Benidorm Senator Agustín Almodóbar demands that the government launch a campaign against “tourism phobia”

The PP parliamentary group – at the initiative of the senator from Benidorm Agustín Almodóbar – has requested in a motion that the government promote an awareness campaign to counteract the “phobia of tourism” and the negative image of the sector’s bad reputation.

“There is something wrong when, in recent years, movements have emerged, traditionally linked to the political left, its satellites and some related media, which define tourism as a ‘predatory’, ‘abusive’ and ‘boring’ activity for the local population, a thought more typical of biased ignoramuses than of organizations or movements concerned about the future of Spain, and producing the effect on part of the population of a feeling of phobia of tourism,” he explains.

Faced with this drift, according to him, Almodóbar proposes to the executive of Pedro Sánchez “to promote a great agreement between the political parties, institutions and employers of the tourism sector, demonstrating the commitment of all public and private actors of the sector with the tourism industry in Spain”, recognizing its value and contribution to the wealth and employment of Spain, as well as the need to continue promoting the quality and sustainability of the Spanish tourism model.

In the same spirit, the popular propose “a campaign to raise awareness and improve the reputation of tourism, highlighting its contribution to society, increasing citizen recognition of tourism and the role it plays in local societies, to – among other things – “encourage the best welcome and greater hospitality towards those who visit us.”

The motion of the popular group of the Senate Industry and Tourism Committee rejects the “demonization” of this economic sector and “the imposition of taxes that weigh on the pockets” of those who visit Spain. Instead, it advocates other measures to find the balance between leisure and rest: “Demagogy and incompetence when it comes to governing and managing the tourist phenomenon, ultimately, generates a problem for everyone. “We must know how to manage effectively and know how to create a sustainable and orderly coexistence between residents and tourists.”

And as recent examples of news that promote tourism, he cites some well-known ones. “A graffiti, a direct violent attack or a demonstration against tourists is extremely irresponsible and harms the good image of Spain abroad and can endanger our tourist potential and our leadership,” he emphasizes.