The regional secretary for tourism, Francesc Colomer, has pointed out that "the hope for the recovery of tourism is placed on the second half of 2021", but always conditioned by "the ability to accelerate the pace of vaccination, and the evolution of the pandemic". Colomer made these statements after opening the meeting 'Technological Solutions for tourism companies', organized by the Digital District of the Valencian Community and the Valencian Institute of Tourism Technologies, Invat.tur.
The head of Turisme has valued the latest Exceltur report, published this morning and which analyzes the first quarter of 2021 in Spain.
Francesc Colomer pointed out that "Exceltur reflects a very bad first quarter for Spanish tourism as a whole" and that from Turisme "we had predicted in some way that the first half of 2021 would be very complicated and difficult with the difficulties of international tourism, with perimeter closures, and with an undesirable pace of vaccination."
According to Colomer, "hope is placed on the second half of the year, on the ability to accelerate the pace of vaccination and on the evolution of the pandemic allowing a sector such as tourism to recover its vital signs."
He has also been cautious in making predictions and has pointed out that "everything seems to indicate that the pace of vaccination is going to be key to this recovery and the recovery of the sector."
Along these lines, he indicated that "we know that demand exists and that there has not been a crisis of product, or of tourism competitiveness, or of wear and tear on our offer, but rather there is a very tough pandemic at a global level." For this reason, he stressed that «In line with the health recovery, tourism will re-emerge».
Regarding the end of the state of alarm on May 9, Francesc Colomer stressed that the Generalitat will make decisions "in line with scientific and health authorities" and added that "the important thing is that the pandemic figures support us in order to make things more flexible and to allow flow, exchange, mobility, because this is a sector that without travel or mobility is doomed to suffer greatly."
However, the head of the Ministry of Tourism has stressed that domestic tourism "is not enough for us and we need both national and international tourism."
Recovery of the Imserso
Colomer also explained that Turisme "is maintaining contacts with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism to urge the recovery of the Imserso program as soon as possible, with more power and also to recover what was lost, since in 2020 there was no Imserso and there is an outstanding debt with the receiving destinations like ours."
He added that "in the negotiations we are also trying to renew the Imserso with other prices and with other profitability, so that it does not rely on the altruism of the hotel sector and that it is more profitable for the sector, for the receiving territory."
