots, the fishing guild, Trasmediterránea, ANADE, APEAM, Transcoma, Baleària, the Tourism Promotion Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the Residents Association, the Engineers Association, CAEB and PIMEEF, amongst other organisations. Pons also met the Chairman of the Formentera Island Council, Jaume Ferrer, and the Spanish Central Government representative in Ibiza and Formentera, Rafael García. The meeting with the President of the Ibiza Island Council and the Mayor of Ibiza had to be postponed as it clashed with other official engagements. At midday, Alberto Pons and an APB delegation also met the Ibiza Yacht Club Chairman, Juan Marí, to get an insight into the Club’s current situation. The APB Chairman also took advantage of the trip to visit the port’s facilities and meet the staff, on the day the new boarding walkways at the Botafoc Quays came into operation.

APB and Ports IB agree to unify pleasure craft criteria in the Balearic Islands

APB and Ports IB agree to unify pleasure craft criteria in the Balearic Islands

07/11/2013

The APB Chairman, Alberto Pons, and the Balearic Islands Regional Government Director-General of Ports and Airports, Antonio Deudero, met this morning at the Ports IB headquarters in Palma to try to implement joint actions to unify pleasure craft criteria in the Balearic Islands and offer users a sole, well-defined service. Firstly, and taking into account the different legal framework of both organisations (one is a national body whilst the other is a regional entity), the APB Chairman believes that it is essential to promote “a legal rapprochement in which there is room for both organisations”. In terms of tourist promotion of pleasure craft activities, the APB and Ports IB agreed to join forces in specific promotion activities such as tourism fairs, alongside other sectors such as the hotel industry. Another point on the agenda was the management of pleasure craft that have been abandoned or are in arrears as these constitute a considerable problem for the islands’ boat facilities. The APB Director, Juan Carlos Plaza, and the Ports IB Managing Director, David Gómez, also took part in the meeting.

The new boarding walkways come into operation at the Port of Ibiza’s Botafoc Quays

The new boarding walkways come into operation at the Port of Ibiza’s Botafoc Quays

06/11/2013

On Friday 8th November, the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) will begin to use the new boarding walkways at the Botafoc Quays which aim to provide passengers and shipping companies with improved services, security and amenities at the Port of Ibiza. This constitutes yet another service at the port’s new facilities which began to cater for regular goods and passenger traffic on 1st July. In parallel, the temporary passenger terminal, which was built to provide an interim service until the permanent facility comes into operation, began to operate at the end of October. As of next Friday, two permanent walkways and four mobile gangways will be available for ferry passengers boarding and disembarking at the 1500 square-metre temporary passenger terminal, which will be used by the Acciona-Trasmediterránea y Baleària ferry operators. The tender for these walkways was €7.5 million. However, the work is not totally finished as a section of one of the permanent walkways is still to be completed and a fifth mobile gangway still to be installed on the Ribera del Botafoc Quay. Port reorganisation On 1st July, the APB moved commercial traffic to the new Botafoc Quays, thus freeing up the Levante Dock. This new area has facilities for embarking and pre-embarking goods and vehicles, as well as car parks for cars, coaches, taxis and buses.

Alberto Pons visits the Port of Maó

Alberto Pons visits the Port of Maó

24/10/2013

Today, the APB Chairman, Alberto Pons, visited the Port of Maó on what was his first official visit since he took up the position. The aim of the visit was to get to know the Minorcan authorities personally, tackle the most conflictive issues facing the port community and try to find solutions to them. The first stop-off point was a courtesy visit to the port facilities to meet the Port of Maó’s staff. Pons then boarded a boat to visit the port area by sea. This was followed by a series of institutional visits to the island’s authorities, including meetings with the President of the Minorca Island Council, Santiago Tadeo, the Spanish Central Government representative in Minorca, Javier López-Cerón, the Mayor of Maó, Águeda Reynés, and the Mayor of Es Castell, Lluís Camps. In the afternoon, Pons chaired several meetings with members of the port community to get their impressions about the issues that affect the port, and then gave a speech at the Maó Ateneo. The APB Chairman revealed that the Port of Maó is a “priority” and highlighted its “potential” and his confidence in its future.

The APB Chairman meets the Balearic Island Yacht Club Association

The APB Chairman meets the Balearic Island Yacht Club Association

17/10/2013

This morning, the Chairman of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), Alberto Pons, welcomed a delegation from the Balearic Island Yacht Club Association, in what was their first meeting since Pons’ appointment as head of the public body. The Association’s Chairman, Miguel Suñer, representatives of its Board of Directors, and other club members, informed the APB Chairman about the main concerns of the islands´ yacht clubs. Alberto Pons listened to the Association’s requests and promised to deal individually with the specific problems faced by each of the yacht clubs located on public port land managed by the APB.