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Magaluf hopes to extend its holiday season from six to nine months as part of a series of aims over the next five years to regenerate the holiday resort.
The project, spearheaded by Melia Hotels International, Calvia Town hall and the Balearic government and ten private companies, is a collaborative effort to turn round the fortunes of the resort.
The joint plan has already been in place for the last four years but is expected to take a further five years to complete.
During World Travel Market, key players involved in the project revealed their five key objectives for the next five years.
They are:
- To extend the summer season to run instead from March to October with the support of airlines, hotels, complimentary facilities, sports associations, and shops and cultural organisations.
- Make Magaluf ideal for families with quality facilities
- Enhance the sports facilities and events
- Improve complimentary facilities such as restaurants, bars, shops, leisure and cultural centres
- Position Magaluf as a benchmark for the regeneration of a mature destination
The summer season is likely to be extended by attracting a broader range of tourists, including those interested in sports or activity related breaks.
Pilar Carbonell Raya, general manager of tourism for the Balearic Islands government, said: “We are trying to project Magaluf and the rest of the islands as sporting destinations. And the aim is also to prove that we can change a mature destination.”
The project was launched initially following a slump in tourist numbers during the economic recession and has to date included a range of hotel refurbishments, rebrands, an entertainment-themed park and work to improve the main Avenue de Magaluf. Further investment in hotels is expected in 2016.
Melia Hotels International, which has 11 properties in Magaluf and Palmanova, has been one of the driving forces behind the project and has three investment partners on board to help fund the improvements to its own hotels.
Mark Hoddinott, executive vice-president real estate, Melia Hotels International, said: “We would like greater commitment from the travel sector to extend the season to include Easter and Halloween and that’s why it’s critical to have different leisure facilities.”
He admitted changing consumers’ views of the destination was vital to attracting a broader range of clientele and filling hotels in the shoulder seasons. “Our biggest challenge is to overcome perceptions of Magaluf,” he said.