Toni Pérez: “Benidorm is the maximum expression of sustainable tourism”

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, stated today that Benidorm is “the maximum expression of sustainable tourism” thanks to the management of a model that has allowed to focus on the environment and optimization of limited natural resources such as water.

Pérez made these statements during his participation today in the round table on 'Marketing and communication of environmental sustainability' that was held within the III Turespaña Convention in San Sebastián and which addressed the sustainable transformation of tourism.

The mayor shared a table with the Deputy Director General of Foreign Marketing of Tourism, Blanca Pérez-Sahuquillo, who acted as moderator; with Pedro Saura García, president of Paradores de Turismo de España; with Lara Martínez, Deputy Minister of Tourism of Principado de Asturias, with Marta Doménech, General Director of Tourism of the Generalitat of Catalonia and with Carlos Abella, Secretary General of the Spanish Tourism Board.

During the debate, Benidorm has been shown as a “reference” for other destinations “because it is doing things very well” and in that sense, the mayor has agreed with other speakers that it is “absolutely intelligent to bet on sustainability as we are doing in Benidorm a long time ago.”

In that sense, the first mayor has emphasized that due to the characteristics of the municipal area, “we have made necessity a virtue. And also in terms of the water cycle, which has led us to make both the territory, the soil, and the liquid element in our city the maximum expression of conservation and sustainability.”

Pérez stated that “every day we advance and improve” thanks to having previously worked on “strategies that have been fed by sustainable development plans, perfectly aligned with the 2030 Agenda.” A situation that has made it possible that in five years, with a pandemic in the midst, “we have not stopped reinventing ourselves to continue offering happiness.”

The mayor has also referred to regenerative tourism as a “catalyst” to grow and improve, something in which Benidorm “is also a model of success.” “I invite everyone to go to the Visit Benidorm website and there look for the link to the RTVE program ‘Reduce your footprint’ and when you see it you will realize that appearances are deceiving” he added.

On the other hand, and before participating in today's round table, the mayor and the manager of Visit Benidorm, Leire Bilbao, held a meeting last night with the directors of  Turespaña offices.