At the closing of the XX International Tourism Forum, Oscar Tusquets praises the urbanism of Benidorm

Emphasizing that "Benidorm is an unfinished action that they designed in the mid-twentieth century to offer happiness and that happiness must be built", the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, closed the XX Benidorm International Tourism Forum that has developed in two days and telematic sessions a complete program of tables, topics and speakers to analyze Tourism, health security and the application and integration of the Sustainable Development Goals in tourism activity and industry.

The closing ceremony opened with a talk by urban architect Oscar Tusquets about the Benidorm Urban Planning Plan of 1956 as a precursor to the SDGs. Tusquets opened his speech by pointing out “his fascination for Benidorm”, recalling that it arose in 1976 when the avant-gardes of urban planning and architecture met in Benidorm, led by Mario Gaviria, to analyze “the Benidorm invention”. Because Benidorm, Tusquets explained "is the invention against the problem of massive urbanism", and provides the solution.

The architect emphasized that “over the years I have understood even better what Benidorm is” and proof of this is the collection of works that he has dedicated to the city and that he summarized in the exhibition 'Gran Benidorm', which he visited, with notable success, London and Barcelona before arriving in this city.

Tusquets praised the urban planning of Benidorm because “Benidorm has no suburbs; Benidorm does not have an urbanization that degrades ”. He applauded the building density, noting that it is "a very ambitious urbanism that in a moment of clairvoyance chose to build in height, with a very simple ordinances that are the key to its success" that allow a city "where you can walk to everywhere".

Promising to return to Benidorm shortly to continue his exhibition, he closed his speech by summarizing Benidorm as "a group of slender buildings that do not block the sun or the sea views".

After his presentation, the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Francesc Colomer, thanked the organizers, Benidorm City Council, participants and the city for holding the Forum in a difficult year, "in which we have all had to negotiate limits", and in which Benidorm, highlighted "saw it right away, served as Benidorm and assumed leadership."

Colomer highlighted in his speech that “those who knew how to see the changes are always right” and gave Benidorm as an example that “with its actions since mid-March, it modulated and preserved the brand and still keeps the strategy alive”, qualifying it as “the city that never gives up ”and remembering that Benidorm is in the sustainability plans.

Colomer predicted for the whole of the Valencian Community "a team comeback, where the spirit is impressed by Benidorm" and thanked HOSBEC for its "generosity and exemplaryity" for sharing information and data "to get out of this together", as another example of leadership emerged in the city of Benidorm during this crisis.

He closed his speech by noting that "Benidorm has been giving us decades of continuous innovation", and congratulating himself on the development of the forum and because "Tourism is on the reconstruction agenda."

To close the XX International Tourism Forum of Benidorm, Mayor Toni Pérez highlighted "the suitability of the event and the need for it at this time", with a record of registrations and where the discussions at the tables have shown "that there is trust in recovery ”. And to ensure this, the mayor called "for responsibility so that next spring we feel tourism again in all its intensity."

From the teachings of the Forum, Toni Pérez highlighted the need to "open tourism activity, apply efficient protocols, attend to the recommendations and alerts of this forum and communicate more and better what we do." Patent has remained, the mayor recalled, that "we are sustainable and efficient", and that the SDGs are "an opportunity and a good script to structure the roadmaps of tourist destinations, as Benidorm has done".

He insisted on beach management and on the necessary adaptation to climate change, and immediately demanded, as the forum pointed out, "that the Administrations expedite the channeling of aid for recovery."

Mayor Toni Pérez ended by congratulating the Pedro Zaragoza Orts Chair for organizing the twentieth edition, encouraging them to organize the next one and, as he told everyone, "continue building Benidorm, where we work to offer happiness."