News

Formentera flexes cultural heritage at World Travel Market

Monday, 05 November 2018 16:05

Only Balearic Island at Global European Market—'speed dating for international tourism'

The UK's biggest travel trade show, World Travel Market, opened its doors today in London for a run that will continue until Wednesday November 7. Three administration officials —chairman Jaume Ferrer, tourism secretary Alejandra Ferrer and department director Carlos Bernús— are in the City to attend the travelers' happening and promote the island at a stand shared with spokespeople from across the Balearics.

Tuesday at the WTM is for islands, and this year, to celebrate European Year of Cultural Heritage, Formentera is unveiling its brand-new catalogue of cultural heritage sites. Going beyond the purely cultural features of an island that has been home to a rotating cast of civilisations throughout history, the Formentera team will spotlight the island's physical beauty as well. Natural heritage sites put Formentera in a category all its own, and associated tie-ins abound, like the local network of nature trails, or rutes verdes, that gives visitors a fast-track to a vast stretches of the island's cultural and historic heritage.

Global European Market (GEM)
Formentera was alone among its neighbours at the GEM, a series of 12-minute one-on-ones, roughly thirty in all, where Council reps sat down with spokespeople from selected businesses —mostly from the UK, though some came from China, India and USA— to discuss a range of proposals. Carlos Bernús described the conversations as “very professional and very business-oriented. We certainly hope the interest our interlocutors displayed —in discovering Formentera and then heading back home to promote it— translates into action”.

Formentera will seize the occasion of the WTM to meet with British, Dutch and American travel agents and communication firms to begin planning for 2019 as well as related communication and marketing strategies. Gatherings will also be held with online portals and several airlines.

Formentera holds second course on sound salvaging

Wednesday, 31 October 2018 16:31

foto-curs-conservacio---sub-1 The culture and patrimony arm of the Formentera Council announces that classes will begin today in the second run of a hands-on course about conserving metals discovered in the sea.

Patrimony secretary Susana Labrador stressed the importance of supporting such initiatives—“our heritage demands conservation”, she said, projecting “future finds of this kind are sure to further contribute to expansion. That's why it's crucial we build a base of trained professionals to support that”.

This is the second such course on Formentera. From Wednesday to Saturday, roughly ten conservation and restoration experts from varying specialties will gather on the island to hear from Philippe de Viviés and Jean-Bernard Memet, experts in new strategies on handling metal objects removed from the sea.

The classes, with both theoretical and practical components, are organised by the Formentera Council and the Balearic institute of maritime archaeological studies, IBEAM, with collaboration from the archaeological museum of Eivissa and Formentera as well as additional support from Trasmapi transport company.

Subaquatic architect and course instructor Javier Rodríguez says classes will “offer a look at the role of restorers in underwater excavations, from planning and execution to subsequent handling in the lab and preparation for display in a museum”.

So students can take conservation training even further, the hands-on learning sessions will involve restoration of an 17th- or 18th-century anchor pulled from the sea in 1997 near La Mola's lighthouse.

Winter hours in effect for Formentera's metred parking service

Tuesday, 30 October 2018 16:34

foto zona blava 3 The Formentera Council's mobility department reports that beginning Thursday November 1, winter hours will take effect across metred parking areas in La Savina, Sant Francesc and Sant Ferran. Meanwhile, in Es Pujols, traffic wardens will cease to enforce the pay-to-park system in zona blava (“blue zone”) spaces until the start of summer. Elsewhere metred parking will be in force Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 2.00pm and 4.00pm to 8.00pm. Parking is free on Sundays and bank holidays.

Cars parked in blue zone spots can remain there up to three days, unlike in summer, when the limit is one day. Green zone (zona verda) spots on the other hand are reserved for authorised vehicles, which can be parked for no more than three days, and La Savina residents carrying proof of residence, who can leave vehicles parked for as many as 15 days, just like in summer.

15-minute spots
From November 1 islanders will notice brand-new 15-minute spaces along with accompanying parking passes that feature an updated look. 15-minute spots in Sant Francesc and Sant Ferran are designed to encourage frequent vehicle turnover in those areas where business activity is concentrated and parking spaces are in short supply.

Free for everyone, the new 15-minute parking passes can be obtained and used in pay-to-park lots across the island. A 15-minute ticket can be used to park in any blue zone. Three-day passes are valid for all parking spaces except those dedicated to 15-minute use.

The Formentera Council will stage an outreach push in November to inform islanders of changes. Parking attendants' primary task will be to educate motorists and business owners in Sant Francesc, Sant Ferran and La Savina

Formentera to free up land for low-cost housing

Wednesday, 31 October 2018 15:35

foto-cessio---solar-2 The land office of the Formentera Council will turn over a plot of land to the region's housing authority to make room for “officially-protected housing” or HPO for the initials in Catalan.

The hand-off of the Sant Ferran lot came as the result of a urbanism deal between the Council and the landowner. The 775m² lot is zoned for 1.2m² of structure per square metre and 60% occupancy on the ground and basement floors.

Children's park
Council officials say a children's park will be built on an adjacent lot. Recently, the town's only park has been located on school grounds, which replaced a park named for Bob Baldon when last year 14 units of low-cost housing were erected nearby.

Formentera collects 527.4 tonnes of organic waste during five-month trial run

Monday, 29 October 2018 16:19

foto materia organica 1 At the close of a pilot programme for organic waste pickup that ran from May 15 to mid October, the Formentera Council's environment office reports that 170 participating businesses generated 527.4 tonnes of waste.

Environment secretary Daisee Aguilera applauded the collaboration in 2018 of the local medium- and large-quantity waste generators who joined the effort. "It's the first time a pickup service of this kind is available across the entire island", said Aguilera, "and thanks to the commitment of participating businesses, we ended up with 127 more tonnes than originally forecasted".

Two collection routes were established this year to serve the island's medium- and large-scale waste generators. Businesses also had an environmental advisory agent and three patrol staff from the administration's environment department.

A new life as compost

The push is part of the waste management plan currently under review on the island. The goal? To cut the cost of shipping waste to Eivissa's Ca Na Putxa landfill. Europe has made extending the useful lifespan of products a top priority. The Council's work in the current initiative involves turning organic waste into a boon for Formentera's countryside.

The nearly 530 tonnes of organic waste were harnessed to make 1,700 cubic metres of compost using a "pile method" in which organic waste is mixed with shredded garden trimmings and then left to mature during a roughly eight-month process. The plan's engineers say the compost will be given to the local farmers' cooperative to add nutrients to soil and improve crop yield.

Data from the pilot programme will be used to study adding organic waste collection to the future waste management contract, due to take effect in 2020.