The Lanzarote Business Association were invited to attend the business meeting held by the Tías Ayuntamiento in Puerto del Carmen yesterday.
Daniel Trigg and Silvia Garcia Hurtado from the LBA attended the meeting held in the Fondeadero Civic Centre. It was the second time that they had met Enrique Obeso a consultant hired by the council who has been meeting with local businesses over the past few months to listen to their opinion about the present economic situation.
A commission has now been organised to
promote weekly events in the Old Town of Puerto del Carmen which starts on the 23rd September. The commission includes local business people from the area and their objective is to make La Tiñosa (the old harbour) an attraction for tourists and residents alike every Sunday from 11:00 to 14:00. There will be a different event or demonstration every Sunday along with children’s entertainment including special prices for tapas and drinks if you pay using a voucher scheme to be used as money within the local area.
Mr Obeso´s mission is to work with all the agents involved in the maintenance and improvement of Puerto del Carmen’s position as the oldest and historically more important tourist destination in Lanzarote. Additionally his role is to help raise awareness of the importance of tourism so that citizens and the authorities can contribute to improve the situation. The authorities are aware that it´s not only the Concejalia de Turismo’s role to deal with tourism, all of the departments within the government have to work for the benefit of tourism. For example, regular rubbish collections would not normally be attributed to be a part of tourism but consider what impression an overflowing bin on a hot summer day in Lanzarote would leave with a tourist. The authorities want tourists to enjoy their stay and come back for future holidays. Puerto del Carmen has 40 years of tourist experience, there are not many destinations in Spain that can rival this and it has to be used for the benefit of the resort.
Other topics discussed included the strong and weak points of Puerto del Carmen and Lanzarote in general, strategies of other tourist destinations who are constantly receiving a higher number of tourists, plus suggested improvements in the use of terraces along the Avenida as well as the need to have a Guardia Civil special information point within easy access.
There was plenty of time for a discussion and many of the attendees had a chance to voice their opinions, reply to the authorities and also give their suggestions.
Photos: Dory Hernandez Cabrera
