Mallorca tourism and property push
By Sue Brown, 23 Jan 2006
Mallorca is rolling out its biggest names in an attempt to impress the tourist industry at its biggest annual exhibition, the FITUR Fair.
From January 25 to 29, Madrid will turn into the world capital city for tourism with more than 11,500 companies taking part and over 100,000 people attending as either exhibitors or visitors. Competition to attract attention and investment is fierce.
This relatively small island of Mallorca can boast that it is home to a genuine world sporting superstar in the figure of Rafael Nadal, number two in the international tennis rankings, who comes from Manacor where his family still live. An injury to his foot means that he is currently unable to play in major tournaments - but able to represent Mallorca at FITUR and attract attention for the island both in the media and in the tourist industry.
This is the first year that a sports personality has been enlisted to spearhead the campaign to boost Mallorca’s image at the travel fair. Last year, German supermodel Claudia Schiffer fronted the drive to impress industry insiders but, since then, she has sold her house in Andratx and there has been a decline in the German market for holidaymakers to the island.
Columbus property sale may boost island
In 2004, Hollywood stars and Villamosa villa owners Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones promoted the Balearics. Fitur is the first major trade fair of the year for the international travel industry, and seen as one of the most important.
Fitur is taking place just days after the most historic home on Mallorca was sold to an international television mogul by specialists, PropertyinSpain.Net. The 17,000 M2 estate of the Christopher Columbus family, Finca Son Colom de Sa Cova (Cave house of Columbus) was snapped up for EUR 1M in advance of DNA tests that could prove the discoverer of America was brought up in the house. A positive result from DNA specialists at the FBI and the University of Granada that could result in the island’s biggest tourist attraction and a doubling of the property’s value.
PropertyInSpain.Net have got a portfolio of big country homes and hotels in Mallorca and Ibiza, including a high-tech, solar-powered “Good Life” estate at EUR 2.4M and Jean Paul Gautier’s summer hideaway - at price on application.
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