The Menorcan model: a benchmark that has come into danger

PalmMenorca has defined its growth model over the past quarter-century. The Menorcan model, as it's known throughout the Balearic Islands, is based on the Territorial Plan (PTI), the first planning document that, back in 2003, set limits on tourism growth and aimed to shift away from the traditional sun and beach offering that had previously attracted the nascent tourism industry to the Balearic Islands. The earlier declaration of Menorca as a Biosphere Reserve in 1993 set the course, but it wasn't until the PTI, ten years later, that measures began to be taken to promote sustainable development. Urbanizations and new tourist developments on the coast were reclassified, and the focus shifted to quality growth rather than sheer numbers. A quarter of a century later, despite increasing saturation, the data bears this approach out. Today, 77% of Menorca's territory is protected, and the rate of growth, both in population and tourism, is slower than on the other islands.

Regaining the initiative

Joana Barceló, who was the president of the Consell that promoted the first Territorial Plan (PTI), warns, however, that the path followed by the Menorcan model of territorial and tourism planning "has not been progressive," but rather has suffered setbacks, which she attributes to the loss of political influence of the island's institutions. "We took advantage of our regulatory power to limit tourism growth and thus create our own model," different from that of Ibiza and Mallorca, which took several more years to have their territorial plans. But this power "has been exercised very little by the Consell, so it has been the Balearic Government that has subsequently set the guidelines for development. The major changes after the first PTI have come from regional laws, not from the PTI itself," she says. Therefore, Barceló advocates for "recovering the island's initiative to limit growth, which means growing, but in our own way." And he elaborates: "I have the impression that the capacity to make decisions from the ground up has been lost, and that doesn't help us find our own answers. Regional laws homogenize, when the reality of the Islands is pluralistic and each territory should have a different development path." The future, he insists, "must be designed from Menorca and with everyone's participation. The best initiatives emerge when you're able to debate. Current politicians are missing out on the best part of their positions, which is creating and building new things."

Five times more immigrants

The island has grown from 72,000 inhabitants at the turn of the millennium to over 103,000 now. This is largely due to the migration patterns of the last two decades, which have increased the foreign population on the island from 3,206 to 14,079, almost fivefold. This has led to changes in the labor market, society, and education, necessitating the promotion of integration programs for newcomers. Menorca has the oldest population in the Balearic Islands, a trend that has led to increased resources for the elderly. The first quarter of the century ended with every municipality having a nursing home and a strengthening of home care services. The traditional economy is declining.

However, on an economic scale, the global expansion of tourism and the crisis in the island's traditional economic sectors—footwear and jewelry—have also altered the labor market. This is the only way to explain the decline in the number of people registered with Social Security in industry (from 4,228 to 3,200) and construction (from 4,214 to 2,993) over the past 25 years. Conversely, the number of salaried workers in the service sector increased by 34%, rising from 14,772 to 19,806. Although more organized across the island than at the end of the 20th century, the maximum accommodation capacity has grown by nearly 60,000 beds in these 25 years. While 190,621 beds were recorded in 2000, combining residential and tourist accommodation, last year there were 245,308, a 28% increase. "The arrival of more tourists and residents from outside the area are two of the biggest changes of these 25 years," summarizes David Carreras, director of the Socio-Environmental Observatory (Obsam).

The effect of tourist rentals

The supply of tourist accommodation has seen the most growth, almost doubling from 47,860 beds at the beginning of the century to nearly 85,000 today. The more than 30,000 tourist rental beds are largely to blame. In fact, tourist rentals represent 36.2% of Menorca's total tourist accommodation supply, well above Mallorca, where it accounts for 25%, and Ibiza, at 16%. Their presence in city centers, especially in Maó and Ciutadella, has reduced residential rental options for the local population to the point that the market is almost nonexistent. Joana Barceló points out that the Territorial Plan (PTI) "did not foresee" tourist use in urban areas, but once the problem became clear, she advocates increasing housing density to facilitate the entry of new residential housing into the market. Thus, houses previously occupied by families have also been converted into small hotels in the old town centers. Currently, there are around 70 hotels, offering a total of 500 beds. Apartments, which were the predominant option a quarter of a century ago, have been gradually replaced by quality hotel accommodation. Four- and five-star hotels now offer nearly 21,000 beds, almost half of the total supply.

Tourism reaches the countryside

Tourism has invaded everything, from tourist rentals in the cities to hotels in the countryside. The supply of rural accommodation, which in 2000 was still in its infancy (totaling only 166 beds), has increased sevenfold. Now there are around fifty rural hotels and agritourism establishments, with more than 1,100 beds.

The growing touristification of the countryside has coincided with the arrival of foreign capital that has invested in the purchase of farms and working properties. This has led to a change in land ownership, with land no longer in the hands of Menorca's noble families. One consequence is the shift in the traditional production system, particularly of milk and cheese, which, due to its low profitability, has been replaced by other, more productive forms of farming. The system of friendships, which shared profits and responsibilities between the farmer and the landowner, has also been sidelined, and in many cases, it is now the landowner who hires the livestock farmer. Joana Barceló is concerned about the potential impact of tourist stays in the countryside, something that wasn't foreseen 23 years ago and which now, she fears, "could be the gateway for new developments." The good news, she says, is that "tourism in the countryside forces Menorca to maintain agricultural activity, which isn't the case on the other islands."

Before and after the breakwater

The opening of Ciutadella's new outer port in 2011 has also revitalized maritime communications and freight transport from Mallorca and Barcelona. The dock handles over 600,000 passengers annually and has helped to almost triple maritime traffic to Menorca compared to 2000. Now, one in six people uses the ferry to enter or leave the island. Traffic figures at Menorca Airport have also increased considerably, from two and a half million passengers to over four million. The roads have also felt the impact of this increase. According to studies by the Consell (Island Council), during peak season there are up to 30% more cars than the island's road network can handle. To adapt, in the last quarter of a century, bypasses have been built to Ferreries and Alaior, diverting traffic from the main road away from the centers of both municipalities. A controversial reform of Menorca's main communication artery has been underway for the past 12 years, once again pitting the Menorcan model against those of other islands. Menorca has added a new UNESCO recognition to its Biosphere Reserve designation: its Talayotic heritage has been declared a World Heritage Site. This is a new incentive to attract visitors outside of peak season and consolidate the island's alternative to sun and sand tourism. The island has also successfully developed renewable energy with new installations at the Milán wind farm, the first in the Balearic Islands, which paved the way in 2003. Renewable energy, which in 2000 accounted for only 1% of all energy generated in Menorca, has multiplied thanks to a whole series of projects. The deployment has been so extensive that, lacking a second submarine cable to connect it to Mallorca, the power generated by the new wind farms exceeds the actual capacity of the current distribution network. The push for offshore wind projects opens a new scenario for the future.