Benidorm recognizes with Tourism Awards ’2019 to Fitur, Segittur, Microservices and Alejandro Guijarro

Benidorm has celebrated today the central event of the World Tourism Day in which the 'Tourism Awards' have been delivered, which this year have been granted to the International Tourism Fair of Madrid (Fitur), to the State Society for the Management of Innovation and Tourism Technologies (Segittur) and the company Microservices, in the International, National and Local / Autonomous categories respectively. In addition, the Special Mention of these awards has been awarded to the director of the Design Department, Alejandro Guijarro Carbonell, who recently deceased.

The event, which has been held in the Assembly Hall of Benidorm City Council, was chaired by the mayor, Toni Pérez, and was attended by the consul of Greece, Manuel Serrano; the general director of Tourism, Hercik Campos; the president of the hotel employer Hosbec; Toni Mayor; the manager of the Visit Benidorm Foundation, Leire Bilbao; as well as representatives of the sector and the municipal corporation.

In this edition of the World Tourism Day, which is commemorated on September 27, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has put the focus on the employment generated by this activity and equivalent to 10% of the world total. In this regard, the mayor has stated that “many times before the physical magnitude” of tourism “the importance of employment generation is blurred”; a latent importance in Benidorm where at certain times of the year "we have more active assets than a censored active population."

Toni Pérez has pointed out that the celebration of World Tourism Day has been marred this year by "a gray brushstroke": the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook, who "has shaken the foundations of the sector." Despite the fall of the tour operator, the mayor stressed that "without airplanes there is no tourism", since 82% of tourists arrive in Spain by plane. "And there are airplanes," he said, after influencing that air communication between Spain and the United Kingdom is the "most active and effective", propitiating the arrival of 18.5 million British tourists last year. The endorsement of these data in future campaigns, he said, is now pending the "ghost" of Brexit.

During his speech, the mayor also referred to the need for "an intelligent fiscal policy on the tourism sector", away from taxes that are imposed on tourists and tourism. At this point, he thanked the tourist managers of the Generalitat Valenciana and the Provincial Council of Alicante for their frontal rejection of the tourist rate, in line with the unanimous agreement of the Corporation of Benidorm.

The mayor's speech has closed the ceremony of the Tourism Awards, which in the International category has been for FITUR, the first annual meeting for world tourism professionals, which in 2020 will celebrate its 40th anniversary, and in which Benidorm has been present since its inception. After collecting the award from the vice president of the Benidorm Tourism Foundation, Toni Mayor, the director of Fitur, María Valcarce, has assured that for the fair this recognition constitutes “a gesture of friendship that we appreciate” and that “leads us to try outdo". During his speech, Valcarce has indicated that throughout her career the fair has "grown" and "evolved" in parallel to destinations such as Benidorm, which is "in top form" as evidenced by the fact that it has become "in the first DTI ”in the world.

In the national category, Benidorm has distinguished the role of SEGITTUR in promoting technological innovation applied to the Spanish tourism sector, being one of those responsible for Standard UNE 178501, which regulates the Smart Tourist Destinations Management System, in which Benidorm has been the first destination to be certified worldwide. The managing director of Visit Benidorm has been in charge of delivering the award to the president of the entity, Enrique Martínez Marín, who has affirmed that the elaboration of the UNE Standard is the result of the “common work and effort” that emerged in Benidorm and from which the City has been a fundamental part. Martínez has highlighted the collaboration provided at all times by the city, which "has helped us even to extend the good work and the good name of Spanish tourism" in various international forums.

With regard to the local / regional category, Benidorm has rewarded the contribution of the company Microservices to the prevention and sanitary control in companies and tourist destinations; an award that those responsible for the company have collected from the general director of Tourism of the Valencian Community. In his speech, the spokesman for the merchant, Juan Ángel Ferrer, has highlighted “the intelligent vision” of the tourist entrepreneurs of Benidorm who “have always opted for prevention” to ensure their customers “a safe and healthy vacation”. Ferrer has extended his recognition to all employees in the sector, and has ensured that “silent and self-directed prevention work” improves the quality of Benidorm's tourism offer.

Finally, the Special Mention of the Tourism Awards 2016 has been for Alejandro Guijarro. The mayor has given his daughters and the widow of Guijarro this Mention, which recognizes Guijarro's contribution to the image and tourism promotion of Benidorm through the design, projection and construction management of stands for national and international tourism fairs ; as well as his contribution to the design of the urban scene of the city. After receiving the tribute of the attendees, Alejandro Guijarro's family has highlighted the symbolism of receiving this recognition in the same year that Fitur has been awarded, a fair that “helped create 'stands' for Benidorm, the Valencian Community and others Autonomous communities".

SICTED

This Monday's event has also served to recognize the local companies that have joined this year the distinctions of the Integral System of Spanish Tourism Quality in Destinations (SICTED). Specifically, the 27 companies and professionals that have obtained the SICETD certification this year are: Apart 200 Service, Apartamentos Nicaragua-Ribar SL, Aqua Natura and Terra Natura Benidorm, Aquasports Benidorm, Base Agir Sport, Benidorm Marine, Bingo Plaza, Camping Villamar, Camping Villasol, Captain Kayak, Costa Blanca Dive, Diving Stones Diving Center, Gastrohotel RH Canfali, Grand Hotel Bali, Hotel Agua Azul, Hotel Alameda, Hotel Bilbaino, Hotel Carlos I, Hotel Centro Mar, Hotel La Estación, Hotel Olympus, Hotel RH Royal, Hotel RH Sol, Hotel RH Victoria, Juan Llompart Espí, Specsavers Ópticas Benidorm and TAO Bike.