The fourth edition of Coming Up!, organised by SIE, Spain is Excellence, consolidates Spain as a world reference in tourism.
The third edition of the annual forum Coming Up! 2024organised by SIE, Spain Is Excellence , brought together at The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San FernandoThe event brought together more than 200 tourism industry professionals and leaders in Madrid to address the challenges and opportunities of the sector in the 21st century. With conferences dedicated to sustainability, cultural tourism and talent attraction, the event marked a milestone in the discussion on the future of quality tourism in Spain.
Ana Alonso, CEO of SIE, Spain is Excellenceopened the conference with a presentation on tourismphobiastressing that mass tourism without proper planning is challenging the balance of our cities. At 2023, Spain received 71 million touristsThe population has nearly doubled, which has generated tensions in places such as Barcelona, Seville and the Balearic Islands..
The main causes of the rejection of tourism were outlined, as well as three lines of action to mitigate the tourismphobia: promote awareness-raising campaigns to promote a respectful and sustainable coexistence, to unify the tourism concepts to integrate sustainability and culture communication and experiences, and to carry out a land review and management to distribute tourist flows to less saturated areas.
In addition, an approach of tourism of excellenceThe visitors who value the culture and respect for local communities. "Tourism of excellence is the answerBut we must all be part of this transformation.
During the round table on sustainability at Coming Up 2024Teresa Parejo Navajas, Director of Sustainability at Iberiaemphasised the urgency to act on climate change to ensure the viability of the tourism sector in the coming years. "We are at a critical point where every decision counts. If we don't take action now, the impact on tourism will be irreversible," Parejo warned.
Jaime de Jaraíz, President and CEO of LG Electronics Spainpresented the innovative programme "Smart Greenwhich has managed to reduce CO2 emissions. De Jaraíz stressed that the initiative not only seeks to mitigate the environmental impact, but also to regenerating ecosystemswith concrete actions such as the reforestation of 48 million treesand thus contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.
Juan Manuel González Serna, Vice-President of IberdrolaThe importance of going beyond mere emissions reductions was underlined, emphasising the need to focus on the regeneration as key to ensuring sustainable tourism in the long term. "It's not just about reducing damage, it's about giving back to nature what we have taken from it".
Ilona Shekyants Kazaryan, Deputy Director for Tourism Development and Sustainability of the General Secretariat for TourismThe public sector has a crucial role to play in the to promote sustainability projects. He also underlined the importance of promoting the cooperation with the private sectorThe report also points out that only through a joint effort can significant results be achieved that benefit both the industry and the local communities.
The second roundtable highlighted the cultural tourism as an important engine of growth in Spain. According to the Ministry of Culturein 2023, the 22,6 % of travel in the country were focused on the cultural consumptiongenerating more than 32.5 billion euros.
Alfredo Pérez de Armiñán, Vice-Director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San FernandoCulture is not only a tourist attraction, but a strategic tool to strengthen local identity and economy," she said. Maribel Hipólito, head of promotion and marketing of the National Museum Thyssen-BornemiszaHe stressed the importance of bringing culture closer to all generations by means of new technologies y immersive experiences that attract millennials and the Generation Z.
The experts also agreed that cultural tourism contributes to the deseasonalisationattracting visitors all year round. Marisa Vázquez-Shelly, Director of Private Patronage of the Teatro Realand Javier Fitz-James Stuart Soto, President of Castles and PalacesThey reaffirmed the need to promote cultural heritage as a valuable resource for tourism development.
The final roundtable addressed one of the most critical issues for the future of the sector: attracting and retaining talent. Susana Gómez Foronda, Councillor of SIE, Spain is ExcellenceHe was adamant: "It is not enough to attract young talent. The real challenge is to retain it in the long term.by offering them career and development plans". Turnover figures in some segments are as high as 30% annualThis puts the quality of services at risk.
Guillermo García Martínez, Assistant to the Director General in Lifegourmetexplained that the key is professionalising the sector and offer training programmes that enable employees to develop their careers within the industry. "We need to create careers, not just jobsGarcía Martínez commented. An example of this is the successful "Managers in Trainingwhich allows young professionals to train and specialise in key areas of the sector.
In addition, Borja Martín Guridi, Chef Concierge of the Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid and president of Les Clefs d'Or Spaintogether with Paloma Arias-Perero, Senior Director of People & Culture at Four Seasonsand Íñigo Pérez Mesa, Global General Manager of the Travel & Tourism Industry in CatenonThe participants agreed on the importance of establishing an attractive working environment that fosters talent retention and promotes professional growth.
In the afternoon, the attendees enjoyed a variety of simultaneous experiences which took place in the Private Lounge of Galería Canalejas and in the Four Seasons. These activities, designed and led by professionals and partners from SIEas Godwana Experiencesthe National Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza y The Arc Collectionoffered the attendees the opportunity to immerse themselves in the experiences only ones that combined beauty, art y exceptional pairingscreating an environment conducive to connection and learning.
The third edition of Coming Up! concluded with a clear message: the excellencethe sustainability and the culture are the pillars for a more sustainable and beneficial tourism for Spain. According to Ana Alonso, "tourism of excellence is not only a response to current challenges, but the path towards a sector that is more respectful of local communities and has a positive long-term impact".
With this edition, SIE reaffirms its commitment to leading a model of tourism that benefits both visitors and local communities, laying the foundations for a more sustainable, culturally enriching and economically viable future.
We sincerely thank our sponsors and partners: Godwana Experiences, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza and The Arc Collectionfor making the organisation of this third edition of Coming Up! possible, as well as to the venues that have hosted us: The Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, the Four Seasons Hotel Madrid and the Canalejas Gallery.
The fourth edition of Coming Up!, organised by SIE, Spain is Excellence, consolidates Spain as a world reference in tourism.
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