Fernando Valdés points out at the VI International Congress on Tourism Quality and Sustainability held in Cartagena that the lagoon continues to be “an important tourist destination”
The Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés, indicated this Thursday morning in Cartagena that his department is part of the framework of priority actions to recover the Mar Menor, which is led by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition (Miteco), for which it is working on the promotion and development of sustainability plans for the sector “so that destinations in the Mar Menor can participate in that plan”.
Valdés specified that the Miteco is working with the regional government on the basis of an additional 23 million euros to promote tourist destinations in the Community. “We hope that these funds can reinforce the tourism commitment of the Mar Menor, which is undoubtedly important as a tourist destination, not only for the Region of Murcia but for the whole of Spain,” he explained. The priority, in any case, is the environmental recovery of the surroundings, as a first step.
Before the start of the VI International Congress on Tourism Quality and Sustainability, which is being held in El Batel de Cartagena, and which brings together numerous experts, Fernando Valdés stressed that the recovery of the sector “is already a reality in Spain, in the Region of Murcia and Cartagena. The data for April confirm this path of recovery. He pointed out that it is necessary to improve the tourist offer and the average spending of visitors in all destinations.
The Secretary of State for Tourism stressed that the support of European funds “is allowing us to make this commitment to quality. These funds are already a reality in the Region of Murcia, where the Government of Spain has transferred the first 21 million euros for the development of sustainability plans. Cartagena and five other destinations are beneficiaries of these funds, which must also help companies. This year more funds will continue to arrive, with an additional 23 million.
The president of the Community, Fernando López Miras, stressed that Cartagena “is going to be the world capital of tourism” on the occasion of this congress. He pointed out that the airport has already recovered the routes prior to the pandemic, although he regretted that there is a communication deficit in railway matters. He wished that the participants in this congress do not have to go to the Region through the Alicante AVE.
He considered that the good tourism data for April “have been a turning point”, with more than 160,000 visitors in the Region, more than before the pandemic, and with an increase of 12.4%, more than the national average.
The mayor of Cartagena, Noelia Arroyo, pointed out that it is the first time that this congress takes place in the region and particularly in her city, and that therefore it will be submitted to the examination of international experts who attend this event.
Veiled criticism of the ‘transfer’ service
López Miras thanked the organizers of the congress for choosing Cartagena for this year’s edition, although he made a veiled criticism of the logistics to move the congressmen to El Batel. In the program of the conference it was stated that the ICTE made available to the congressmen a ‘transfer’ service from the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport and from the Alicante AVE Station to the port city.
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