Margarita del Cid, president of the Association of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol and deputy spokesperson of the Commission of Industry, Energy and Tourism of the Congress of Deputies, a law graduate and expert in Urban Planning, talks in this interview about golf and the supra-municipal entity she presides.
The Mancomunidad is made up of eleven municipalities of the Costa del Sol: Benahavís, Benalmádena, Casares, Estepona, Fuengirola, Istán, Manilva, Mijas, Marbella, Ojén and Torremolinos. This association of municipalities allows the economic resources of each of them to be pooled for the joint development of specific works and services, based on the principle of solidarity as an essential element in the development and territorial structuring. Tourism promotion is one of the competencies of this entity.
-What are the main lines of tourism promotion of the Mancomunidad?
-When we came to the government of the Mancomunidad we considered changing a little the functioning of the institution and for that we already announced that there was going to be a greater transparency, a total transparency, in the management of the government, as well as an efficiency in the resources and their use because we did not agree in the use of certain items that were dedicated to several delegations of the Mancomunidad, and we also wanted to give more quality to each of the services that we provide, which are delegated by the local administrations. We understood that this could only be done from a plane of equality of the eleven municipalities that make up the Mancomunidad, regardless of the political color of each one, and that has been the reflection of the tourist promotion that we have carried out in Fitur (International Tourism Fair in Madrid), where we talked about eleven different reasons to visit the Costa del Sol, we understand that each of the municipalities has a different profile and that they complement each other.
The fact that in the Costa del Sol you can find a huge and varied leisure offer in a relatively small and well communicated area is a great incentive for the tourist, who can practice all kinds of sports all year round, enjoy the sun and the beach, magnificent hotels, a splendid gastronomic offer, marinas… in short, a great tourist offer.
-Golf is an important element in the deseasonalization of tourism on the Costa del Sol because it attracts visitors outside the sun and beach season. What importance does the Mancomunidad attach to golf in its tourism promotion strategy, taking into account that this is the area with the largest number of golf courses in Spain?
-For us, golf is very important in two aspects. On the one hand, there is the tourist aspect, and it is clear that in this area golf is a first-rate tourist segment that must be taken care of and supported because it helps to deseasonalize tourism, as it has an important activity in autumn and winter. On the other hand, because of the activity developed by the Mancomunidad through the public water company Acosol, with the recycling of water and its supply to the golf courses. Acosol is a leading company in this sense and there are already a majority of golf courses that are irrigated with this high quality reclaimed water, which will reach many more golf courses in the near future.
-Does this irrigation with recycled water somehow disprove the criticisms of environmental groups about the high water consumption required by golf courses?
-Totally. I believe that any criticism has to be based on knowledge of the situation and the work being done. Acosol is a leading company and a reference at national and international level, and the use of quality recycled water for the irrigation of golf courses is the best proof of respect for the environment and water resources. It has also been proven that the golf courses have the most modern computerized management systems for the rational use of the water they use. Their water control is exemplary in this respect. I think it is frivolous to criticize for no reason and also to do so against a tourist activity that generates so many jobs and visitors. Tourism is the only sector that is working well in our country in these times of crisis, so we should be extremely careful with it and avoid unjustified criticism.
-What is the Mancomunidad’s outlook for tourism activity this year?
-The prospects are positive and we are hopeful that they will be fulfilled, and, as far as we are concerned, we are working to try to help make it happen. I trust in the action of the new Government, since the President announced that tourism would be one of the sectors of special attention because it is recognized as one of those that are going to grow, and I hope that the growth that has been registered during the past year will be confirmed and that it will even increase. I am optimistic in this sense and I believe that we are going to have a good tourism year.
–Marbella, where the headquarters of the Mancomunidad is located, has one of the most famous marinas in the Mediterranean, Puerto Banús, and there is also an ambitious project for the expansion of another of the four existing marinas in the municipality, as well as the one in Benalmádena. Is the nautical tourism segment booming on the Costa del Sol?
-It is undoubtedly a segment to take into account, especially because of the high economic capacity of this type of tourist, which generates a significant expenditure in their holiday destination. The western Costa del Sol has important marinas and thousands of berths, and we, taking advantage of the existence of this tourist offer we have organized the First Nautical Week Sol Marina, which is another step in this attempt that seasonality does not prevent the celebration of events throughout the year. This Nautical Week will be held from April 14 to 21 in different municipalities of the Costa del Sol, and especially in the town of Estepona. The program includes activities related to fishing, diving, jet skis, sailing boats, kite surfing and paddle surfing, as well as conferences related to sailing and the marine environment.
Leave a Reply