State Secretary for Tourism awards Almagro with prize for Best Quality Tourism Destination

The SICTED Prize for the Best Destination went to Almagro, while the other finalists were Fuerteventura and Baiona.

The SICTED Prize for the Best Manager, which seeks to reward the work and efforts of those people that manage the day-to-day development and implementation of the SICTED in the public tourism companies and services offered at their destination, went to Paloma Gutiérrez Paz, the manager for the destination of Toledo.

As regards the Best Improved SICTED Destination project, the prize went to the project entitled "Adaptation of the destination to new technologies" in Alcoy.

For the second year in a row, the Department of Tourism, Trade and Consumption of the Regional Government of the Basque Country was awarded the prize for the Best Supra-Municipal Public Authority to Support SICTED.

Lastly, diplomas were awarded to the new destinations of El Ejido (Almeria); Monachil-Sierra Nevada (Granada); Ubrique (Cadiz); Gandía (Valencia); Villena (Alicante); Xátiva (Valencia); Inca (Majorca); and San Javier (Murcia).

The State Secretary for Tourism highlighted during her speech that Spain is the only country in the world with a comprehensive tourism destination quality system. Tourism quality must be understood as a broad concept that covers hospitality, knowledge, training, accessibility, sustainability and new technologies.

Matilde Asían recalled that 202 destinations are currently taking part in the SICTED project throughout the country. And there are 5.500 recognised companies. She added that 37% of destinations that have implemented the SICTED project signed up between 7 and 14 years ago, which shows that this is a long-term commitment.

The ultimate aim of this tourism quality programme is to increase the profitability of our tourism and enhance customer loyalty with ever greater options of destinations to choose from, differentiating our offer from other competitor destinations, thanks to the quality and added value offered, pointed out the State secretary.