'Salou offers beaches, leisure and tourism products of quality and first class'

Salou. Costa Dorada. Pere Granados Salou is the mayor of a town where you live throughout the year a large number of people from very different cultures and traditions. Europe is well represented there as well as Africa and especially Senegal, as well as other continents such as the Asian or the american. This wide mosaic of people from all over to converge in Salou has its highest expression in the month of August, when Salou hosts the largest number of people present and the municipality in which it puts all its machinery to maximum performance. It is a moment that tests the effectiveness and efficiency of public services, from transport to security, from cleaning beaches to healthcare and when private companies have an obligation to demonstrate that can meet the varied demands of its customers. - Salou.com. Mr Mayor, we are just a few days of August 1, the date Salou recorded the highest concentration of residents and tourists. So far, which is the evaluation done in this tourist season?  According to preliminary estimations this season, is maintaining the level of employment in similar proportions in previous years. It is true that British tourism has decreased but this decrease was compensated through an increase in tourism from France and Russia. However, we also observed that the average level of expenditure has been reduced and therefore, although the occupation continues, the consumption of our visitors has fallen. Nevertheless we are optimistic about the final results of the summer campaign and hope that will keep Salou figures similar to last year. - People come on holiday to Salou in order to relax, enjoy the sunshine and the beach, spend some days of relax ... Since the City Council, what steps have been taken this year in order to satisfy these positive expectactions these illusions that people placed in Salou? Since the City Council are continually working to improve the quality of services, from cleaning the town up to the services offered on the beaches, for example, through a wide range of cultural programming that includes numerous performances and art exhibitions. A sample of the work being done is to obtain at the beginning of the summer season and for the beaches, the quality flag Q, in recognition of the good and the good services that offer at the beach. - On behalf of Salou, introduced in the last edition of Fitur a proposal to improve the funding of tourist towns, because there are large differences in population according to different seasons. How is this issue? The City Council presented this proposal to Salou Fitur, the tourism fair held annually in Madrid, having been approved at a plenary session to our council. In addition, we returned to claim this issue at the meeting which was organized several weeks ago the tourism committee of the FEMP (Spanish Federation of Provinces and Municipalities) in Ibiza, where they debated the issue of financing and tourist towns where Salou introduced a new element of debate with its proposal to change funding. And, from our point of view, must take greater account of the characteristic features of the tourist areas is that the floating population. Currently, neither the government nor other authorities consider this population when quantifying their contributions to municipalities. At the forum held in Ibiza was talk of a higher tax jurisdiction of the municipalities, but we believe that the current crisis is not the appropriate venue to conduct an increased tax burden on citizens or economic entities. On the contrary, the City of Salou is proposed that part of the VAT is levied on tourist towns remain the same municipalities. This does not mean no tax burden and already has support from other municipalities that have been added, for example, the city of Malaga. For his part, FEMP has studied the proposal in order to assess that this amendment be included in the proposed financing of tourist towns. - Also, what do you think the proposal of the City of Barcelona, which raised the possibility of charging one euro per person per day for tourists in order to increase revenues and, therefore, resources financial statements that can be allocated to the tourism industry? I'm not for or against this possibility. The fact is that we must analyze all factors to know what measures are most appropriate in each case and each situation for tourist activity. Anyway, I think the proposal we have made on VAT from the City of Salou is much more effective and would be easier to implement than the introduction of new taxes. - Going back to Salou. The beach is undoubtedly one of the fundamental attractions of Salou which is dedicated effort by the municipality in its maintenance of a more considerable. How Does the fact that Salou has again received the flag of quality Q and blue flags of the European Union recognized the quality of water, sand and services that occur on the beaches? All awards are important, but emphasize especially the Q quality of our beaches. These flags have a very important meaning, because for them means the services offered on the beaches of Salou are very good. Therefore, Salou can say clearly that has and offers a first class tourism product. At national and international fairs and exhibitions in which we found that we could participate Salou is not questioned as a tourist destination, which happens with other districts and municipalities. On the contrary, we have a 75% loyalty, both domestic and foreign visitors. The goal is to continue working on this line, to maintain and improve the extent possible these services and these services and to maintain Salou as a first class tourist destination based on providing the highest quality in all aspects. - Among the acts specifically designed to Salou in the entertainment capital of the past 17 days there was a performance by Oreja De Van Gogh, the same day he opened an exhibition of monumental sculptures Passeig Jaume I and in the coming weeks we will visit Joaquin Sabina y Alejandro Sanz. What to Salou the opportunity to submit in a few weeks of this three star level? Salou is projected to national and international level beyond the sun and the beach. Our council is committed to offering high quality alternative. We are working in cultural events of the first order, but also bear in mind that major sporting events Salou welcomes and organizes throughout the year. The goal set by the City of Salou from the beginning was to organize an event of important and high profile at least once a month, an event that has great capacity to attract and serve at once that as a means of promotion of Salou. In the case of Save the Beach concert, with performances from the stellar Oreja de Van Gogh, free and with over 45,000 spectators, Salou has worked actively for the second consecutive year in organizing a concert aims to work in the recovery of beaches. It was actively involved in environmental action through a macro concert led by first-class artists nationally and internationally. Salou is located as well as a town committed to the environment and, incidentally, is located in front of a prominent international event such as the Save the Beach concert, which this year has had groups like La Oreja de Van Gogh or Zentric and has attracted over 45,000 people in our town. Similarly, events such as this or with the tour of the great artists who visit Salou, the town gets a big promotion, and generates wealth. This is the case the next appointments, Joaquin Sabina y Alejandro Sanz, but also, let me remind you also a great quote in this case sports, such as the Rally RACC Catalunya Costa Daurada, which this year will be held this coming October and that has its epicenter in Salou. - Salou is a town that is qualified as a 'Tourist Destination Family. However, often the image that is projected of Salou is a place where everything is allowed, from alcohol to sex and debauchery. As a leading authority and exponent of Salou, what rating would you be projecting this image of the city? believed to correspond to reality? No. This is not reality, no is the image being projected of Salou. This was an image that he wanted to sell so distorted SalouFest occasion of a festival that has been developing for eight years without causing any problem in Salou. The conclusion drawn, once analyzed the reports made by the local police and municipal services, is that nothing happened and that it was more a matter of aesthetics or image. We do not believe that Salou is associated with easy sex or alcohol. Salou is a family tourist destination, but this is not incompatible with the tourist nightlife, very powerful, recognized and highlighted in the summer nights in Salou and the Costa Dorada. - Finally, since Salou.com, we would ask him a few words of welcome to the town by thousands of tourists who are among us in the coming days and two recommendations: a place to go and a party or an event that visitors to Salou should not miss. As for the welcome that our visitors to a destination of first order and magnitude. Here you will find high quality services in all areas comprising the city, from the beaches to public spaces, including streets and squares of the town. I would recommend that actively participate in all cultural and sports activities organized in the city during this period and especially recommend to participate actively in the festivities that take place around August 15 with reason for our Festival and the Golden Nights. Regarding the place to visit, i recommend you visit the beaches of Levante and Poniente to the small coves that offer unbeatable views and a space of calm five minutes from the city center. It is a pity that the Cami de Ronda is not fully open, because from there you can discover another Salou, with pictures and beautiful landscapes, although it does invite everyone to know and follow our coastline and Together, our whole town.  

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