Speech by President of the Government at event to inaugurate the Parador in Lleida

Lleida

Mr Minister for Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda; Mr Mayor of Lleida; Mr Government Representative; Mr Regional Representative of the Regional Government of Catalonia; public officials; dear friends; ladies and gentlemen,

I wish to start my speech by saying that I count myself among the many people who have collaborated, in one way or another, from their different posts of responsibility, in making this Parador become a reality today. I subscribe to everything that the Mayor has said but I would like to add someone else, namely the Mayor himself, who has undoubtedly put in a great deal of hard work to ensure that we can inaugurate this building here today.

And my thanks to all of you for sharing what is definitely a joyous occasion for the city of Lleida. Above all, I want to congratulate you. Hosting a Parador is something very important for any city, including Lleida. I live in a province which has, like Lleida, four Paradores. We believed, until five minutes ago, that we headed up the table, but we have just been told that there is one province that has five Paradores, and hence I have given the pertinent instructions in order to ensure that there is a draw at the head of the table. That, quite simply, is an act of justice.

But, in short, a Parador is important for any city, as it undoubtedly is for Lleida. It is for its growth, it is for employment, it is for people to know about it, and hence, for people to value it and see the great value this holds for Lleida against the backdrop of the beauty of the old part of the city and its history, its traditions, its cultural offer and its gastronomic wealth.

So, I believe that all the people of Lleida deserved to be congratulated today. I believe that the Parador is positive for the city, for the district of Segrià and also for the province as a whole. And, although Lleida already had wonderful channels of communication, it can now add this new prestigious establishment.

The Paradores of Spain have their own special attraction. A Parador is synonymous with hospitality, well-being and excellence in any language across the globe. In fact, the "Paradores" brand is one of the best known and most prestigious trademarks at a global level, and it is a trademark that attracts people to Spain and is synonymous with tourism quality and unique locations. That is why it should come as no surprise that other countries have tried - some more successfully than others - to copy this model.

The Paradores have 90 years of history behind them. This enterprise dates back a long time, but it has always been a pioneering enterprise and is a source of great pride for us all, because Paradores have given birth to a paradigm of sustainable, quality tourism that is closely associated - which is also very important - with the local environment; tourism with roots that date back in time, whilst also offering the comfort of the modern, tourism that all others envy. And we have the proof of that, here in Roser Convent.

The aim of the Paradores is to maintain, restore and offer new life to remarkable buildings tied to our history, on many occasions saving them from falling into disrepair and converting them into standards of prosperity in many towns. In Catalonia, which now has eight Paradores, this is something I believe people fully appreciate; particularly here in Lleida, where today we inaugurate, as I said at the start of my speech, its fourth such establishment.

The Roser Convent is a building that has borne witness to some important chapters in our history from the Middle Ages to the War of Spanish Succession; it is a former Dominican convent, with its origin dating back to the time of James I and Santo Domingo de Guzmán [Saint Dominic], and which has always played a central role in the life of this city and which today, returned to its former glory, aspires to standing as a benchmark both now and in the future.

I believe that this Parador strengthens the image of Lleida as an attractive and quality inland tourist destination. And this is something that will serve to create wealth and create jobs and business opportunities, and not only in Lleida, because the Paradores have always been the best starting points to get to know our country, and this Roser Convent is an ideal place from which to delve into the heart of inland Catalonia. With its location and its commitment to the region's gastronomy, this new hotel will also become, I am convinced, a magnet for such important tourism as is that of national origin.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As you are aware, Spain is enjoying a boom period of its great tourist trademarks. There are undoubtedly many things that explain this fact; from our artistic legacy to our natural heritage and renowned international festivals, and to our cuisine that is fast gaining a great reputation.

But in Europe and further afield there are many places with a great climate and rich heritage, and yet they do not receive more visitors for that reason. That is why, when more than 75 million people visit us, as happened last year, this fact means that we have done something well as a nation. In this regard, I would like to highlight that Spain is renowned as a tourist destination for its quality. The World Economic Forum once again pointed to our country this year as the most competitive tourist destination in the world, highlighting our unique offer of natural resources, our infrastructures and flight connections, and the decisive support of public policies for the sector, aspects to which could be added others such as security in its broadest and most comprehensive meaning.

