The box of chocolates, last episode of the fight for the millionaire business of the swallows

PalmaWhen she received the box of chocolates from one of the partners of Naviliers Bennassar, Joaquina Ferrer, Director General of Costs, decided not to open it because she wanted to share it with the officials. According to knowledgeable sources, she gave it to some members of her team who, upon opening it, could not believe what they saw. They immediately informed her and Ferrer explained the discovery to the Minister of the Sea and the Water Cycle, Juan Manuel Lafuente.

Lafuente contacted the legal services of the Community – specifically, a person of great trust – and the instructions were clear: ""The facts must be brought to the attention of the authority". This was done and the account of the events began to spread like wildfire among the officials: an applicant for a concession from Costs had handed over a box with 20,000 euros.

This is just one more, very striking, episode in an authorization that involves other incidents and business disputes: two companies, Naviliers Bennassar and Collado, have consolidated the tourist transport business in the Cala Millor area, an activity that moves a large number of passengers and economic resources.

The latest has been the conflict over a ticket sales booth, as confirmed to ARA Balears by sector sources. It is not an isolated incident, and the history is long and full of complaints, lawsuits, and convictions, often for the exclusive use of resources within public domain – as in the case of the piers for tourists to embark and disembark. It is a structural dispute to control a tourist business with a high economic volume and a key resource – the Cala Millor pier – which has been at the center of controversy for decades.

Both companies regularly request permits to operate from the Administration, as some facilities are within public domain and it is Costes (the Coastal Authority) that must authorize the activity. Both accumulate a long history of dealings with the State Coastal Demarcation and now also with the Directorate General of Coasts and the Littoral. For years, they have had minor friction, such as one over the ticket sales point, until the Administration – at that time still in the hands of the State – decided about a decade ago that they would alternate annually at the sales point to put an end to discussions.

The alternation mechanism failed a few years ago, when one of the companies did not respect the end of its allotted period and refused to withdraw. This triggered a new confrontation between operators that ended in a complaint.

A privatized pier

The coastal management of Llevant, like in other parts of the Balearic Islands, has written long histories of conflicts and permitted but illegal exploitation. The Superior Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands (TSJIB) ruled 21 years ago that the two companies exclusively exploited the Cala Millor jetty, where the bulk of tourists embark and disembark, and that its use had to be guaranteed under equal conditions.

According to the TSJIB, the Son Servera City Council had consented to this process, when it should have ensured that an installation within public domain was not for private use. Despite this, the conflicts continued, with sanctions, litigation, and continuous disagreements between operators.

A new judicial resolution in 2014 once again highlighted the problem: the interpretation of the agreements had de facto permitted the privatization of the use of the jetty, and had left the decision on who could operate there in the hands of the sector itself. This situation generated economic damages, compensation, and more confrontations. The story was repeating itself, and there was always some company that considered itself marginalized by the two major operators and went to court.

The current project

Bennàssar Naviliers was now awaiting the resolution of the latest project to continue operating maritime excursions between 2026 and 2029 in various points of the Levante, with Cala Millor as the main enclave. The document foresees maintaining activity with tourist boats and reinforcing ticket sales on land with kiosks and information points, a key piece of the business. The project outlines a relevant economic activity, with annual revenues that, according to the company's statement, exceed 800,000 euros, and argues that there is enough space to accommodate operators and that there is no saturation or conflict.

However, a conflict persists over the operation of maritime excursions in Cala Millor, which dates back a long time and has its roots in the very creation of the jetty. This infrastructure, built with private funding but under public concession from the Son Servera City Council, was intended for shared use between companies. Nevertheless, since the late nineties, constant disputes have occurred over its control and access to the activity.