Benidorm obtains a grant from the Ministry for the project to promote shopping tourism in several commercial areas

Benidorm City Council has obtained a grant of 165,326.52 euros from the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce for the 'Phygital' project, aimed at "promoting shopping tourism in commercial areas of the city and which, initially, is proposed to circumscribe to the eight streets and avenues of the urban centre that present a greater influx and transit of people, as well as to the first line of Levante and Poniente beaches. The mayor, Toni Pérez, has announced today this subsidy, which represents 55% of the cost of the project, which amounts to nearly 300,000 euros.

Toni Pérez recalled that "last October the City Council presented the 'Phygital' project to the call for aid launched by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism for the development of plans and programs to improve commercial activity in high-traffic areas tour". That request "has resulted in the communicated subsidy that, together with the economic contribution that the City Council will make, will enable the development of a project developed by the Engineering area, the Smart Office DTI and the Department of Commerce, and has also had the collaboration of AICO and Abreca-Cobreca associations”. It is, therefore, he has remarked, "a project that is born from the active listening of this government with the productive fabric".

The mayor has detailed that with this project "we want to boost sales of local businesses and restaurants, working with the establishments themselves to advance their digital transformation, providing them with the necessary tools and solutions and providing them with ongoing advice".

The 'Phygital' project covers an area of ​​influence in which more than 550 potential establishments are located, "a very significant number". "We are talking -added Toni Pérez- of an extensive commercial area, which will function as an open shopping centre". Specifically, the proposed commercial area includes Tomás Ortuño, Gerona, Esperanto, Gambo, Ruzafa and Apolo XI streets; the avenues of los Almendros and Martínez Alejos; Paseo de la Carretera and the first line of Levante and Poniente beaches.

For the development of Phygital, the installation of IoT Nodes Plug and Play devices is proposed and by which messages will be sent to users, who will be taken to a platform in which the establishments will promote their products. In addition to boosting sales and boosting visits, this system will contribute to the smart tourism system to know the impact of the actions of municipal establishments and campaigns and the new openings or closures of business; or know how the interest of the public is, thus improving the decision-making process.

The mayor highlighted that “with the implementation and development of this project we help our productive fabric, in this case, more than half a thousand establishments, while we advance in the fulfilment of our DTI + Safe Master Plan, promoting Economic Sustainability, Innovation and Technology”.