We sometimes tend to punish ourselves too harshly, to stress what is not going well, but I believe that we can be proud of being one of the leading tourist destinations in the world, along with France and the United States, and of following an upward trend which can be seen by the fact that in the first five months of this year we have already received 28 million inbound tourists, which is 11.6% up on last year, 2016. This allows us to say that we will enjoy a good summer, the number of tourists will be 9% up on last year and we will see the arrival of some 38 million tourists from just May to August.

The quality of tourism is also very important. We also have good news in terms of tourist spending: in 2016, this grew by 9% and is due to rise by another 10% this summer. This is a very positive figure, and hence, we are looking at a sector that we must take care of because of its importance for our country.

It is also very important to mention what is happening in Catalonia. In 2016, Catalonia once again headed up the ranking as the favourite tourist destination for foreigners, with close on 18 million inbound tourists, or 23.8% of the total; a trend that is being confirmed this year, in 2017, with a significant increase, both in the number of visitors and in spending per tourist.

And that is also happening here, in Lleida, where the increase stands at 7% on the year 2015, and I am convinced that, with the increase in hotel rooms and with the knock-on effects of all types offered by this establishment - this Parador we are inaugurating today - Lleida will set a new record high in the near future.

Ladies and gentleman,

I want to make another comment that I believe is important. For Europe average, Spain is a large country but, above all, it is a multi-faceted country. You cannot find a single place in which you are not tempted to stop and look at the vestiges of its past, at its charming villages, at a new museum or a new restaurant. And this wealth of features is something we must showcase to the world and thus diversify our offer.

The tourism Paradores, with its new addition today of Roser Convent, are a clear and sustained commitment in time to the discovery of the treasures we keep. That is why the government, despite the tough times you are aware we have been through, and which still remain so, which have been complicated for the public accounts of all tiers of government, has tried to commit to tourism, and also to this enterprise - which dates back, as I said before, 90 years - called Paradores.

To close, I will say to you that we are proud of our tourism. It is a leading industry that represents more than 10% of our Gross Domestic Product, offers jobs to more than 2 million people in our country and is an industry that few people in the world know how to exploit as we do. This embodies the very best of our image and brings the best out of us. It constantly drives us to achieve new milestones and rewards us in a way that no other industry is able to - however important it may be - by conquering the hearts and minds of millions of people who take away from Spain, in general, and from Catalonia, in particular, the finest of memories.

Those who visit us get to know us and thus become, for a very good reason, our best ambassadors because people don't just come to Spain once but always want to come back here, and it is impressive to know that we bring happiness to people from around the world and it is here that millions of people dream of coming to for their best moments of leisure, rest, pleasure and fun.

Tourism has also been important at a national level. Through tourism, we, as Spaniards, have learnt to modernise and to be more tolerant in still complicated years. Through time, tourism has taught us, as travellers or as hosts, how important it is to open up to others, how necessary it is to connect with others, the obligation incumbent upon us to value them and learn from them, and how absurd it is to erect barriers between ourselves.

The people of Catalonia are aware of and value the importance of Paradores because, when they travel throughout the rest of Spain, they freely choose to stay in these emblematic establishments. And this Parador, as the Mayor said at the beginning, which is the result of collaboration and understanding between different tiers of government, shows this clearly. It is a vivid image of how much and how well we can do things together, of how we can help and support one another and of how this can benefit us all, and of how the best commitments are those which, far from drawing us apart, find a way of bringing us closer together. And that is what we are calling for today: faced with the path of a breakaway, which leads nowhere, we must follow the path of common sense and empathy, because these are the only paths that can take us all so much further; these are the paths that today and, above all, in the future, the world is taking. And I believe that we should be part of this.

Thank you very much.