Champions, champions! It is not the World Cup final, it is better: Spain is already the first destination for tourist investment on the planet, surpassing Italy, France, Greece and the United Kingdom, as published yesterday by the FT.
And in Spain, Catalonia is the most visited destination, followed by the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands. And be careful with Madrid!, which surpasses... Paris! in visits, despite the fact that it hosts the Olympic Games this year.
And in Catalonia, Barcelona leads the ranking of tourist cities. “We live – the president of Hotusa, Amancio López Seijas, told us in a petit committee last week – days of wine and roses in the sector.”
And it wasn't necessary, because on the way out it was difficult to find a corner to have one in the bars of Ciutat Vella, while on the Rambla today you have to go in a procession between guiris and those who try to steal their hair.
The Abu Dhabi Fund has just bought 17 Spanish hotels in one go and the one in Singapore, along with others, has invested more than 4,000 million euros in our tourism since January, 70% more than last year, when verifying that we had received more than 85 million tourists, breaking the pre-pandemic record.
And one that is happy for hotel businessmen, but also for taxi drivers, waiters, street musicians and hospitality in general. But it also remembers economic theory: it is unfair that costs are externalized – queues, services and housing that are more expensive and of poorer quality due to the concentration of temporary demand – and that the great benefits for sovereign funds are privatized.
And here he proposes to open the debate on how to compensate locals for the fiscal effort made over the years to achieve the safety, cleanliness and efficiency that today attracts tourism and investors:
1) Reduce the IBI, garbage rate, parking and public transportation for residents in areas stressed by mass tourism.
2) Increase investment in equipment for those who live in those areas.
The idea is that we all celebrate being leaders in world tourism and that, when we don't find a place here anywhere, we can also rejoice.
