More than 190 artisans will brighten up the 7th edition of Ibiza Medieval

The celebration of the fair "Ibiza Medieval" to commemorate the declaration of Ibiza town as a "Heritage of Humanity" supposes an investment of 150,000 euros and includes art workshops, games for the children and more than 190 street artists that will brightend up the seventh edition of Ibiza Medieval, that will be celebrated next 12, 13 and 14 of May inside the walls of Dalt Vila, the Fortress and in the surroundings of the Old Market in the harbour.

Mayor Xico Tarrés, the councilwoman of Culture, Lourdes Costa, and the coordinator of the event, Joan Antoni Torres, presented the program of activities yesterday, for the three days of the fair: "Every year there are new features, new routes and different performances", emphasized Tarrés, he added that the medieval market of Ibiza is "a totally consolidated tourist product, many travel agencies already sell specific tourist packages for this celebration".

Lourdes Costa talked about the high cultural level of Ibiza Medieval that, among others, will count with performances of Jordi Savall, Pedro Estevan, Míriam Encinas, Lautaro Rosas and Maria Lafitte among others. Plus performances of the group Corbs de Sant Nofre and the Dimonis de Sant Joan, of Mallorca, and diverse spectacles of theater, music and games that were typical in medieval times.

Costa also explained that more than a hundred craftsmen of Ibiza and Formentera will participate in the fair, offering traditional products and sharing the space with craftsmen coming from the Peninsula.

Read the rest of this article in spanish in www.diariodeibiza.es

Editorial Review-The Anti-Highway Controversy

The headline-making protests, and national TV news coverage of heavy equipment burnings, and offensive grafitti related to the the new Ibiza Airport-Ibiza Town highway stem from a percieved injustice.

The percieved injustice, from the protesters point of view, is that Spain's former Foreign Minister, Sr, Abel Matutues, one of the largest landholders on the island, is benefiting in a discriminatory way, from this construction project. Although he has publicly disclaimed any
benefit whatsoever, and challenged anyone (reward included) to prove that he is profiting in any way.

The fact is, that Sr. Matutes daughter, Stella, is the local governments' Councilwoman for
roadways, and that a curve in the road is being built which will avoid crossing a large tract of
Mr Matute's land, which otherwise wold have had to be expropriated (at approximately 3 Euros /m2). And one of Sr. Matutes companies is a part owner in the quarry which will provide
most of the gravel for the new highways.

Because many of the protesters lands have already been expropriated (at below market prices),
volatile suspicions have arisen among them that the project involves something less than fair play.

'Percieved injustice' and 'injustice' are identical to the victim. And no amount of government
or police interventions in protests, or judicial decisions, are going to change this, as has been underlined recently in France and Nepal.

Add to this the distrust, not only of many Ibicencan citizens, but worldwide; of the entire political class, but especially of government leaders who are intent on imposing a single political partys' vision of what "is best" for its citizens without consensus.....and you will have guaranteed volatile oppositon.....a political football match which continues ad nauseum,

A new marine walkway from Figueretas to Playa d´en Bossa

Mayor Xico Tarrés talked about the necessity to impel the construction of a new marine stroll from Figueretas to the area of Playa d´en Bossa that is located within the municipality of Ibiza, completing in this way the improvement of the southern coast of Ibiza town.

In this case, according to Tarrés, the execution and financing of the work will correspond to the Ministry of Enviromental Care. According to the municipal forecasts, the project could cost up to 7 million euros.

Xico Tarrés indicated that the works will also include an improvement in the present walkway of Figueretas, according to Xico, "every year repairs are needed due to its bad condition".

The mayor of Ibiza explained that this new infrastructure objective is to improve a tourist area "that at the moment is degraded". Xico Tarrés emphasized that the project will be as " respectful as possible with the nature of the area".

The mayor of Ibiza and the Work councilman of the city, Antonio Roldán, insisted that the "avenue 8 th of August" will open next month, May, once the electric installation is finalized. The complete resurfacing of this route will be done after the tourist season finishes.

You will find this news article and many more in www.diariodeibiza.es (all in spanish)

2.6% increase in hotel income

Hotel income grew a 2.6 percent in Ibiza and the rest of Balearic islands in March, the third highest national ascent, behind Madrid (3 percent) and the Basque Country (4.4 percent) and surpassing the state average increase (1.2 percents), according to the numbers of the INE.

In March, the hotel prices rose 1.7 percent in the archipelago, above the Spanish average (0.2 percents). Balears was the fourth preferred Spanishdestiny for the foreign travellers, capturing 11.6 percent of arrivals, behind the Canary Islands (39 percent), Andalucia (16.6 percent) and Catalunia (12.6 percent). In the case of the Spaniards, Ibiza was the sixth most visited destiny, with 6.4% of the trips.

This article was translated and modified from www.diariodeibiza.es the local leading newspaper in spanish.