Palma’s tourist board will launch an app next month to show tourists which parts of the Mallorcan capital are crowded, and suggest alternative, less busy sites to visit.
Called Welcome Palma, the app features live heat sensors to indicate busy locations, and a live chat function enables tourists to ask questions about where to go to avoid crowds.
It is part of a sustainable tourism strategy from the Palma tourism board, which wants to encourage travellers to explore off the beaten track and visit year-round.
Called ‘Passion for Palma’, the strategy also included the introduction of four new bus stops, and new signage and tourism routes to showcase points of interest outside the main city.
Furthermore, a new catalogue has been produced to showcase shops in Palma that feature traditional arts and crafts such as ceramics, glass-making and shoe-making, plus historic restaurants, shops and bakeries in heritage buildings.
Pedro Homar, general director of the tourist board – which is called Palma 365 – said: “Our tourism strategy aims to achieve a sustainable tourism model, which will benefit both locals and visitors alike, and will propel Palma to the top of the list of desirable year-round city-break destinations from the UK.
“We anticipate that initiatives such as the new bus stops and the Welcome Palma app will diffuse tourism across the city and will encourage tourists to visit the lesser-known sites in the city.
“We also believe that the new catalogue and the introduction of new tourist routes will raise awareness of Palma’s cultural heritage.”
Visitor numbers from the UK last winter (October 2017-April 2018) were up by 6.5% year-on-year.