Make some tourist services more expensive to have more resources to confront climate change and take measures to avoid overcrowding. These are some of the recommendations launched yesterday by the vice president of the Tourism Board of the Provincial Council of Lleida, Juan Antonio Serrano, during the presentation of a study by the Chair of Interior and Mountain Tourism of the University of Lleida.
“I appeal to the sector. If you are doing it well and when you go on vacation you see that in the rest of the world for what you charge 40 euros you pay 65, what happens is that you are afraid to charge because you do not value yourself,” said Serrano. “And this works for the private sector and the public. The Vall Fosca cable car or the lakes train probably cost less than other similar services in other countries,” remarked the mayor of Vielha, who years ago presided over the Lleida Hospitality Federation, now led by Josep Castellarnau.
“We have the only glacier in the Spanish State between Huesca and Lleida. For a while it will still be visible, let's revalue it and collect it," Serrano insisted, referring to Aneto.
The study that was presented yesterday concludes that the province's tourism sector has the potential to continue attracting tourists despite climate change, but that it has to take measures.
The author of the study, geographer Maria Sans, pointed out that heat waves will increase between 10 and 35 days between 2040 and 2070, and the natural and agricultural landscape will be modified, a circumstance that will also modify cultural tourism, as has already happened. with the Pyrenean Fallas festival, which on occasion has suffered restrictions due to the risk of fires.
The author proposes 11 measures to increase resilience, such as deseasonalizing the activity, enabling climate shelters for visitors (in churches, museums or areas of fountains or trees), planning risks, managing landscapes, promoting alternative activities or monitoring climatic variables. To mitigate climate change, she proposes the energy rehabilitation of buildings, efficiency in the use of water, public transportation, encouraging educational offerings and compensation mechanisms.
Sans did not go into detail about the future of the ski resorts, of which the head of promotion and marketing of the board, Juli Alegre, assures that they are implementing measures. He did point out that low rainfall affects aquatic activities in reservoirs that are now more difficult to see full or in rivers that need flow for rafting or other sports.
