The Business Circle of the Marina Alta (CEDMA) held a meeting in Dénia on Wednesday with the Regional Secretary of Tourism, Francesc Colomer, at the Dénia CDT facilities.
Many were the issues raised to the Regional Secretary, among which the implementation in the Marina Alta of the Higher Degree of FP in Hospitality. It was a request made by the member of CEDMA and representative of Balearia, Josep Vicent Mascarell, who asked that since the Medium degree of FP in Hospitality is established and there is already a University degree, thanks to Gasterra and the University of Alicante, which the higher degree of FP is also established in the region.
Colomer explained that the problem is the lack of facilities, to which from the CDT its director, Pepe Vidal, said that it would be enough to provide the center with more staff and equipment in the afternoon, which was welcomed by all present.
A claim that joins the one made by the mayor of Dénia, Vicent Grimalt, about the possibility of Dénia becoming a campus of the University of Alicante.
Concern for residential tourism
During the meeting, the businessmen transferred to Colomer the concerns of the sector, highlighting especially "a gradual and worrying decline in the so-called Residential Tourism in the Marina Alta". As explained from CEDMA, "These are people - mostly foreigners - who have a home in the region and live there for a good part of the year, while in summer they rent it. This type of tourism is being lost, which has a negative impact on everyone the sectors. The entrepreneurs blame this indentation on fiscal and bureaucratic factors, among others, which can be solved from the public administrations ".
In this matter there are two fundamental problems for CEDMA. On the one hand, the delay in processing the NIE, mandatory identification documents for foreigners who wish to have legal activities (such as tourist rental), or acquire properties, cars, etc. According to the businessmen, "the appointments to obtain the document are being given to four and even five months view, the web does not always work and, in addition, there is an 50% of absenteeism: appointments that are given and those that arrived the day people do not go well because it has given up, either because it has been managed differently, for example through the consulates ".
The other great factor that CEDMA points to is the complexity of the bureaucracy, specifically the reform of the Lotup. According to the president of the Association of Companies of Tourist Rentals of the province of Alicante (AEA), Mariano Espinosa, "With this new regulation, houses on rustic land that want to be used for tourist rental are obliged to request a Declaration of Community Interest (DIC) and an opening license, even if they are legalized and have been registered for years". The danger, says Espinosa, given that these procedures involve time and expenses, "It is that they return to work from the allegiance, or lawsuits are filed in court by individuals against the municipalities, lawsuits that would be won since if a house can be inhabited, it can be rented".
