Tourism forum urges Benidorm to promote its environmental management and care for residents

Benidorm should communicate its environmental management more effectively to respond to changing preferences among European travellers, according to Miguel Gallego, head of Marketing and Communication at the European Travel Commission.

He made the recommendation at the XXIII Benidorm International Tourism Forum, held on Friday 23 October at the University of Alicante, where participants also discussed the wellbeing of people living in tourist destinations.

Gallego advocated adding sustainability to the destination’s image, particularly in central and northern European markets, without replacing the promotion of its beaches, climate, services, food and leisure offer.

Environmental preferences, not guaranteed habits

The expert presented a study based on 24,000 interviews in ten European countries, in which 64% of respondents showed at least one of the characteristics associated with being a responsible tourist.

That proportion covers behaviours, intentions or preferences connected with a lower environmental impact, but does not mean that all those respondents always travel sustainably whenever they take a trip.

The criteria discussed included choosing less polluting forms of transport where feasible and valuing destinations that demonstrate good environmental management, with particular attention paid to the preferences of younger travellers.

Quality of life matters too

A separate study presented by Gallego examined residents’ views in Spanish tourist towns: 80% expressed pride in living in places offering a wide range of cultural activities and services.

Meanwhile, 78% believed there was still room for greater tourism promotion and 6% described themselves as opponents of tourism; these figures refer to the towns studied, not exclusively to Benidorm.

Gallego called on destinations to measure residents’ quality of life, the attention they receive and their views, alongside visitor numbers, spending and overnight stays when assessing how their tourism model is developing.

Óscar Perelli, executive vice-president of Exceltur, argued for protecting the identity and wellbeing of people who live and work in destinations, alongside better working conditions, commitment to tourism’s social footprint and stronger governance.