Coinciding with the ITB Berlin fair, the Fundació Marilles has published a video urging the tourism sector in the Balearic Islands to take greater responsibility for protecting the marine environment. The organization reminds us that the future of tourism in the archipelago directly depends on clean, thriving waters and that the tourism industry should invest more in their conservation.

Tourism depends on a healthy sea

sea water temperature Mallorca

Tourism in the Balearic Islands generates benefits thanks to the natural wealth of its coasts and seas. Activities such as beach leisure, water sports, and sailing are possible due to the good health of marine ecosystems. However, Marilles warns that the sector invests very little in their protection.

The foundation’s director, Aniol Esteban, stated that “the major companies benefiting from tourism seem to be in hibernation when it comes to marine conservation. We hope that now, with the arrival of spring, they will wake from their slumber.”

Greater involvement from the tourism sector

Marilles proposes that the sector get involved in expanding and improving marine protected areas, conserving habitats and species, and supporting local and sustainable fishing. Some companies have already demonstrated their commitment by joining the Pacte Blau Balear and funding conservation projects, but the foundation insists that a further step is needed to achieve a real impact.

Additionally, the organization highlights the need to make the social and environmental costs of tourism more visible, as they often go unnoticed. To this end, it advocates for implementing a natural capital accounting system, a tool that would assess how environmental degradation affects tourism activity and its benefits.

An economic study commissioned by Marilles in the Llevant Marine Reserve of Mallorca has already shown that the tourism sector captures two-thirds of the annual benefits generated by the reserve. According to the organization, this situation is likely repeated along the Spanish coastline.

With this campaign, Marilles aims to ensure that the tourism industry not only benefits from the sea but also becomes a key player in its conservation.