The 'Q' flags for Tourist Quality are already on the beaches of Benidorm

The 'Q' flag for Tourist Quality already shines on the beaches of Poniente, Levante and Mal Pas. This noon the mayor, Toni Pérez, the president of the Institute for Spanish Tourist Quality (ICTE), Miguel Mirones, the mayor of the Environment and Beaches, Mónica Gómez; and the spokespersons of the Corporation groups have hoisted this badge on Levante beach that certifies the quality of the city's sandbanks and the services provided therein.

Toni Pérez has pointed out that "we have always defended that our urban beaches are in the Top 5 worldwide and certifications such as this 'Q' for Tourist Quality endorse this statement year after year and value the work and effort that Benidorm makes to that its sandbanks are in perfect condition throughout the year, offering the best services and always seeking to ensure that the user experience is excellent”.

The mayor stressed that "once again, the three beaches have passed with flying colours the exhaustive audits that the ICTE carries out throughout the year and in which the quality and cleanliness of the water and the sand, the hygienic conditions, physical and health safety protocols, facilities, security and first aid services, leisure activities and information offered to users”.

For his part, Miguel Mirones, president of the ICTE, has underlined "the commitment of Benidorm and its mayor's office to certify the quality and safety of its beaches, since the distinctions granted by the ICTE, both the Q Mark and Safe Tourism Certified, they are obtained only after an audit that certifies compliance with all the measures contained in the different quality standards that lead to achieving excellence in tourist services. Without an audit and its subsequent certification, it cannot be proven that the standards are met. In short, what is not evaluated is devalued”, recalled the president of ICTE.

Likewise, he highlighted that Benidorm “is the first municipality in Spain to be certified as a Smart Tourist Destination with the Q Mark. Currently, there are only four, indicative of the enormous technical effort and both economic and human resources that need to be dedicated to achieve this certification. and to be able to communicate that it is indeed a Smart Tourist Destination”.

To date in Spain, only four municipalities -Benidorm, Marbella, Altea and Costa del Sol Occidental- have obtained the certification and, consequently, it can be said that they have completed the process to be considered Smart Tourist Destinations. Many others have started the process that begins with a diagnosis, continues with the implementation of the necessary measures to achieve certification, continues with an audit with independent experts and culminates with the certification granted by the ICTE of the Q Mark.

Both distinctions recalled the mayor, "are added to the rest of the quality certifications that Benidorm's beaches have and that guarantee our clear commitment to constant improvement and our determined vocation for sustainable management, which can be extended to all areas of the city. and destiny”. Specifically, since 2003 the beaches of Benidorm have ISO 9001 and 14001, and since 2010 they have also complied with the EMAS Regulation. Likewise, the accessible beach points of Levante and Parque de Elche have the Universal Accessibility label in accordance with the UNE-170000-1 and 170000-2 standards. In addition, the Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas beaches have the 'Safe Tourism Certified' seal, which confirms the implementation of health risk prevention systems against Covid-19 and which is also granted by the ICTE.

Toni Pérez has highlighted that "in Benidorm we were pioneers and a benchmark in accessible beaches, as we were, more recently, in the adoption of effective measures against the pandemic, to guarantee that all people could enjoy our beaches with the health security that the moment required." “Our beaches are our main tourist attraction and, therefore, their management has always been a priority; a management that we carry out from the maximum self-demand ”, he has concluded.