The improvement in tourism management and communication of tourism abroad, key aspects to getting 2014 to be a record tourism year in Alcalá de Henares.
As we announced a few days ago today begins Fitur, the International Tourism Fair, and it does heavily armed with good data for the sector, relevant news and the hope that 2014 is a very positive year both in numbers and in the contribution of the tourism sector to GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
Tourism is our Silicon Valley
Yesterday we had the opportunity to hear a lot of positive news. Starting with news about Spain seizing China its third place in global tourism with 60 million visitors in 2013, and standing just behind the United States and France.
Moreover, also yesterday began the 7th Tourism Leadership Forum Exceltur, the Alliance for the Tourism Excellence, a non -profit organization formed by the presidents of 27 of the most relevant Spanish tourist companies. Its chairman Amancio López emphatically pronounced the following sentence: tourism is our Silicon Valley. As flashy as real, at least in the related to our city. With a contraction in the real estate industry not seen in generations and an actual industrial production that only only yearn for better times, tourism is presented as the sector that can revitalize much of the activity of Alcalá de Henares.
And that desire seems to be charged in a tangible and measurable way thanks to record highs in 2013. Up to 60.6 million tourists visited our country last year, a record achieved after the number of visitors increasing by 5.6 % over the previous year, according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization.
The main markets were the United Kingdom, with 23.6% of the total to 14.3 million British citizens, Germany 16.2%, with 9.8 million, France with 15.7% with 9 5 million and Nordic countries, 8%.
But the best may be yet to come. José Luis Zoreda, executive vice president of Exceltur said yesterday that 2014 may be the as good or even better for tourism than 2013. What in his view prevented better numbers last year was the decline of national touristic demand (domestic tourism), a factor that primarily affected no coastal areas like Madrid and other Spanish cities not beneficiaries of the sun and beach tourism.
However, Madrid data suggest a significant rebound in general tourism during the last quarter of the year, which could be interpreted as a change in trend very beneficial for the entire sector. 50% of tourism in Spain comes from the national tourism and its recovery can greatly help to improve figures that has been very positive since 2013. Zoreda shares this optimism and states that in 2014 the sector “will grow above the Spanish economy“, with a forecast of between 0.4 and 0.6% for the tourism GDP. And it should be remembered that tourism accounts for 11% of Spain’s GDP and 12% of national employment.
[quote align=”center” color=”#9.99999″]We should know better communicate our tourism abroad[/quote]
But much remains to be done
However, a city like Alcalá de Henares can not sit around waiting for the figures improving by themselves. We have to work hard to get quickly reverse the trend and ensure that 2014 is here also a record year.
As José Luis Zoreda said “we need to know better communicate our tourism abroad.” Communication is essential to raise awareness of our product, conveying the richness of our city and our culture to foreign tourists.
Alcalá has a fantastic centenary University that attracts lot of foreign students through Erasmus scholarships and programs handled by institutions such as the Franklin Institute or Alcalingua. We must all get not only make their stay enjoyable and profitable, but they must become our best ambassadors in their countries. And that should be a cross-cutting work, equally affecting the University, the City Council and all layers of complutense society.
[quote align=”center” color=”#999999″]The improvement and enhancement of tourism repository should be a cross-cutting work, equally affecting the University, the City Council and all layers of society[/quote]
It is well known that Madrid has a significant dependence on domestic and business tourism. Our mayor, Javier Bello, has also put the spotlight on the importance of the business sector for the city. He announced via Twitter that in 2013 1,463 conferences, meetings and conventions have taken place in Alcalá, a 144% more than in 2012. And he has stated its intention to pay special attention to this activity during the remainder of the legislature.
The city of Madrid has taken an even more relevant turn and yesterday the mayor said the Madrid city tourism management will be a priority for the city. And that’s why she has announced the creation of a “specific public-private entity to prioritize and boost tourism in the capital of Spain.” As she explained, one of the characteristics of this organization is to have “economic independence”, so besides having public funds it can “generate its own incomes” and will count with “the best talent to ensure a professional and technical management”. Looks like an interesting initiative worth to be closely followed.
Alcalá de Henares, as a World Heritage Site, first planned university city in the world and the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, has historical significance and tourist importance enough to consider similar initiatives, or maybe different ones, but in any case equally ambitious. We hope that together we are able to work in the right direction so in the next 12 months we can see that 2014 was been a record year for tourism in our city.