The candidate for mayor of the Socialists of Dénia, Vicent Grimalt, current mayor and Councilor for Tourism of Dénia, has exposed today at a press conference the lines of work with which the program for the elections on May 28 will continue to deepen the transformation of the city's tourism sector; “our economic engine, without a doubt. But currently we have already assumed that a change is urgent to guarantee its sustainability: a process of adaptation and growth towards excellence in which our city is already immersed with the involvement of all interested agents”.
To complete this transition, "we have more than 7 million euros already granted to Dénia from the European Next Generation funds. Dénia had never had such a large investment in tourism and this is thanks to all the planning work that has allowed us to choose and obtain the subsidies. Thanks to having a good future project for the sector”.
The Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD) 2021, whose objective is the transformation of tourist destinations towards a model based on environmental, socioeconomic and territorial sustainability through 13 specific actions, will be fully financed by Next Generation funds with a budget total of 3 million euros.
The Destination Sustainability Plan (PSTD) 2022 obtained another €3.246.418, within the National Enogastronomy Plan, and is a roadmap to be developed between 2023 and 2026 under the name “Gastronomy: recipe for a sustainable future”. which aims to promote the Mediterranean diet, the regional gastronomic network and sustainable development.
And, on the other hand, the "Viu la posidònia" project, a joint initiative of the municipalities of Dénia, Eivissa and Cambrils, is endowed with €1.157.380 from the Ministry of Tourism, within the framework of the aid program "Experiencias Turismo España ”, to develop an ecotourism experience around this endemic Mediterranean plant that forms large submerged meadows.
Among the specific actions that these plans include, the development of large green areas such as the Bosc de Diana, the promotion of the 'Bancalet' project to value rural production spaces, the improvement of the energy efficiency of tourist services, the Mediterranean Gastronomy Center in Torrecremada, measures in terms of smart mobility, the renovation of the city's museum offer, the creation of a virtual interpretation center on Posidonia or the actions included in the Smart Tourist Destination (DTI) program such as the digitization of tourist information.
The new government program is also committed to the continuity of major cultural and gastronomic events such as Música al Castell, the D * na Festival Gastronomic and Dénia Festival of the Humanities as important catalysts for tourist deseasonalization,"which is already a reality and Dénia receives visitors throughout the year," Grimalt highlighted.
"And we have achieved this because if a city is good to live in, it is also good for those who visit us", defended the mayor and Councilor for Tourism, referring to the good economic data (employment and creation of companies) and registered demographics . In this sense, Vicent Grimalt has recalled that for the socialist government tourism has always been a priority, "for this reason we decided that it should be managed from the same mayor's office", and it has been conceived as something "transversal".
"This is how we have positioned ourselves as a state tourism benchmark, with an international projection that gains weight every day." Dénia has been recognized with the third prize in the category of Best SICTED 2023 Destination, only behind Santiago de Compostela and Málaga, and there are already 75 companies and services in the city that have been working for a decade following the criteria of this system of quality.
Since June 2022, Dénia is a city of congresses, a member of the Spain Convention Bureau network of the FEMP; and in January 2022, the General Directorate of Tourism recognized it as a Tourist Municipality of the Valencian Community, a recognition that requires having, among other requirements, a Strategic Tourism Plan focused on criteria such as sustainability, accessibility, competitiveness and training, intelligent management of the destination, marketing and shared governance between the public and private sectors and the entire citizenry.
"A lot has been done in these eight years and without forgetting the management of the pandemic, which affected the sector in a particularly serious way," said the socialist candidate.
"As we said at the time, Dénia will not apply the tourist tax"
Finally, Vicent Grimalt wanted to recall the statements he made when the Council approved the tourist tax: "In Dénia we are not going to apply it, since it is a voluntary tax and we consider that the tourist model of our city is not ideal for this new rate”.
"In any case, this tourist tax does not come into force until January 2024 and at the time I stated that, previously, it is necessary to carry out a study of its impact on the sector."
"Big events" are just three activities that move a very small number of people. Not even for peanuts. Although that of the three million grant seems little to me. How do they distribute it? How much do all those super star "Chefs" bring to walk them, So many Chefs, so many stars, so many restaurants and there they are scratching public money.