/ Town Hall
Monday, 27th April 2020
The Beach and Sun Tourist Municipalities Alliance (AMT) proposes to the Minister of Tourism, Reyes Maroto, seven measures to reactivate tourism
The mayors of the Beach and Sun Tourist Municipalities expressed in a meeting this morning their concern about the revival of tourism, the driving force of their municipalities and the Spanish economy
Saturday, 25th April 2020. - This morning the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, Reyes Maroto, held a meeting with the mayors of the 8 municipalities that make up the Beach and Sun Tourist Municipalities Alliance -Adeje, Arona, Benidorm, Calvià, Lloret de Mar, Salou, San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Maspalomas) and Torremolinos- and the technical secretariat of the Hotel Technological Institute (ITH).
The mayor of Calvià, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal, has insisted on the importance that connectivity has for islands, to guarantee competitiveness in the key of national tourism. Likewise, he pointed out that financial entities should make ICO credits more flexible so that small and medium-sized companies can have more financial capacity. The mayor of Calvià has also had an impact on the issue of security so that all the protocols that can be established are homogeneous throughout Spain and validated throughout Europe to generate the necessary security and, above all, the protection of workers, residents and tourists. He has also referred to the reduction of public street occupation fees, so that the municipalities can save or lower the Coastal Service fee.
During the meeting, the president of the AMT, Toni Pérez, mayor of Benidorm, has explained in a general way the seven initiatives that are asked for from the AMT to reactivate the tourism sector. Subsequently, each one of the mayors has been explaining them, emphasising the most relevant aspects, which are shared by all the municipalities of the Alliance in the following areas: 1.-Health-Protocol-Reopening date. 2.-Communication. 3.-Coordination and Collaboration. 4.-Labour. 5.-Financial. 6.-Taxes. 7.-Transport-Connectivity.
Thus, from the health point of view, the minister has been asked to determine, as far as possible, a calendar with dates for the de-escalation of the current confinement measures, and the subsequent reopening of the tourism sector and resorts. Likewise, the importance of having common protocols and guidelines throughout Spain, validated and in agreement with the main European markets, which could include health certifications (or passports), has been pointed out.
In this complicated health, social and economic crisis, all Town Halls demand more financing tools, both for the municipalities themselves, making the spending rule more flexible, so that it allows them to use not only the entire surplus for the 2019 financial year but also an important part of the current remainder, or allowing debt capacity. Companies and the self-employed also have to have specific plans to be able to relax and/or postpone financial charges and rents or mortgages, as well as to be able to benefit from and prolong the current ERTES from the labour point of view.
Coordination with Europe is very important throughout the de-escalation process; the measures to be taken regarding the liberalisation of human travel, and the support for airlines to revive connectivity and the European economy as a whole are very important for everyone, but especially for island destinations. Europe is also important from a financial support point of view, since amongst other measures, the creation of specifically Tourist DUSI funds could be considered.
At the most operational level, the uncertainty linked to the use of beaches in each municipality, which has not been clarified today, as well as, for example, the taxes and fees that each municipality must face, associated with the use of the beaches according to the Coastal law are topics that have been talked about in the meeting.
Minister Reyes Maroto has been very interested in all the contributions made; she has stated that they are working at the European level in coordinating the measures, and that they know the need and the urgency to make decisions, but always following sanitary criteria to be able to provide security to the sector and tourists, since it is the key to restore confidence in the resorts. For this reason, she has asked the mayors of the AMT to be able to hold these types of meetings periodically, every two or three weeks, to jointly follow the evolution of the initiatives that are finally carried out and their suitability.
To conclude, and in the words of the AMT President and Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez: “However forceful it may seem, we must understand that the crisis we are experiencing is going to be overcome through the revival of the tourist industry, or it will not will be overcome. Spain has historically being an international model in two areas: tourism and healthcare, today is the time to revalidate that leadership by uniting both paths”
About the Beach and Sun Tourist Municipalities Alliance
The Beach and Sun Tourist Municipalities Alliance (AMT) began in 2017 with the initiative of 8 pioneering tourist destinations in Spain, such as Adeje, Arona, Benidorm, Calvià, Lloret de Mar, Salou, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Torremolinos. The key objectives are the treatment of the problems that affect the financing of tourist municipalities and a commitment to the digitisation of the sector, sustainability, accessibility, and cooperation between destinations.
The Alliance's Technical Secretariat is managed by the Hotel Technological Institute (ITH). www.amtsolyplaya.es
