The fourth Municipality Forum organized by INFORMACIÓN touched upon the needs and challenges of different municipalities, especially in the province of Alicante. Local infrastructures, innovation, digitalization, sustainability, public-private cooperation, tourism, water and finance are some of the issues that were most affected by the mayors and provincial organization representatives who attended the meeting. This event has become an important annual event for towns large and small, providing a venue for the exchange of ideas aimed at improving municipal management and planning, as well as addressing emerging challenges and opportunities.
The forum, which took place in the INFORMACIÓN Club hall and the Info TV set, focused on a single day, which lasted from 9.00 in the morning to 17.30. The event was opened by Alicante Mayor Luis Barcala; À Punt’s director Alfred Costa; Toni Cabot, director of INFORMATION; Rocío Cortés, president of the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, and Carlos Mazón, president of the Generalitat Valenciana. In his speech, Consell’s president chose to “rethink” the health map in order to serve “equality” in the “most remote” areas of the Valencian Community. “We are working on measures that can permanently improve care under equal health conditions in all regions,” Mazón said.
The central part of the event took place at the dialogue tables, the first of which was devoted to the challenges of Vega Baja. Moderated by Fernando Ramón, deputy director of INFORMATION, Mayors Eduardo Dolón of Torrevieja and Pepe Vegara of Orihuela shared the needs and priorities of their respective cities, emphasizing that infrastructure is a priority issue. Despite differences in heritage potential and urban renewal, both leaders agreed on the importance of advocating the common development of Vega Baja, the fifth most populous region of the Valencian Community.
Then, the second panel, moderated by INFORMACIÓN journalist Miguel Vilaplana, focused on the industrial municipalities of Elda and Alcoy, which are steadfastly committed to innovation and sustainability in response to industrial challenges. Rubén Alfaro from Elda and Toni Francés from Alcoy emphasized that their towns are paradigmatic examples of industrial municipalities that know how to adapt to changes over the years. Considered the cradle of the industrial revolution, Alcoy has undergone a remarkable evolution since its early days dedicated to the textile and metal industries and has successfully diversified into emerging sectors such as technology, cosmetics and agri-food.
Elda has strengthened its global position as a powerhouse in the footwear industry by demonstrating resilience even in the face of significant challenges such as the recent pandemic. This success is attributed to Elda’s steadfast commitment to internationalization and talent training, factors that contribute to maintaining its relevance in the global industrial environment.
Digitalization was also an important topic throughout the day; in particular, this topic was addressed by Fermín Crespo, director general of the Society for Digital Transformation Projects (SPTD) and Manuel Palomar, director of the Alicante Digital Center (CENID).
The forum also featured interventions by Greuges Ombudsman Ángel Luna; Antonio Mira-Perceval, Ombudsman and heads of organizations such as Hozono Global, PreZero, Hidraqua and the Port of Alicante. It is undoubtedly a clear example of the importance of public-private cooperation in the development of municipalities.
Three roundtable meetings focused on “Local Agriculture” were held on the TV Bilgi set with the participation of the mayors of Mutxamel, Almoradí, Aspe and Pinoso; In “Local Industry” with San Vicente del Raspeig, Crevillent, Novelda and Xixona; and in the field of “Tourism” with the municipalities of El Campello, Altea and Sant Joan d’Alacant.
Tourism and cooperation
Monday afternoon was marked by fundamental discussions on the future of Alicante and its municipalities, where key issues such as tourism and cooperation between neighboring cities were discussed.
The first dialogue table focused on “Tourist municipalities”, with notable interventions by Benidorm mayor Toni Pérez; Mayte García, deputy mayor of L’Alfàs del Pi Madrid; and Marcos Zaragoza, mayor of La Vila Joiosa. The dialogue was moderated by María Pomares, editor-in-chief of INFORMATION. Representatives pointed out the importance of cooperation between tourist destinations to increase competitiveness. It was emphasized that synergy in areas such as sustainability and connectivity is a beneficial strategy not only for one region, but for the entire region.
Later, at the table attended by Alicante Mayor Luis Barcala and Elche Mayor Pablo Ruz, attention was turned to the Alicante-Elche axis. The conversation, moderated by INFORMATION director Toni Cabot, revealed a renewed development in relations between the two cities. While Barcala stated that Alicante could not use its capital status without Elche, Ruz described the previous distance relationship between the municipalities as “immoral”. Both mayors are determined to strengthen the “Alicante-Elche” axis by addressing key areas such as urban planning, mobility, tourism, culture, economy and sports.
The final touch to this fourth edition of the Municipality Forum was provided by Nuria Montes, Minister of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, and Toni Pérez, President of the Provincial Council of Alicante. In his speech, the head of the provincial agency reflected his commitment to municipal support, noting that advocating for water and tourism are two of the biggest challenges in the current mandate, and advocating for an amendment to the Cooperation Fund that emphasizes better water and tourism. funding for smaller municipalities highlighted the County Council’s ongoing relationship with the current Consell, who chairs the PP, and highlighted the abolition of the tourist tax as the biggest advance of the past year on political matters.
This meeting is undoubtedly consolidated every year as a key arena for reflection and joint action, outlining the strategic direction for the comprehensive development of the province.