A record breaking year

MORE than 40,000 visitors helped make it a record breaking International Boat Show in Palma.
Friday was the strongest day with more than 11,000 people flocking to the Boat Show Palma and the Palma SuperYacht Boat Show.
The councillor of Economy and Competitiveness, Joquin Garcia, highlighted that this event has become a national and international reference.
He said: “Three years ago we decided to cancel the show because of its cost to the public and bad results, but now – after listening to the requests of the nautical sector – we are proud to announce that Palma Boat Show is a must have on the calendar.
Two hundred and seven exhibitors, 180 boats – 70 of them, megayachts – and 3,000 brands have been present at this edition, the 32nd.
Because of this, this event is the largest exhibition of sailing yachts worldwide.
The director of the Palma Boat- Show, Chema Sans, said that these numbers demonstrated “the compatibility between the business model of the fair and the needs of the commercial sector.
In fact, the Economy and Competitiveness Department of the Balearic Islands is already working on next year’s edition because 75 per cent of current exhibitors have already requested a stand for the next one, which will be held from April 28 to May 2 and will be officially presented in Monaco and Cannes in September.
The aim for 2016, said Joquin Garcia, is to improve the infrastructure of Palma Port including moorings and parking – and to attract even more customers.
Most of the exhibitors describe this edition as “the best one so far” and highlighted the visit of many more “potential buyers.
Furthermore, Jane Thomson – one of the Superyacht Show organisers – highlighted the ‘higher quality’ of visitors.
As previously, the Palma Boat Show coincided with Tapamar, a seafood and fish fair organised in collaboration with Asociación de Restauración de Mallorca and held in local restaurants.
“A good way of showing the whole city to visitors,” said Joaquin Garcia