The Alliance of Tourist Municipalities of Sun and Beach (AMT) proposes to the Minister of Tourism, Reyes Maroto, seven measures to reactivate Tourism

This morning the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, Reyes Maroto, has held a meeting with the mayors of the 8 municipalities that make up the Alliance of Tourist Municipalities of Sun and Beach  – Adeje, Arona, Benidorm, Calvià, Lloret de Mar, Salou, San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Maspalomas) and Torremolinos - and the technical secretary of Technological Institute Hotel (ITH).

During the meeting, the president of AMT, Toni Pérez, mayor of Benidorm, has presented in a general way the seven initiatives that are demanded from AMT to reactivate the tourism sector. Subsequently, each one of the mayors has been detailing them, emphasizing the most relevant aspects, which are shared by all the municipalities of the Alliance in the areas: 1.-Health-Protocol-Opening date. 2.-Communication. 3.-Coordination and Collaboration. 4.-Labor. 5.-Financial. 6.-Prosecutor. 7.-Transport-Connectivity.

Thus, from the health point of view, the minister has been asked to determine, as far as possible, a calendar with dates for the stepping down of the current measures of confinement, and the subsequent opening of the tourism sector and the destinations. Likewise, the importance of having common protocols and guides throughout Spain, validated and agreed with the main European markets, which could include health certifications (or passports), has been pointed out.

In this complicated health, social and economic crisis, all City Councils demand more financing tools, both for the municipalities themselves, making the spending rule more flexible, so that it allows them to use not only the entire surplus for the 2019 financial year but also a important part of the current remainder, or allowing the debt capacity. The companies and freelances also have to have specific plans to be able to relax and / or postpone financial charges and rents or mortgages, as well as to be able to benefit from and extend the current ERTES, (Record of Temporary Employment Regulation), from the labor point of view.

Coordination with Europe is very important in the stepping down process; The measures to be taken regarding the liberalization of people's mobility, and the support to airlines to reactivate connectivity and the European economy as a whole are very important for everyone, but especially for island destinations. Europe is also important from a financial support point of view, since among other measures, the creation of specifically Tourism DUSI funds could be considered.

At the most operational level, the uncertainty linked to the use of beaches in each municipality, which has not been clarified today, as well as, for example, the taxes and fees that each municipality must face, associated with the use of these beaches according to the Coastal law are topics that have been revealed in the meeting.

The Minister Reyes Maroto has been very interested in all the contributions made; She has stated that they are working at the European level in coordinating measures, and that they know the need and the urgency to make decisions, but always following sanitary criteria to be able to provide security to the sector and tourists, since it is the key to restore confidence in destination. For this reason, she has instructed the mayors of the AMT to be able to hold these types of meetings periodically, every two or three weeks, in order to follow the evolution of the initiatives jointly that finally are carried out and their suitability.

To conclude, and in the words of the AMT President and Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez: “However forceful it may seem, we must understand that the crisis we are experiencing is going to be overcome through the recovery of the tourism industry, or it will not be able to overcome. Spain has historically meant an international model in two areas: tourism and healthcare, today is the time to revalidate that leadership by uniting both paths ”

Relating to the Alliance of Tourist Municipalities of Sun and Beaches, AMT

The Alliance of Tourist Municipalities of Sun and Beaches (AMT) was born in 2017 with the initiative of 8 pioneering tourist destinations in Spain, such as Adeje, Arona, Benidorm, Calvià, Lloret de Mar, Salou, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Torremolinos. The main objectives are the treatment of the problems that affect the financing of tourist municipalities and the commitment to the digitization of the sector, sustainability, accessibility, and cooperation between destinations.

The Alliance's Technical Secretary is managed by the Technological Institute  Hotel (ITH).