Tuesday, 3rd October 2023
HOTELIERS AND TRADERS AGREE ON MAKING A POSITIVE BALANCE OF THE TOURIST SEASON
The mayor, Juan Antonio Amengual, highlights the good levels of hotel occupancy in a summer also marked by the lack of incidents
The deputy mayor for Tourism, Elisa Monserrat, highlights the good behaviour of accommodation prices in a context of strong competition between various destinations
The deputy mayor for Security, Esperanza Catalá, values the data relating to Citizen Security, and highlights the implementation, in recent weeks, of the the plainclothes police officer figure
A good tourist season that has not yet ended
Calvià Town Hall carried out on Tuesday, a detailed assessment of the tourist season, which still at this point keeps open a large number of hotel establishments throughout the municipality. The high season ends in Calvià with good levels of hotel occupancy, which have also been accompanied by an increase in room prices.
The mayor, Juan Antonio Amengual, presided over the event that brought together a large number of hoteliers and businessmen from the municipality's tourism sector at the Melià South Beach hotel in Magaluf.
Amongst them were the presidents of the hotel associations and representatives of the main comercial entities that work in Calvià. Together with them, Amengual has put the emphasis not only on the economic balance that these months have left, but also on the lack of notable incidents, after a summer that ended with the desired 'zero balconing': there have been no fatalities due to falls from hotels and apartments in Calvià. According to the mayor, the close collaboration with the hotel sector has contributed to this, and also the support given to the awareness campaign that, from the United Kingdom, they continue to launch to prevent tourists from being separated from their friends during the party nights.
The deputy mayor for Tourism, Elisa Monserrat, has placed emphasis on the “enormous competitiveness” that the hotel industry in the various tourist areas of Calvià maintains, in a context of great international competition, but which maintains the municipality as a benchmark amongst the favourite destinations in the Mediterranean to spend the holidays.
Regarding the area of Citizen Security, the first deputy mayor, Esperanza Catalá, highlights how the implementation of the plainclothes police officer figure has allowed to significantly increase - by 40% - the number of arrests; an increase that has also occurred with respect to the number of reports drawn up.
Information regarding Security in Calvià
The Chief of Local Police, Esther Ribas, provided information regarding security in the tourist areas of the municipality during the press conference, appearing alongside the Commander of the Civil Guard in Calvià, Gonzalo Gómez. Thus, from 1st June to 24th September this year, a total of 10.348 reports have been drawn up in the municipality, compared to 8.067 last summer in the same period of time. A deterrent effect is observed in those related to non-compliance with the Decree-Law against excess tourism. In 2022, 27 reports were drawn up in this regard, with 15 being this year. Action has been taken against illegal party boats, the sale of alcohol outside permitted hours and balconing, which in addition to a penalty entails immediate expulsion from the hotel establishment. The penalties for balconing amount to 36.000 euros per person. An illegal party boat can result in a fine of 160.000 euros and the sale of alcohol outside the hours established in the areas delimited by the Decree - between 9:30 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. - can reach 100.000 euros and entails precautionary closure of the establishment.
The reports in this period for contravening municipal ordinances and Organic Law 4/2015 total 2.616. Those related to municipal traffic have been 7.163. A total of 544 have been sent to the DGT (Directorate General of Traffic).
When comparing the same period of time - from 1st July to 24th September - there have been 174 arrests in 2022 and 244 in 2023, which represents an increase of 40 percent. In the absence of definitive data at the end of the year, so far in 2023 - again with figures as of 28th August - the increase in the number of detainees can be seen. In the case of those of legal age, there were 110 in 2021, 275 in 2022 and already 325 in 2023. If the data for the months of July and August are compared, there were 41 in 2021, 94 in 2022 and 161 in 2023. As for to minors, the number of arrests also increases, going from 1 in 2021 to 11 in 2022 and 13 so far this year.
The total number of criminal proceedings - all headings are included - in 2023 as of September 24 amounts to 634, compared to 826 in all of 2022. If we compare 2023 and 2022 - already without restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic - There is an increase in criminal proceedings against public order – from 46 to 99 – and against public health (drug trafficking) – from 39 to 102. The number of proceedings for attacks against property (robberies and thefts) decreased, going from 108 to 64, although we will have to wait for the final data at the end of the year.
In 2022, they registered 62 interventions related to reports issued for criminal offenses, resistance or disobedience to officers. So far in 2023, 64 have been registered.
Finally, the number of relevant functions following the statistical methodology of previous years leaves a total of 7.935 between January and August, compared to 8.727 in all of 2022 and 3.161 in 2021. Those in 2023 are broken down into 5.178 related to traffic, 868 for non-compliance with supramunicipal ordinances and legislation and 1.889 related to citizen security.
Requirements
The evolution of the number of requests received through calls to 112/092 relating to the municipality of Calvià shows an upward trend in the last three years. Thus, while in 2021 32.682 requests were received, this increased to 41.818 in 2022, and in 2023—as of August 28—36.634 are counted.
Requirements are classified based on their priority. Considered low – 13.621 in 2023 - are those relating to summonses, traffic regulation in schools, found objects, transfer of detainees or collaboration with other organisations, amongst others. The medium priority – 18.726 - is for private conflicts, traffic accidents, beach surveillance, environmental complaints, non-compliance with municipal ordinances and inconveniences due to construction works and coexistence problems.
High priority requirements total 4.287 so far this year. These are those referring to altercations and fights, assaults, fires, medical emergencies, disappearances of people, robberies, thefts, threats of suicide and rescues. In these situations, the objective of guaranteeing police intervention in a period of less than 10 minutes has been met.