Agenda21: On Tourism, entrepreneurs, EU development funds, healthcare, employment, new hiking routes.
Chris Jones
Chris
Xàbia fails in bid to get EU development funds
but will go ahead with the project in any case
May 23rd
Xàbia's
proposal called "Fent Xàbia" designed to get co-financing from the EU
via the EDUSI programme has failed to win any funding. The only
successful twon was Calpe, while Xàbia, Denia and Teulada came away
empty handed. However the Town Hall has already budgeted for its half of
the expenditure and plans to proceed with aspects of the project in any
case. From: Las Provincias and Xabia al Dia. For details of Xàbia's proposal see: EDUSI Integrated sustainable Urban development.
Spain's bans docking of dogs tails
May 19th
Spain’s
Senate has approved a law to ban the cruel practice across Spain in
what is hailed as a victory for animal rights. On March 16th the Spanish
Congress had voted to pass the law, which will put Spain in line with
the 1987 European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals. There
had been concerns that the PP would block the legistlation at the Senate
level. The practice of removing parts of a dog’s tail, known as
docking, is often justified by hunters as a way to prevent the animal
from collecting burrs or brambles that could cause them pain or
infection. But opponents say it causes the dog unnecessary pain and
suffering, and when performed incorrectly, the procedure can lead to
lifelong problems. For full story see: The Local.es
Spain's healthcare ranks 8th in the world
May 19th
The
Healthcare Access and Quality Index (HAQ), published in the UK journal
The Lancet on Thursday, studied the quality of healthcare in 195
countries by measuring mortality rates from causes that should not be
fatal in the presence of effective medical care. Spain scored 90 points
out of a maximum of 100. Andorra topped the Index with a score of 95,
followed by Iceland (94) and then Switzerland in third place on 92
points. Sweden and Norway made up the top five and 13 of the top 15
countries were in Western Europe, joined by Australia (6th) and Japan
(11th). The UK was placed 30th and the US 35th. For full story see: The Local ES
Mayor Chulvi writes open letter of thanks for support after cycling tragedy
May 17th
Mayor
José Chulvi has published an open letter to thank the people of Xàbia
as well as the institutions of the Marina Alta and the Comunidad
Valenciana for their support and assistance in the days after the tragic
cycling accident of last Sunday. In the emotional text, he called the
people of Xàbia, whether they be natives or coming from other parts of
the world, as the town's best asset, reacting to the tragedy with
respect and common sense whilst pledging to continue supporting the
families of the victims and hoping for the quick recovery of the two
badly injured. For full text of the letter see: Javeamigos
More than 550 kilos of rubbish collected in coast cleaning campaign
May 17th
A
total of 175 volunteers took part in last Sunday's initiative to clear
the coast of Xàbia of rubbish and other detritus in readiness for the
arrival of summer. Organised by the Department of Tourism, a dozen
groups from different associations, businesses and organisations spread
along the coast to clean coves, caves and beaches, removing more than
550 kilos of rubbish. Amongst the material removed from the coast as
well as from the seabed were lots of plastic items, tyres, cigarette
butts and fishing weights and lines. In addition, several large items
were removed including a fridge, a large metal box, a butane gas bottle
and even a bicycle. The body of a wild boar was also taken away. For
full story see: Javeamigos
Spain to ramp up roadside alcohol tests in bid to protect cyclists
May 17th
Spain’s
General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has announced tougher measures to
protect cyclists following three serious accidents in the last two weeks
involving drunk drivers that killed three riders and left 11 others
injured. The body responsible for road safety in Spain on Tuesday
unveiled a plan that will see increased roadside controls for alcohol
and drugs on Saturday and Sunday mornings, the times when large numbers
of cyclists are out and about. Spain’s Interior Ministry says there will
be an additional 130,000 alcohol and drug checks on drivers out at
these times and that tougher sanctions will be applied to wrongdoers,
among them driving bans for anybody found to be over the limit for a
second time in two years. Once those bans have been served, they will
have to undergo psychological and physical assessment before being
allowed back on the roads. For full story see: El País in English
Bicycle sales rise as number of accidents involving cyclists increases
May 14th
Over
1.1 million bicycles were bought by residents in Spain 2015 alone,
outnumbering cars by 70,000. Figures for 2016 are not yet available, but
expected to be similar or higher as residents take advantage of mild
winters in the south and Mediterranean to get about without needing to
be inside a heated car, and those in the colder north enjoy cool enough
summers that they do not need to hang up their two-wheeled transport
because it is too hot. But a complete State policy in favour of
cyclists, covering infrastructure, accident prevention and air quality,
is still at the draft phase, despite The Netherlands and the UK having
had such programmes in place since 1990 and 1996 respectively, says
Manuel Martín of the Bike Protection Coordinator (ConBici) (Full story
on:ThinkSpain)
. Meanwhile, the number of accidents on Spain’s non-urban roads
involving cyclists doubled between 2009 and 2015: from 1,082 to 2,013.
What’s more, the trend is reflected within cities, where over the same
period the number of accidents grew from 2,387 to 5,173. At the same
time, the number of people taken to hospital after a road accident
involving bicycles rose from 489 in 2009 to 652 in 2015, a 33% increase.
Full Story on: El País in English.
Unfilled jobs in a country with high unemployment
May 6th
A
growing number of Spanish firms are reporting to their respective trade
associations that they are not able to hire staff who meet their
specific needs “There is an imbalance between supply and demand,” says
Juan Carlos Tejera, the head of training at the CEOE, the association
that represents the business community across Spain. It’s an imbalance
that the business sector in 2014 predicted would leave more than 80,000
jobs unfilled in Spain over the coming years given the disconnect
between the education system and the job market, and that could drag
down productivity and competitiveness in the process. For full story
see: El País in English
Record monthly drop in unemployment
May 6th
April
has been a particularly good month for the Spanish job market. The
number of people who filed jobless claims went down by 129,281, the
biggest drop for a single month in the entire historical series. The
previous record had been set in June 2013. The total number of people
without a job now stands at 3.57 million. The unemployment rate in Spain
is around 18.7%, down from the high of 27% in 2013, when the country
was in the grip of a crippling economic crisis. Despite a recovery and
good growth forecasts, Spain still has the second-highest jobless rate
in the EU after Greece. For full story see: El Pais in English.
Bad weather results in 65% loss of cherry crop
May 6th
The
recent wind and rain have damaged the early cherries in the Vall de
Gallinera, causing them to split so they will not meet the standards for
marketing internationally. About 65% of the crop is estimated to have
been affected. These losses come as a huge blow, especially since the
trees were laden with large cherries this year. Production will be
limited to 300,000 kilos, far from the 1.2 million kilos recorded in
2016. There are still hopes that the late cherries varieties will
provide a good crop. From: Las Provincias
Benitatxell promotes itself in a Dutch cycling magazine
May 6th
Councillor
for Communication in Benitatxell, Myra van 't Hoff has been busy
promoting the village as a sports tourist destination. This has borne
fruit in that there was a four centre page spread about the municipality
and the Puig Llorenca peak in the Dutch magazine "Cycling Live". The
Netherlands has a huge following in this sport and adding some focus,
Dutch cyclist, Tom Dumoulin, won the first stage of the Vuelta on the
Puig Llorenca in 2015, and this peak will feature again as the end of a
stage in the 2017 Vuelta on August 27th. From:Xabia al Dia
The danger of depopulation in the interior of the Marina Alta
May 2nd
Over
the last 20 years the population of the region has grown from 127,977
inhabitants to 169,831. (once reaching close to 200,000, although it
declines due to regulations that require foreign citizens to confirm
their residence every two years.) However, in the interior there has
been a decline in population. e.g. Castells de Castells (from 499 to 449
inhabitants), Vall d'Alcalà (from 186 1 171), Vall de Gallinera (from
682 to 582), Vall de Laguar 918 to 801) and the Vall d'Ebo (from 343 to
243). (Castell de Castells and Vall d'Ebo) are threatened with
disappearance according to a report prepared by the Generalitat, which
describes 72 municipalities under threat in the Valencian region. The
regional Government is therefore thinking of a program ( la Agenda
Valenciana Antidespoblament (Avant) to counteract this problem. From:La Marina Plaza.
Home Grown Ikea
April 27th
The
furniture maker Azpeitia Lufe, has gone viral on account of its very
low priced furniture kits (a bed for 30€). The kits can be bought only
over the Internet and the pine wood is either natural, varnished or
painted white. The strategy of quality, but simple furniture, sold only
on-line and made of local products have given the company the nickname
of being the "Basque Ikea". «All our furniture is made of solid pine
wood with ecological certification, obtained in sustainable native
forests. They are ecological and resistant woods. See their website on: https://muebleslufe.com/ . From: El Diario VascoEl Diario Vasco
A delegation of Chinese tourism agents visits Xàbia
April 20th
A
delegation of agents from the OTS of Canton is visiting the province of
Alicante to learn the quality and variety of its tourism offering
firsthand. The Patronato Costa Blanca organized this important trip in
an attempt to position the destination within one of the most powerful
Asian markets. Alicante, Altea, Xàbia , Dénia and Xaló are being toured
by the group. In addition, they will taste Mediterranean food typical of
the area, appreciate the quality of the hotels and experience
activities such as to the Fish Market in Dénia and wine and liquor
tasting in the winery of Xaló. In the case of Xàbia, the Chinese agents
visited the church of San Bartolomé and its origin as fortress and also
the facilities of the National Parador of Tourism. Although the Chinese
represent a small percentage of international tourists, one must not
forget the country's influence on the worl economy. From: Xàbia al Dia
Record-breaking Easter boosts hopes for summer tourism bonanza in Spain
April 18th
Spain
has shattered even the most optimistic forecasts for tourist arrivals
during the Easter break that just ended. The good weather encouraged
last-minute planners to make the most of the vacation time that ended on
Sunday or Monday, depending on the region. Industry sources confirmed
high occupancy rates not just at the usual coastal destinations, but
also in cities and in rural enclaves. A record 75 million foreign
visitors came to Spain last year, and the tourism industry is hoping to
set a new high this year, based on the positive Easter figures. From:Ela Pais in English
MontgoRock Xàbia Festival to help raise money for Lighthouse visitor cantre
April 13th
Xàbia
town hall and the MontgoRock Xàbia Festival have joined forces to give a
boost to the project to open up to the public one of the most
impressive points of the Parque Natural de Montgó and help fund the
creation of a special visitor centre in the lighthouse at Cap de Sant
Antoni. During the festival in May, reusable plastic glasses will be
available for two euros with the money raised from their sale being use
to finance the technical work necessary to draft a feasible plan which
would be submitted for agreement to the Ministry and to the governing
board of the Parque Natural del Montgó. from :Javeamigos.
What can be done to save Spain’s historic buildings from ruin?
April 13th
Dozens
of ancient monuments throughout Spain supposedly protected by the state
are being looted and falling into ruin. The blame lies partly with deep
spending cuts in recent years, made worse by the closure of many
savings banks, which dedicated substantial resources to caring for
listed buildings. At the same time, rural depopulation has made it
easier for thieves and vandals to damage historic sites. Spain ranks
third in terms of its number of UNESCO World Heritage sites (45), beaten
only by China and Italy. José María Pérez, president of the Fundación
Santa María la Real del Patrimonio Hístorico, a privately run heritage
organization, says the most vulnerable area is along the sparsely
populated Spanish-Portuguese border, taking in the provinces of Ourense,
Lugo, León, Zamora, Salamanca and Cáceres, along with provinces further
inland such as Palencia, Soria, Teruel, Guadalajara and Cuenca. For
full story see: El Pais in English.
Denia, Xàbia, Montgó and tourist companies agree to halve boat access to the Cova Tallada
April 5th
One
of the conclusions drawn from the meeting on the issue of Cova Tallàda,
held on Thursday, March 23, was the need to improve the signage of the
route, accessibility, protection and security, as well as the need to
see a reduction in the large influx of visitors during the summer. For
that reason, representatives of Denia, Xàbia, Montgó and tourist
companies proposed a work plan that includes "a reduction of almost 50%
in visits to the cave in recreational boats" . These measures include
the commitment for each visit to consist of 6 double kayaks for clients
accompanied by at least 2 guides; to make only 2 visits daily; to
respect certain areas of the cave and not tie kayaks in the interior.
