President Armengol at the conference at the Palacio de Congresos. | @pcongressosp

TW

President Armengol yesterday opened the Seventh Nautical Congress in Palma. She said that the Balearics are a point of reference for the nautical industry at both national and European levels and noted that the islands are the national leader in terms of recreational boat registrations. This shows that the nautical industry, one to which the Balearic government has made a "strong commitment", is a "very important sector".

The president drew attention to stable job creation and to good salaries being paid. There are "many positive things" to be said about the nautical sector, which is forging synergies with other sectors of the economy. For each euro invested in the nautical sector, she said, five euros are generated for the whole economy along with four jobs. Armengol didn't believe that Brexit will have any real impact, a view shared by Carlos Sanlorenzo, president of the Anen national association of nautical businesses.

Sanlorenzo observed that the Balearics are experiencing a "sweet moment with a nautical atmosphere" and that this has enabled growth and developments in terms of technology and environmental protection.

The two-day congress will close today with a speech by the secretary of state for tourism, Bel Oliver.