Isha Sesay
A NEW mobile application has been launched in Mallorca which specifies the occupation of every beach in the capital.
Funded by Palma City Council the free ‘Smart City Palma’ app aims to inform residents and holidaymakers of a beach’s occupancy level.
It will also detail security measures in place to halt COVID-19, if the beach has a Blue Flag and the quality of its water.
The innovative tool works by indicating four different levels of occupancy classified from low to very high risk.
Green means there is less than 30% occupancy (low risk), yellow for between 30% to 60% (medium risk), orange for more than 60% (high risk) and red for 90% and over (very high risk).
The latter level would mean that a beach closure is imminent and the user will be advised to choose another destination on the map.
The app will work by collecting real time location data on the number of registered visitors at each site.
The visit can only be registered when the user is less than 50 metres from the beach.
Once an individual moves further away their location will be either deactivated voluntarily or automatically, depending on their configured settings.
Moreover, in order for the tool to be completely user friendly it will be available to download in Catalan, English, German ad Spanish.
Revealed at a presentation this morning, the Councillor for Tourism, Elena Navarro, said the app will aid the use of beaches in a ‘safe and straightforward manner.’
She said: “The reality we are facing due to coronavirus means that we must adapt our tourism strategies across Spain.”
Navarro added that Palma has now become a leader in ‘creating powerful alliances with advanced technological tools’ through the exploitation of ‘geospatial analysis, real-time data of public spaces and the development of target intelligence.’
It comes weeks after Marbella City Council announced that a free mobile app would be launched to show the capacity of its beaches.
Aptly named ‘PlayasApp’, the tool also allows users to consult hotels in the vicinity and can be downloaded for free.
Photography by Allan Binderup.
