Toni Pérez calls for connections and fair local and tourist financing in the Senate

The mayor of Benidorm Toni Pérez has participated this morning, in the cycle 'Conversations in the Senate', in the first of the days on the 'Deconcentration of Public Entities: territorial structuring as a shared project'.

In his speech, Pérez highlighted the fundamentals of conveying "the voice of municipalism" and the experience in relations between the administrations "and with the administered", raising the first question that "structuring is not dismembering", betting on "taking care of what that works and correct what can be improved”. The key is, he said, “in seeing the opportunity to improve” in this new chapter of the State-Municipality relationship.

The mayor of Benidorm explained in his approach that "the first deconcentration came with the autonomous State", pointing out that in it "the town councils were forgotten even in terms of their financing". In that sense, he transferred to the senior officials present in the Lost Steps room of the Senate, after pointing out the tourist figures of the city, which, by the Law of Local Treasury, “Benidorm is not a tourist municipality nor does it have funding for it”, nor are the eight members of the Alianza de Municipios de Sol y Playa “which account for half of the tourist overnight stays in Spain”, denouncing “the existing inequality of financing”. "It cannot be that tourist destinations have to seek life," the mayor criticized.

Toni Pérez influenced rail connectivity, denouncing that the "fifth airport does not have it", describing it as a pending issue, "which affects the province and especially Benidorm, which accounts for 60% of Alicante's airport traffic".

He laid out a strategy to carry out the deconcentration process: "If we want to structure, let's establish clear strategies and bet on what works" insisting on locating "were to do it, how to do it" while "selecting the project, attending to the requirements and create the right framework. He gave us an example of the European initiative carried out in Alicante with the European Intellectual Property Office, about to turn 30, "as an example" to become a pole of attraction.
He opted for tourism, pointing out the ability "to redistribute wealth" and the new opportunities that the pandemic has opened, insisting on connectivity, which can even facilitate the action of digital nomads. He encouraged "co-governance actions" and insisted on the value of the municipality in its commitment to improvement, pointing out Benidorm's transition towards DTI certification, the development of "a large Spanish DTI network" with an eye on the SDGs and the Agenda 2030.

Benidorm's work for standardization and DTI certification is what has positioned it to be the headquarters of the Smart Destinations Platform that will be "the great Spanish and European reference in the world", demanding "new projects that do not generate tension with other territories and elevate the country brand”.
He ended his speech by recalling Benidorm's commitment and effort to have a UNED headquarters, about to turn 30, when the Miguel Hernández University announced its Faculty of Fine Arts in Altea, which he described as a "fantastic success", noting that " when one believes in the project, one must use one's resources”, after which he concluded “claiming the contribution to GDP” generated by municipalities such as Benidorm.

The mayor of Benidorm shared a panel in the Senate with the mayors of Baeza, Lola Marín, and Soria, Carlos Martínez, as well as with the president of the Diputación de Palencia, María Angeles Armisén. Together with them, the UNED's vice-rector for Economy, Amelia Pérez Zabaleta, and the director of the IVIE, Francisco Pérez. He was moderated by the Secretary of State for Territorial Policy, Alfredo González.

The president of the Senate, Ander Gil, opted for the deconcentration initiative under the premise of "sharing the State based on federal loyalty and constitutional patriotism to better structure the State." The Minister of Territorial Policy and Government spokesperson, at the closing ceremony, pointed out "the moment of opportunity" that is opening up and the opportunity for general development, noting that in this way "we will reach the economic cohesion that will materialize with the recovery funds".