BEST SUMMER

THE Minister of Tourism, Innovation, Industry and Commerce, Nuria Montes, said on Monday, August 14, that the Benidorm summer “may be the best in history”. She was referring to the expected occupation and last ­ minute reservations “when we are reaching the dates of maximum occupancy”.

Montes also referred to the proposed tourist tax, to reiterate that it will not be applied and that its repeal will be a fact before the end of the year “It will be wet paper” she stated.

Montes visited Benidorm, where she was received by the city’s mayor, Toni Pérez, and the municipal corporation before meeting in the mayor’s office with representatives of the local tourism sector and business associations. After the appointment, she signed the city’s book of honour and took part in a walk along Levante beach accompanied by the mayor and members of the local government.

Regarding the forecasts for these dates, the councillor indicated that “we are going to touch what we call technically full in a large part of the region, and Benidorm is one of them.”

Montes has predicted that hotel occupancy will exceed 90 per cent in the Valencian Community. “It is true that prices have risen, not so much the profitability of the companies, which are still recovering from what they have been through these years.” However, the minister advanced that “the entire sector, workers and the authorities agree that it is going to be a very good summer, perhaps one of the best in history.”

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, said he was “satisfied and happy” to receive the minister “and to be able to talk about tourism, share ideas with business associations and verify that the good progress of the tourist season also requires work to