Four islands that have not made it to the country in tourism

PalmIn his first New Year's speech as president, Francesc Antich spoke of the motto of the new progressive government: "Four islands, one country, no borders." Twenty-five years ago, when "one century was drawing to a close and a new millennium was beginning," he emphasized that "country" appeared "in capital letters." And he explained what exactly "building a country" meant. "These are very concrete things that all the citizens of these islands must share. It means designing reasonable growth that guarantees our present, but, above all, the future of our children. Building a country means relaunching the productive economy, the one that creates stability, and putting a stop to the speculative and unsupportive economy," he began before discussing other aspects. "Above all, it means combining efforts in areas of society that until now had been scattered, even forgotten," he added. The motto also supported a tourism campaign for the Balearic Islands that was meant to function as a whole and, at the same time, allow for the promotion of each of them.

The company that won the public competition designed the logos and assigned a color to each island to capture its idiosyncrasy. According to Celestí Alomar, Tourism Minister of the first Progress Pact, Mallorca received the orange-yellow color that evoked the welcoming land and wheat fields; Menorca, the green for its protected natural environment; Formentera, the blue of its waters; and Ibiza, the red. The red of controversy. For Alomar, this red symbolized "the passionate spirit" of the largest of the Pitiusas, "capable of combining the most transcendental history with entertainment."

The logos were presented at events on all the islands. It was 2002. However, no one from the tourism sector came to applaud the Ibizan red, interpreted by some as an exaltation of a model focused on petty tourism. Antich was forced to point out at the main event: "This is not the image of a particular government or a particular sector. The islands don't deserve anyone to turn their backs on them." Meanwhile, the mayor of Formentera, Isidro Torres, excitedly celebrated that, "for the first time," his island was "treated as its own entity."

The attempt, according to Alomar, to "create a global brand that would give the Balearic Islands a unified tourist destination" did not prevent each island from "operating separately." In fact, they designed a second phase "that was never completed." "Once the colors were consolidated, the name had to be retired and the only thing they could do was use the logo. Before, there was only Ibatur (the Balearic Institute of Tourism). It wasn't an image of the country or the destination, just the logo of the organization," he reveals.

Twenty-five years later, the slogan "Four islands, one country, no borders" remains in the memory of citizens, but can we speak of the Balearic Islands as a unitary concept? And from a tourism perspective? In the latter case, due to the differentiated model, the borders are many. The director of the UIB Faculty of Tourism, Tolo Deyà, "without being a marketing expert," believes that the campaign worked for "domestic consumption." "Historically, the Balearic Islands haven't had a community identity. Anyone will tell you they're Majorcan, Minorcan, Ibizan, or Formentera; but no, they're Balearic. Building a sense of community and bringing the islands closer together was a good goal, achieved because many people remember it," he concedes. Tourism unity is another story. "From this point of view, all the islands have very different products and objectives. Thinking that they could be marketed by grouping them together was a mistake. I understand the colors. Ibiza and Formentera could have competed for the blue, but the red refers to the Spain brand. I don't know to what extent it can be associated with nightlife," he analyzes, to remember that the sector is very belligerent against certain policies, such as the so-called ecotax, now accepted. "In this context, it was the straw that broke the camel's back."

For Deyà, the multicolored logo is "nice," but, in his opinion, "the foreign market doesn't know that behind it there is a concept of the Balearic Islands." And he gives an example: "It's like if you travel to Hamburg and you have to know which one to go to." länder [federated state] belongs." The General Director of Tourism Coordination of the Government between 1999 and 2001, Josep A. Pérez de Mendiola, points out that "at that time the promotion powers were not transferred to the Councils" and, therefore, it was intended that "everything would be one."

the brand and its customizations. "Having each island have an assigned color allowed you to explain their differences, for each one to take it and enhance it to do their promotion. They offer different products," he assures. In the end, it was not Ibiza that has distanced itself, but the Consell de Mallorca, which has presented a new logo that writes the M with a typography of language clothing. "It doesn't make sense. Mallorca does not need to reposition itself. The debate is about whether it is necessary to do more promotion in the summer from the public sector, when private companies already invest millions. You spend money when the brand runs on its own." Negueruela believes efforts should focus on preventing growth during the peak season. "If you get more tourism during the rest of the months, you should see a decrease in the summer," he adds, linking this idea to "banning all tourist apartments and not allowing the construction of new hotels."

Once the promotion powers have been transferred to the councils, the Balearic Islands Tourism Strategy Agency (AETIB) is responsible for safeguarding the archipelago's brand. According to Negueruela, at the fairs they presented the Tourism Law, the management of the ITS (Tax and Tax Services), and the NextGen funds for sustainable tourism. "The AETIB designs policies for the councils and town councils to implement. You can position yourself as making a change in your tourism policy. Promotion shouldn't just be about getting more people to come," he concludes.

The case of Ibiza

Mallorca is the one that has most successfully diversified its product and extended its season, but it's Ibiza that has built a more differentiated identity. "The Ibiza brand is as powerful as the Spain brand," says Negueruela. For Deyà, it's also a paradigmatic example: "Thirty years ago, Ibiza targeted tourists with low purchasing power, who spent little on hotels and complementary offerings. Everything was about partying. In just 15 years, they've gone from having the most expensive hotels on average and have established a luxury tourism model. Tourists set foot there and think everything is fine, that everything is cool. Even if they charge 20 euros for a soft drink, they've tried to replicate it and haven't succeeded."

Ibiza has been known worldwide, especially among young audiences, ever since MTV (when it was a benchmark of popular culture) aired programs "with the best DJs in the world." "Now the main attraction isn't electronic music, but luxury and top-level gastronomy. I don't know of any tourist destination that, in such a short time, has changed its model so much," he concludes. Overall, "the Balearic Islands have a great image and great loyalty." "Without promotion, many people would still come. Before, they couldn't because there were only hotels," he adds. Those were times without vacation rentals, without Airbnb, and without Home Exchange, when Antich proclaimed that there were no borders. Nor any tourism borders.