The Office of Tourism of the Consell de Formentera is pleased to announce that the inaugural Formentera Zen Kids & Families will be held 1 May. Alejandra Ferrer, vice president and tourism councillor, invited interested local families to sign up. The event is free for residents of Formentera. "This yearly event is a chance to both draw visitors in the pre-season and offer options in healthy leisure to visitors and islanders alike, and now, with the brand-new Kids & Families, that includes children".

Formentera Kids & Families is part of the Consell de Formentera-backed and Puro Benestar-organised Formentera Zen, a wellness event which will be held next week on 28, 29 and 30 April. The central venue for the event will be the Gecko Hotel.

Formentera Kids & Families programme
Featured talks:
"En la consulta de pediatria: alimentació, primers auxilis i son." Pediatrician Anna Estapé will shine a light on infant sleep, feeding, common illnesses, choking and other concerns that parents have around parenting.

"Positive discipline also means saying 'no': Managing emotions and screens with children and adolescents." Child psychologist Carmen Esteban will speak about how parents can guide children in emotional management, adjusting rhythms and understanding the difference between punishments and limits, praising and encouraging. She will also discuss how screens can be abused and how to manage them responsibly at home.

"The importance of taking care of ourselves to take care of others and family fitness." Raquel López, who holds a bachelor's in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, will offer tips for women and men to strengthen the pelvic floor hypopressive postural exercises, and highlight a fitness activity in which parents and children can enjoy the benefits and fun of doing sport as a family.

The event will take place in Plaça de la Constitució in Sant Francesc on 1 May, a public holiday. To register, visit www.formenterazen.es.

Formentera Zen programme
Formentera Zen includes multidisciplinary sessions covering every dimension of the human being–physical, intellectual, environmental and social–and designed to help us live healthier and more balanced lives.

Participating professionals: Alejandra Vallejo-Nágera (psychologist), Natalia Zubizarreta (interior designer), Sari Arponen (PhD in Biomedical Sciences), María Casado (expert in integrated wellness), Enric Sánchez (journalist and podcaster), Cristina Martínez (PhD in Psychology), Miguel Trainer (personal trainer) and Cristina Boscá (radio presenter), Alessandra Oram (yoga teacher from Hong Kong), Vicky Gómez (artist, dancer and choreographer), Amelia Platón (pharmacist, nutritionist and former Masterchef contestant) and Laura Cámara (nurse and sexologist).

To sign up for Formentera Zen, visit www.formenterazen.es. Formentera residents benefit from a 50% discount.

Beach cleanup and plastic art mural
In a first, Formentera Zen 2023 will include a coastal cleanup designed to raise awareness and a workshop on caring for the environment and our health, with tips on how to recycle better. A plastic art mural will also be made with the rubbish collected.

Organisers would like to thank the following collaborators for their support: Cabreiroá, Grupo Cala Saona, Trasmapi, Cöel, Freshly Cosmetics, Gecko Hotel, Etnia Cosmetics, Naranjas Ribera, Pure Niche Lab, Komvida and Natura Bissé.

19 April 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera

The Office of Tourism of the Consell de Formentera is pleased to announce that local representatives took part in the second national circuit of presentations in Malaga, Valladolid and Valencia. Before Easter, presentations were also held in Barcelona, Madrid and Bilbao.

"We are enhancing our presence because these cities are among Formentera's leading outbound markets and have easy connections to the island in low season", explained Alejandra Ferrer, vice president and tourism councillor. The small-format presentations were given before representatives of local niche travel press and the main media outlets.

These meetings promote the sports and cultural activities organised in the pre- and post-season. Formentera's representatives also put particular focus on heritage, nature trails, ornithological routes and fine dining. At the same time, Formentera is also carrying out marketing activities in London, Amsterdam and Toulouse.

18 April 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera

The Office of Tourism of the Consell de Formentera is pleased to announce an upcoming course in languages and another allowing participants to obtain accreditation as Formentera-based tourist guides.

Alejandra Ferrer, vice president and tourism councillor, described the training as "crucial to quality service and making Formentera more accessible for visitors" and highlighted the new figure of Formentera Guide, which "will make it possible to offer new activities and give added value to our routes, trails and activities".

Formentera's tourism marketing division has sought to open the second course to the entire local tourism sector. Vice President Ferrer said that this year's course would be "adapted" and have a smaller, practical syllabus designed for applicability to the sector. Besides expanding their knowledge base and improving the service they provide visitors, participants, who will include employers and employees alike, will receive Consell de Formentera-issued certificates that serve to apply for benefits, take part in promotions on the Office of Tourism website, and be considered for recruitment in marketing actions. The course will take place evenings in May and participants can attend in person or online. In the days ahead, enrolment will open on the Consell de Formentera website, Virtual Citizen Information Office (OVAC) and Citizen Information Office (OAC).

As Vice President Ferrer put it, "entrepreneurs in the active tourism sector will be able to improve their customer service and guides will be able to offer visitors complete information about what to do on their stay. This is a chance to work here on Formentera to publicise the island, our culture, history, nature and traditions".

Prerequisites for guides
Aspiring guides must have at least a post-secondary level of vocational training; diploma; bachelor's or master's degree, or any other equivalent, officially recognised accreditation. Foreign-born participants must have obtained a 5 on the European Qualifications Framework scale.

Registration ends 28 April and can be completed at the OVAC and OAC. Exams will be held 30 May.

Details

Preparatory course
The theory-based and practical course to become a guide on Formentera will be held evenings in May and can be done in person or online. Exams will take place 30 May. Examinees also have the option of preparing for tests on their own.

Successful participants in the participatory course will obtain credit for section one (Cultural and Natural Heritage) of the exam. Questions will cover local history, culture, heritage, natural and culinary heritage, and more. Guides must also demonstrate knowledge of Catalan, Spanish and at least two foreign languages.

Nationally recognised accreditation for foreign guides
Another call will allow guides with foreign-issued accreditation to apply for the nationally recognised title of Formentera-based tourist guide. Registration ends 28 April and can be completed at the OVAC and OAC. Exams will be held 30 May.

Details

5 April 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera

The Office of Tourism and Office of Culture of the Consell de Formentera are pleased to report that the ninth Formentera Jazz Festival will take place from 1 to 4 June 2023. Backed by the island's government, the festival started in 2015 with aspirations as an open musical encounter for jazz lovers and an attraction featuring various genres and backgrounds that both residents and visitors could enjoy.

Alejandra Ferrer, vice president and tourism councillor, hailed "the consolidation of a festival that gives visitors a reason to come and spend a few days in low season, and which has worked its way into the hearts of many residents". Ferrer also highlighted the sustainable aspect of the festival and FJF's work in awareness-raising.

For her part, Councillor Parellada offered that the free event "has earned an indisputable reputation for quality music and making culture accessible to all".

Director Maxwell Wright shared his satisfaction with the FJF trajectory and insisted that the 2023 programme was "a showcase for world-class artists, which will offer a unique and unforgettable musical experience. It's a chance to reflect on sustainability and enjoy the island's natural beauty, culture and gastronomy. We can't wait to welcome all attendees and come together behind a shared love for jazz and its offshoots in the most beautiful setting that Formentera has to offer".

Among this year's programmed artists are Duquende (one of the biggest singers on the Spanish scene), Ay Trick (Valencian act purveying matchless soul and funky rhythms), Ana Rossi (Argentina-bred and Barcelona-based singer who will present her latest release) and Alexandre Delange (French pianist and composer).

The complete FJF 2023 programme will be posted on www.formenterajazzfestival.info.

5 April 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera