31 October, 2019 by Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo

The ferry “Volcán de Tinamar”, starting point of TaPalma 2019

The ferry "Volcán de Tinamar", owned by the Armas-Trasmediterránea Group, hosted last night at the port of Palma the official presentation of TaPalma 2019, a route of tapas and cocktails, which this year will take place from November 27 to December 1 in the capital of Mallorca. A gastronomic event that, year after year, consolidates itself as a regional reference and continues to support a vital sector in the economy of the Balearic Islands.

From the Armas-Trasmediterránea Group, the main sponsor of the gastronomic event along with the Palma City Council, attended the head of Institutional Relations, Paulino Rivero, and the commercial director, Miguel Pardo.

Paulino Rivero referred to the dynamization of the Balearic tourism sector and pointed out that "TaPalma aims to improve competitiveness, value talent, and energize the tourism sector". He also assured that "Trasmediterránea enriches itself with the DNA of the Armas Group and its sensitivity regarding what it means for the connectivity of the islands".For his part, Miguel Pardo, commercial director, explained that "TaPalma is a commitment to connect with the Mallorcan society and the island, and this type of competition showcases all the good that the Balearic Islands have to offer.”

The event was also attended by about two hundred people, including political figures, entrepreneurs, and restaurateurs, among them Carmen Planas, president of Caeb; Alfonso Robledo, president of Restauración Caeb; José Hila, mayor of Palma; Elena Navarro, councilor for Tourism, Health, and Consumption of Cort; Andreu Serra, island councilor for tourism of the Mallorca Council; and Ramón Vidal, director of the Palau de Congressos de Palma.

Alfonso Robledo, president of Restauración Caeb, pointed out that "with events like this we seek to encourage people to go out and help, in this way, to energize the restaurant industry, small commerce, and ultimately, boost the economy".

Igor Rodríguez, president of the chefs' jury, also shared his vision of TaPalma, commenting that "we have a luxury jury both locally and nationally". He added that "TaPalma is growing and this year it will be a complete success". Meanwhile, Juan Antonio García, president of the bartenders' jury, assured that "the cocktail jury will be very diverse and composed of great experts in the field".

As for novelties this year, the regional television IB3 will broadcast live the competition that will take place at the Palau de Congressos from 4 PM to 8 PM. Thus, Ramón Vidal, director of the Palau de Congressos, stated that "it is a pleasure to participate once again in TaPalma and host an event like the tapas and cocktails competition".

Andreu Serra, executive councilor for Tourism and Sports of the Mallorca Council, also did not want to miss the presentation, stating that "events like TaPalma make Mallorca more attractive for tourism throughout the year, and from the Council, we want to support this type of initiative".

Finally, José Hila, mayor of the Palma City Council, concluded that "TaPalma is a successful product and highlights something very important for us, which is gastronomy, as Palma is a city that has much to boast about". He also added that "the winners of TaPalma will accompany us at international fairs such as Fitur, World Travel Market in London, or ITB in Berlin with the aim of promoting the gastronomy of the islands".

After the presentation, a catering service was provided by Turquesa, along with a selection of wines from Petit Celler, sangria produced in Mallorca from Sangría Rita, and a tasting bar from Coca-Cola Signature. In addition to the Quely cookies that, once again, will be the main ingredient of the thematic tapa.

Sponsors and collaborators

TaPalma 2019, organized by AgenciaCom and Restauración Mallorca, has the Armas Trasmediterránea Group and the Palma City Council as main sponsors, as well as the sponsorship of the Palau de Congressos de Palma, Autovidal, Kia, Makro, Quely, and Mahou. It also has the collaboration of the Association of Bartenders of the Balearic Islands, Coca-Cola, the Association of Chefs Based in the Balearic Islands (ASCAIB), Petit Celler, and Sangría Rita. The official media of the event are mallorcadiario.com, IB3 Televisió, COPE Mallorca, and the newspaper Última Hora.