Excursions will also not take place under red flag conditions. Companies
are committed to take responsibility for the collection and removal of
garbage generated by their customers. From: La Marina Plaza.
Spain's Tourism sector ranked the most competitive in the world
April 8th
According
to the World Economic Forum Spain's tourism sector ranked as the most
competitive in the world. The group’s Travel & Tourism
Competitiveness Report 2017: Paving the Way for a More Sustainable &
Inclusive Future, which covers 136 economies, grants Spain a top score
of 5.4 on 7 on its Competitiveness Index, bettering France and Germany,
which ranked second and third respectively. Also in the Top Ten category
are Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Italy, Canada and
Switzerland. Published every two years, the report highlighted Spain’s
good infrastructure, high security levels and rich cultural resources.
Its low point was its business environment. For full story see: El País in English
Xabia tries to attract on-line entrepreneurs
April 5th
Xàbia's
Department of Economic Development, through the AFIC-CREAMA agency, is
promoting a new initiative to encourage networking between business
people in Xàbia. Known as 'Beers and Bytes', the event has also been
dubbed 'beachworking', as it is also aiming to attract online business
people from the big cities to come and work by the sea. Representatives
from the department, headed by councillor Cesc Camprubi, explained that
the new initiative aims to reflect the potential offered by Xàbia to
combine quality of life with professional development, attracting
business people who carry out their activities online as well as attract
new online businesses which are to be developed. The ultimate aim is to
capture talent in exchange for offering an alternative lifestyle to the
big cities. For full story see: Javeamigos.
Jesus Pobre publishes a guide to four hiking routes
April 5th
The
local authorities ion Jesus Pobre have published a guide to four hiking
trails in their area subsidised by the Alicante Diputación. All the
walks start in the town square. 1. Portalet-Coll de Pous - (medium to
high difficulty) goes into the Montgó Natural Park with spectacular
views of Les Valls and Jesús Pobre, passing through a pine forest to see
the Colomer farmstead; 2. Bassa dels Moros: to see a 16th Century
hydraulic construction, via the Bisserot farmstead, el Racó Tafarra and
the Riurau of Quatre Cantons. 3. Monumental trees, including the famous
"thousand year old" olive tree 4. The three windmills. The guide is in
three languages and the the routes are signed with color codes. From:Las Provincias.
Fallen trees from winter storms add to fire risk
April 4th
According to AMUFOR (La Asociación de Municipios Forestales de la Comunitat Valenciana -
Valencia Association of forested municipalities) - we are now paying
for having had no forestry policy since the 1980's. Thousands of trees
have fallen as a result of winter storms, and unless these areeremoved
before the summer heat they could result in a mountain of ash or plagues
of tree diseases. We have more forests than ever, but most are
abandoned, and the abandonment of agricultural land (163.000 ha in
recent years - 20%) has led to the expansion of un-managed forest, with
its attendant fire risks. from Las Provincias Sunday April 2nd Edition.
Great Costa Blanca Route to promote the interior of Alicante
April 4th
The
Marina Alta is the starting point of the Great Costa Blanca Route (Gran
Ruta del Interior (GR-330). A linear hiking itinerary of 434.9
kilometres that runs the length of Alicante from north to south through
its nine regions. It is a project drawn up by the Diputación de Alicante
whose aim is to promote sustainable, off-season tourism and the
natural, cultural and gastronomic heritage of the interior of the
province. The route is divided into twenty stages extending from Denia
to Orihuela, 99% of the route uses existing roads and paths in order to
take advantage of resources and minimise environmental impact. The
proposal has been configured as an itinerary suitable for all levels
linking with local short trails allowing the visitor to make circular
routes. The Costa Blanca Board of Trustees has published several
publications, a professional guide, a smaller one for tourist use and a
foldable map, with detailed information on each of the stages and
locations. These will be distributed in fairs, workshops etc. as well as
through travel agencies, tour operators, airlines and tourist offices
in the province. All material is available in Spanish and Valencian, and
is soon to be offered also in English, German and French.
--
Cullen Hightower