The Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, assured this Monday in Lanzarote that the Strategy for Tourism Sustainability in Destinations and the Plan for Modernization and Competitiveness of Tourism have as main objectives that Spanish tourism continues to be in 60 years "engine of development for Spain and an ambassador in the world" and for this it must be ensured that the sector transforms and modernizes "to continue being the most competitive country in the world in tourism terms".
The Minister of Tourism presented this Monday the informative conference on the Strategy for Tourism Sustainability in Destinations, the umbrella that will cover the tourism sustainability plans planned for the next three years, endowed with 1,905 million euros. These plans are part of the Plan for Modernization and Competitiveness of the Spanish tourism sector, which will involve a public investment of around 3,400 million euros in the next three years.
In her opinion, these plans "will allow us to emerge stronger from the crisis derived from the pandemic" because they address the construction of the tourism of the future based on the improvement of quality and destinations through the modernization of the value chain "reinforcing quality and competitiveness on the basis of the three dimensions of sustainability: socioeconomic, environmental and territorial".
The minister presented, together with the president of the Canary Islands Executive, Ángel Víctor Torres, the general lines of this strategy, which will lay the foundations for a new tourism model to transform destinations according to sustainable criteria aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan 'Spain Can'.
The presentation was also attended by the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, the president of the Tourism Commission of the FEMP, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés and the Minister of Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla.
This sustainability strategy has as fundamental axes the transformation of destinations into poles of innovation and more resilient attraction, the tourist balance in the whole territory, as well as actions in the field of green and digital transition, energy efficiency or competitiveness.
Extension of the ERTE and aid to self-employed and SMEs
The minister pointed out that, in the face of the greatest crisis experienced by the tourism sector worldwide, the Government has established as a priority to protect tourism companies and their workers. This has been done through a "social shield" that has materialized in measures such as temporary employment regulation files (ERTE), benefits for the self-employed, ICO lines, mortgage moratoriums or the fund of direct aid to companies and the self-employed endowed with 7,000 million euros.
In this context, Maroto announced that they are going to sit down immediately with unions and employers "to define the new framework for extending the ERTE and benefits for the self-employed, which is undoubtedly necessary".
She also announced that this Tuesday two important improvements will be taken to the Council of Ministers in the Royal Decree law on direct aid to the self-employed and SMEs.
"The first is that the autonomous communities will be able to add activities especially affected in the scope of their territory to the National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE) that were originally planned. In addition, the autonomous communities will be able to establish motivated exceptions, for example the Thomas Cook crisis, to the rule that companies have not had losses in 2019", explained the minister.
Opportunity to reactivate and modernize
Maroto explained that at the moment the two priorities of the Government are to reactivate tourism and take advantage of European funds to reactivate the sector.
"We are facing an opportunity not only to reactivate but also to address its modernization incorporating levers such as digitalization and sustainability in its triple dimension: economic, environmental, but also social and territorial", she justified.
"From our most international sun and beach destinations to the inland villages, passing through the big cities and urban destinations with tourist identity, we are going to support our destinations to transform themselves into true poles of innovation and tourist attraction more resistant to challenges such as climate change and digitalization, and that contribute to diversify our offer and deseasonalize the demand to attract a tourist of greater spending", concluded the minister.
