Palma International Boat Show, 2019. archive photo. | Gabriel Alomar

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The Palma International Boat Show was suspended last year because of the coronavirus pandemic and thousands of people in the Nautical Sector will be delighted to hear that the dates for this year's event have just been announced.

The Palma International Boat Show and Balearic virtual fair Yacht Show will be held from June 3-6, according to Chamber of Commerce President, Antoni Mercant, and Vice President and Minister of Energy Transition, Productive Sectors & Democratic Memory, Juan Pedro Yllanes.

The event is a huge draw for industry professionals, boosts public-private collaboration and promotes the Balearics as a nautical destination.

“We are convinced that the Nautical Sector will be the engine of economic diversification for the Islands,” said Mercant.

Mariona Luis Tomás, Managing Director of the Balearic Islands Business Innovation Institute, or IDI organises the Palma International Boat Show and concessionaires in Lonja Marina Charter and Amarres Deportivos says concessionaire issues are casting a shadow over this year's event.

“We hope that the two concessionaires accept the proposals and alternatives that we have proposed, which includes space at Club Náutico Palma, Servicios Técnicos Portuarios in STP and at Porto Pi,” said Tomás. “They have rejected them and are asking us for financial compensation for holding the Boat Show in June, but as a public entity we cannot offer financial compensation. The Attorney General's Office will analyse the appeals that are presented, but we don’t see any legal loopholes that justify them."

June

The IDI argues that it has good reason for changing the date for this year's Palma Boat Show.

"We can’t celebrate it during the State of Alarm and we can’t move the boat show until after the summer, because that would conflict with other important events," says Tomás, who revealed that the Balearic Port Authority is analysing the situation and is confident “authorisation is imminent."

"The authorisation has not yet been formalised,” said APB, “but IDI's application is being processed with the intention of sanctioning it."