- Buguevil·lia beach hosted the ceremony this morning, presided over by Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual, along with Deputy Mayors Esperanza Catalá and Elisa Monserrat
This morning, the official raising of the Q for Tourism Quality flags obtained by the municipality of Calvià for the current tourist season took place. The event was held on Buguevil·lia beach with the presence of the Mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual; the Deputy Mayor for Tourism, Beaches and Coastline, Elisa Monserrat; and the councillor for the Cas Català area, Esperanza Catalá.
With this raising of the flags, Calvià officially ratifies the renewal of its 15 Q for Tourism Quality flags, an achievement that places the municipality once again on the national podium as the third municipality in Spain and the first in the Balearic Islands with the most distinctions of this type. These flags, received last June from the Director General of the Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality and Sustainability (ICTES), Fernando Fraile, grant public recognition that accredits the excellence of the services and management of the municipality's beaches.
Also present at the event were, amongst others, representatives of the beach concession companies; Alfonso Robledo, president of Restauracion CAEB; César Amable, president of PIMEM-Restauració; and Toni Mayol, president of Fundació Calvià 365, as well as councillors from other areas of the municipality.
The 15 beaches certified with the Q for Tourist Quality are: Buguenvil·lia, Illetes Balneario, Cala Contesa, Portals Nous, S'Oratori, Es Carregador, Palmanova, Son Maties, Magaluf, Cala Vinyes, Ses Penyes Rotges (El Toro), Santa Ponça, and La Romana, Torà and Palmira, the last three in Peguera.
For these 15 beaches of Calvià to obtain the Q for Tourist Quality Flag, they had to carry out a rigorous process verified by independent auditors, for compliance with the international quality standard UNE-ISO 13009, agreed upon by a hundred countries, to guarantee the highest quality in the provision of services and the proper management of public facilities: cleaning and selective waste collection, safety devices, rescue and first aid, tourist information services, access to the area of bathrooms, restrooms, and leisure facilities, amongst others.
During the flag-raising ceremony in Buguevil·lia, the mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual, emphasized the municipality's collective effort to maintain this national leadership: "Renewing these 15 flags demonstrates our commitment to excellence. In the end, this implies control, monitoring, and work regarding the quality of services on our urban beaches. Consolidating our position as the leading municipality in the Balearic Islands and the third in Spain is a source of pride that reflects that our beaches offer services that meet the highest standards of excellence."
For her part, Elisa Monserrat, Deputy Mayor for Tourism, Beaches, and Coastline, highlighted the technical work behind these distinctions: "Behind each Q for Quality flag that begins to fly today, there is silent work throughout the year. Passing the audits requires us to maintain the highest levels of cleanliness, accessibility, and safety." Our goal is for residents and tourists to have absolute peace knowing they are in an optimally managed environment.”
Finally, Esperanza Catalá, councillor for the Cas Català area, emphasized the importance of the award for the area: “It is an honour that this year’s main flag-raising ceremony is being held here, on Buguevil·lia beach. For the Cas Català area, having this certification is not only a magnificent tourist attraction, but also a daily guarantee that our residents enjoy a well-maintained, accessible coastline with the best services right on their doorstep.”
The ICTES, the Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality and Sustainability, is a business association representing all subsectors of Spanish tourism and has been in existence for over 25 years. Its governing bodies are comprised of the Ministry of Tourism, through the State Secretariat for Tourism, the Autonomous Communities and the municipalities and provinces (through the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces - FEMP).
