OPINION Ana Sala, Mayor of Calp and leader of Somos Calpe
With all my admiration, respect and support for the Valencian towns that have suffered and continue to suffer the losses caused by the DANA of last October 29, I cannot help but raise my voice in the face of what we have witnessed at the recently closed International Tourism Fair (FITUR). As mayor of a municipality on the Costa Blanca and representative of a municipalist party, I feel obliged to denounce the treatment that has been given to the small and medium-sized towns of the province of Alicante.
Once again, small towns have been relegated to ostracism. At the white-washed Costa Blanca stand, providing tourist information about our towns was literally an impossible task. There was no space for our traditions, our cultural offerings or our natural wealth. Information staff were conspicuous by their absence, as was promotional material that would have allowed visitors to learn about the diversity of the small towns that contribute so much to the economy and identity of our province.
Meanwhile, the snow-white auditorium was designed to dazzle, with everything prepared to applaud and praise the large municipalities and, above all, the senior officials of the Generalitat and the Provincial Council. Everything seemed geared towards whitewashing the image of both the provincial and regional governments, offering a spectacle for the same old people. An image that makes it clear that the Provincial Council of Alicante is no longer the "Diputación de los Pueblos". Now it is simply a launching pad and sponsorship of the more professional political class. Today the president of the Provincial Council is also the mayor of Benidorm. He was also mayor and president of the Provincial Council. César Sánchez, as well as Carlos Mazón, who only ran the Provincial Council and was never mayor, so he knows little about the towns.
Benidorm, Torrevieja, Alicante, Elche, Castellón and other big names had, as always, the best showcase. Meanwhile, the medium and small municipalities, which make up the authentic essence of the Costa Blanca, were relegated to the background, if not directly made invisible. Is this what we want for our province or community?
As for those responsible, I don't know if we should thank Nuria Montes, Marián Cano, or the Provincial Council's Tourist Board for this humiliation. Perhaps the responsibility lies with all of them, because none of them seem to care about the balanced development of our province. This is the feeling of an independent mayor who, like many other municipal representatives, fights every day to give a voice to the people of Alicante.
The Costa Blanca is much more than the big tourist destinations. It is time for the Provincial Council to remember its commitment to all its municipalities, large and small. Because, without us, the wealth of our province is diluted.
