The mayor emphasizes smart tourism as a key to revitalization, which requires Next Generation funds and a good vaccination rate
Benidorm capitalizes with Digital Tourist the analysis of technological solutions to accelerate tourism recovery
The Secretary of State details how the distribution of these funds will be, which will focus on the destinations
With the fourth edition of Digital Tourist congress, the city of Benidorm capitalizes during the days of today and tomorrow the analysis of proposals and technological solutions to achieve and accelerate the tourist recovery after the 'stoppage' caused by the pandemic.
The congress has been inaugurated this morning by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés; the mayor, Toni Pérez; the regional secretary of Tourism, Francesc Colomer; the president of Alicante Provincial Council, Carlos Mazón; and the president of Ametic, Pedro Mier. An opening ceremony that was also attended, among others, by the Government delegate in the Valencian Community, Gloria Calero; the president of the Hosbec hotel association, Toni Mayor; and representatives of different public and business administrations related to tourism.
During the opening, the mayor pointed out that the Digital Tourist 2021 "marks a turning point" from which to draw "conclusions that from Benidorm are scalable and offer us light and a way to win this game and achieve the acceleration of the digital transformation". A “paradigm shift” –he stated- that “Benidorm is knowing how to digest and that it adds value to the destination”, the first in the world certified as DTI and that has already passed its second audit.
Toni Pérez has pointed out that "smart tourism" is "key" for "the revitalization and survival of the Tourism sector"; and he added that "the future of tourism is intelligent, digital and sustainable" and that without this reference "we will not be able, nor will we know, face the challenges" that are coming.
The mayor has assured that "there is desire, realism and also optimism in the immediate future" and "we know that thanks to tourist intelligence, analysis and effective interpretation of the data we are going through this situation better." However, he stressed that “in the face of the problem that afflicts us today, we need both the financial support of the structural funds and the revitalization plans, as well as the fact that the vaccination campaigns continue and maintain, at least, the pace, putting a specific in the tourism sector. With this, we are confident that we will achieve a reduction in the prevalence of the virus and regain mobility, contact and personal interaction ”.
The Secretary of State for Tourism has referred precisely to structural funds, who has transferred the details of the 'Modernization and Competitiveness Plan for the tourism sector', which will have an investment of 3,400 million euros, and how these Next Generation will land in the Destinations. As detailed by Valdés, this Plan will "have effects on the entire tourism value chain" and will be structured around four lines of action: transformation of the tourism model towards sustainability - 1,923 million euros; digitization -377 million-; resilience strategies for non-peninsular destinations -220 million-; and actions in the area of competitiveness -920 million-.
The concession of the Next Generation will be specified through calls for aid, contracts for the development of technologies, and agreements with Autonomous Communities and municipalities, among other formulas. Valdés has ensured that "through this Plan, Benidorm will continue to develop these ideas to improve flow management, generate new supply, be more intelligent in data management, and bet on better mobility in the destination" .
For his part, the regional secretary of Tourism has ensured that Digital Tourist is a forum to make a "more exploratory" analysis in an "exceptional moment" in which "suffering" is combined for everything experienced by a pandemic that " it has hit the waterline of our tourism sector ”with“ hope ”.
After indicating that "Benidorm is the great theater of operations for those of us who love tourism" and appreciating the work of the city in the implementation of smart tourism, Colomer has stressed that smart tourism is the way. "It is not an option, there is no plan B for this story," he added, after betting on "digital transformation, decarbonization, and strict compliance with the 17 SDGs", even more so in a post-pandemic scenario.
Also the president of Alicante Provincial Council, has placed "digitization" and "technological and avant-garde solutions" at the center of actions towards recovery, and has referred to the Smart Costa Blanca project "committed" to these issues and with an action horizon of 22 months.
Likewise, Mazón has advocated that "the analysis of data" and "the use of digital tools" also "have to help us to recover the presence" in the tourism field and with it the entire "ecosystem" that accompanies the activity in terms of employment.
Finally, the president of Ametic has stressed that "tourism is our first industry and that it will continue to be so"; and he has claimed that "in an interesting moment of changes that generates opportunities" the Digital Tourist will serve to "debate and share the best experiences" so that tourism maintains its position.
After the inauguration and the inaugural presentation of the Secretary of State on the 'Plan of Modernization and Competitiveness of the tourism sector', an introductory table has been developed in which the president of Segittur, Enrique Martínez, and the director of the event and president of the Smartcities Commission of Ametic, Adolfo Borrero. Next, the first table was held on ‘Artificial Intelligence and IoT, a guarantee of tourism sustainability’; and a second on ‘Artificial Intelligence for Smart Offices’ in which Benidorm has been present in the figure of the manager of Visit Benidorm, Leire Bilbao.
