By Andrew Ede
Copyright majorcadailybulletin
Calvia, Mallorca’s number-one tourist municipality based on the number of hotel beds – over 50,000 – is now also a smart tourist municipality, one characterised by state-of-the-art infrastructure.
In 2019, Calvia joined the Smart Tourist Destinations network that Spain’s tourism ministry had established. A major undertaking that has involved investment of 3.2 million euros – 60% from European funds, the rest from the town hall – the focus has been on the use of technology to improve sustainability and the experiences of tourists and residents. The project is in its final stretch, 95% of it having been implemented.
The beaches have been to the fore. A total of 14 cameras have been installed to monitor Torà beach in Peguera as well as Palmanova, Magaluf and Santa Ponsa beaches. These are for a capacity control system which is powered by artificial intelligence algorithms. This allows real-time monitoring of beach occupancy. In June, apparently, the average occupancy was 20% of permitted capacity.
Mayor Juan Antonio Amengual says: “We have better beaches, which makes us a leading tourist and leisure destination for residents. In recent years, we have made an effort to improve their services and make them more sustainable.” He points out that the marked bathing area has been extended to 200 metres and that motorised activities have been eliminated at all beaches except Magaluf.
There is to be a reservation and rental system for beach facilities, which will address current problems with hiring sunbeds, parasols, and Balinese beds.
Seven stations for capturing meteorological and environmental data have been created. Sixteen ‘smart buoys’ analyse water quality, monitoring temperature among other things. Sixty acoustic sensors have also been installed in the municipality.
