Josep Bernales Sastre is a professional with extensive experience in the field of cultural management and sociocultural development. Born in Venezuela in 1960, he is a Social Educator and holds a degree in Pedagogy from the University of the Balearic Islands, as well as a Cultural Management qualification from UNED. As a registered Social Educator, he has specialized in participation and sociocultural activation, as well as in community development projects and the management of cultural facilities.
His professional experience includes work in the private sector as well as in various public administrations, such as the Calvià City Council, the Palma City Council, and the Consell de Mallorca.
Since 2016, he has served as Head of Technical Service at the Serra de Tramuntana World Heritage Consortium, where he has been involved in the management and protection of this unique cultural landscape, recognized by UNESCO. His work, focused on the preservation and revitalization of the region, positions him as a key figure in the management of the Serra de Tramuntana World Heritage Site.
The Serra de Tramuntana was declared a World Heritage Site in 2011. With over a decade of experience, how has the perception and management of this recognition evolved?
This distinction brings prestige and obliges us to safeguard our outstanding universal value, recognized by UNESCO, as a significant example of the Mediterranean agricultural landscape, transformed over centuries to make use of scarce resources. At the same time, it represents a commitment to maintaining this landscape as a legacy for future generations.
Although some people in Mallorca initially believed that the World Heritage designation would only serve to attract more tourists and that the award was merely a promotional tool, the reality is that the local community has embraced and defended this recognition. Every year, complaints and reports are submitted to UNESCO regarding actions affecting the Serra. Citizens actively monitor the preservation of this heritage for a fundamental reason: all Mallorcans love the Serra de Tramuntana. Awareness of the fragility of this cultural landscape fosters a vigilant attitude against potential abuses and excesses.
What makes the Serra de Tramuntana an exceptional place today is its residents, farmers, and small landowners—those who manage the landscape, making it productive and beautiful while preserving the land of their ancestors. They have transformed a difficult and inhospitable territory into a habitable and productive place, always respecting the natural environment.
One of the challenges of being a World Heritage Site is tourism management. How has the Serra de Tramuntana addressed the issue of overcrowding? What strategies have been implemented to balance conservation and accessibility?
The Serra de Tramuntana occupies 30% of Mallorca, meaning that its problems are the same as those affecting the entire island. Tourism management, mobility, logistics, and the overuse of certain areas impact the whole region. However, the Serra de Tramuntana is even more fragile due to its unique characteristics. The excess of tourists is a reality, and all forecasts indicate that numbers will continue to rise. We cannot be optimistic in the short term, as regulating tourism is a complex challenge that directly affects the island’s economy. Unfortunately, current policies have not been bold enough to take the necessary steps.
In the case of the Serra, if there is no viable agriculture, there will be no cultural landscape. Viability depends on supporting small agricultural producers and revaluing their products. The olives from the Serra should not have to compete with commercial brands, as they are unique and have a distinct value.
Visiting the Serra de Tramuntana should be an emotional experience, including the discovery of its trails, gastronomy, and both traditional and contemporary culture. To achieve this, we need to attract a specific type of visitor and promote a tourism model that does not grow uncontrollably.
What recommendations would you give to Talayotic Menorca for managing a possible increase in visitors without compromising the conservation of its heritage?
Mallorca cannot give great lessons, as Menorca has been a reference in heritage and environmental protection. Its land stewardship initiatives are a model for all of Spain and have contributed to more sustainable and balanced tourism.
The Serra de Tramuntana Consortium plays a key role in protecting and promoting the territory. How does its structure work, and how does it collaborate with the Consell de Mallorca?
The Serra de Tramuntana Consortium is an autonomous entity under the Consell de Mallorca, with an independent structure. The key to good management of an inhabited, sensitive, and fragile area is having an organization that is open to society, as it is the community that truly cares for and maintains the living heritage. Structured and regulated participation bodies are essential, allowing civil society, economic, cultural, and environmental sectors to have a say in the policies being developed.
The Consortium has a Permanent Committee composed of 20 entities and associations representing the Serra. This body, which has been active for over nine years, meets every two months to share actions, projects, and strategic decisions.
What strategies do you consider essential for preserving the cultural landscape?
To ensure the protection of the cultural landscape, a bold law is needed to safeguard the territory, its inhabitants, and its agriculture. Our cultural landscape has been shaped over the centuries by our ancestors; we must simply maintain it and prevent its deterioration.
At the Alianza workshop in Menorca, managers from different UNESCO sites participated. What lessons did you take away from this event?
It was a highly productive meeting. Cultural landscapes designated as World Heritage Sites share needs, challenges, and projects that help us improve by moving forward together.
During these sessions in Menorca, we exchanged experiences related to the communication and dissemination of our cultural assets: heritage routes in the Alhambra of Granada, educational programs at the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, the previously mentioned program of the Serra de Tramuntana, and interpretative resources from Talayotic Menorca, among others.
What experiences from the management of the Serra de Tramuntana could be useful for Menorca Talayótica in this new phase as a World Heritage Site?
Menorca has been working on the Menorca candidacy for many years. The official UNESCO recognition two years ago is just another step in the process, but the people of Menorca and their institutions have long understood the value of these heritage assets.
In your presentation at the Alianza workshop in Menorca, you focused on the Service-Learning program. How did this initiative come about, and what are its goals?
Service-Learning is an educational approach in which students learn while providing a service to the community, engaging with real needs in their environment with the goal of improving it. In 2019, the Spanish Service-Learning Network awarded a national prize to 36 schools with service-learning projects. Currently, more than 300 teachers and 6,500 students participate in 45 service projects.
Looking to the future, what are the biggest challenges for managing the Serra de Tramuntana and Menorca Talayótica as World Heritage Sites?
The greatest challenge in the coming years for World Heritage Sites will be visitor management and the associated issues. However, none of these challenges can be tackled without the support and collaboration of the community. The involvement of civil society is key to their preservation.
Menorca Talayótica, with its joint policies involving civil society for the development of land stewardship agreements, and Mallorca, with its stable participation bodies including social and economic sectors in the Serra de Tramuntana, are references within Spain’s World Heritage Sites due to their ability to integrate their actions into local communities. This strength must also be recognized. The management of World Heritage Sites must always be carried out in close collaboration with the community.