ADEJE (TENERIFE), 23 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The mayor of Adeje and president of the Association of Tourist Municipalities of the Canary Islands (AMTC), José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, has assumed the presidency of the Alliance of Tourist Municipalities of Spain (AMT) on Tuesday and has promised that he will work to achieve a strategic plan for the tourism.
“We need co-governance and at the moment the harmony with the rest of the administrations is great. We all need to generate a strategic plan for tourism that is a generator of wealth and a distributor of wealth, that generates good training, good employment, good services and in the welfare fund for citizens. This is the great commitment that the AMT and the AMTC seek, “said Rodríguez Fraga.
The meeting of the AMT and the AMTC took place at the Costa Adeje Tourism Development Center (CDTCA), where mayors, mayors and councilors of the 18 tourist municipalities of both alliances have met, representing destinations that comprise the 44 % of overnight stays in Spain.
This tourist summit was attended by the Mayor of Benidorm, Antonio Pérez, who handed over the presidency of the AMT to Rodríguez Fraga and the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres; the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Government of Spain, Reyes Maroto, where appropriate by videoconference; the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Pedro Martín; the mayor of Mogán and vice president of the AMTC, Onalia Bueno; and the president of the Canarian Federation of Municipalities (Fecam), Mari Brito; in addition to representatives of the business community, trade unions and the diplomatic corps.
José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga told the media that gathered at the CDTCA that the tourist municipalities seek to position themselves to participate in the solution of the problems that arise.
“That was said in a community like ours and in a country like ours, where tourism is basic. That is why destinations have to play an important role due to our experience,” he explained.
Fraga has warned of a financing problem “that has not been resolved” and that financing is needed to attend the services.
On the other hand, he said, “we must provide content with all those messages that come to us from Europe: ecological transition, competitiveness, sustainability, digitization, a work that we must do together, business and administrations, we must give concrete content to those words, We must adapt tourism to future needs, for all this that pact for tourism of which I speak, to provoke a change of era “.
TOURISM IS THE ENGINE OF THE ECONOMY BUT “IT IS BETTER”
Along these lines, he commented that tourism has been and is the economic engine of the Canary Islands and Spain, “but it can be improved” and in the face of “this challenge” they will work together with the rest of the administrations to be present in the decision-making centers.
The president of the AMT and AMTC was questioned by the questions that loom over the immediate future due to the rebound in COVID-19 infections at this time in Europe, noting that there has been a “very good winter start, with high demand “but” evidently the growing uncertainty worries. “
“We do not quite understand that there are people who do not want to be vaccinated. In that, we Spaniards have taught a lesson,” he stressed.
Rodríguez Fraga took advantage of the event to congratulate Antonio Pérez for his management as president of the AMT de Sol y Playa, characterized by his defense of the interests of the Alliance member destinations and the sector as a whole.
For his part, Pérez, mayor of Benidorm, wanted to highlight the growing importance that the AMT de Sol y Playa has in the sector and the need to continue being an exemplary and unique alliance that defends the interests of the tourism policies that are worked on from these Destinations.
Minister Reyes Maroto took advantage of her intervention to point out that at the moment it is “on the path of recovery” and this has to do with the “success” of vaccination.
“I want to value the efforts of mayors and mayors to protect tourism. The sector has suffered a lot in this pandemic and that is why we have turned to helping it. Spain is a safe destination and we are attracting tourism again. We are still far away of the 2019 figures, but on the road to recovery, “he stressed.
TORRES: TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE MOMENTUM TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY
Ángel Víctor Torres meant that he appeared at the forum with the “joy” that causes the Council of Ministers to approve the Tourism Sustainability Plan on Tuesday, with almost 50 million for Canarian projects.
The President of the Government of the Canary Islands expressed his satisfaction with the beginning of the recovery and launched the idea that “the islands should take advantage of the situation to take a leap towards sustainability.”
Torres pointed out that the challenge for the future will be to adapt to the new tourism and applauded the commitment of the municipalities and the business community to “the tractor projects.”
Pedro Martín said that “the Cabildo de Tenerife is very clear that tourism is a fundamental pillar of the economy and employment and that is why it has endeavored to strengthen the sector with the priority objective of sustainability.”
Thus, he said, “we are awaiting the messages we receive from the municipalities and the business community in order to anticipate and respond to the needs that arise.”
In addition, Martín considered that “the definition of a tourist municipality should be the great objective for the future” and encouraged them to continue on that path.
“I believe that the councils have a lot to contribute at the present time and thus together come out of the current situation strengthened,” he stressed.
NEW EXECUTIVE
After two years holding the presidency of the AMT, Antonio Pérez, mayor of Benidorm, has transferred the position to José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga. The act of inauguration took place during the Assembly held by the Alliance on the afternoon of this past Monday in Adeje.
In the same way, this meeting in Adeje has taken advantage of the change of vice-presidency and secretariat.
The previous vice president, José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, has been replaced by Pere Granados, mayor of Salou and Jaume Dulsat i Rodríguez, mayor of Lloret de Mar, has taken the position of secretary that until now belonged to José Julián Mena, mayor of Arona .
The AMT is made up of the municipalities of Salou, Lloret de Mar, Torremolinos, Benidorm, Calviá, Arona, Adeje and San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The AMTC is located in Arona, Adeje, Guía de Isora, Santiago del Teide, Puerto de la Cruz, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Mogán, Pájara, Antigua, La Oliva, Yaiza, Tías and Teguise.
THE PALM
José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga announced that the AMT and the AMTC will donate 50,000 euros to the island of La Palma to help alleviate the effects of the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano.
In addition, he announced the intention of holding a meeting on the ‘Isla Bonita’ next December to show that solidarity and help the economy of La Palma as much as possible.
