Hotel investments: Sitges generates trust

During the early 90's, Sitges witnessed a hotel boom reflected in the opening of new high category hotels, and in the refurbishment and reconversion of existing ones. In a very short period, we went from two 4-star hotels to eight. The commitment of Sitges to attract business conventions & congresses, the task carried out by the hospitality industry to break seasonality, and all the prospects brought about by Barcelona Olympics in 1992, were elements that favored the necessary tourist boost in Sitges. The tourist industry was modernized and the city gained new economic horizons thanks to a more competitive and higher quality offer, capable of generating revenues during the entire year, instead of the trend of previous decades, which concentrated almost all revenues in the few months of the season.

Twenty years later, Sitges is experiencing a similar process. The economic situation is substantially different (the current crisis is far harsher that the one experienced in the undertow of 92), although the point of departure is not comparable. The conversion and refurbishment carried out in that era was the foundation that allowed us to develop a competitive tourist industry, not living uniquely of the legacy left by different generations thanks to the strength of the brand, but also from its current capacity, with quality infrastructures and services.

And just like two decades ago, private investment, very much in the hands of families from Sitges, is also committed with providing quality facilities for Sitges. Today, despite the deep crisis, the hotel map of the town is expanding with significant initiatives which improve our overall supply, and thus, our market position. Two weeks ago, Medium Sitges Park Hotel opened in a building created by architect Gaietà Buigas in our town, a very interesting and creative project that wants to participate in our local reality. Recently, Hotel Utopia opened doors. A new concept of facility with 145 beds focused on the general public and with affordable prices. The same family acquired Hotel Romantic, a building that constitutes another Art Nouveau marvel. The investors will refurbish 22 rooms that will be in full operation next year. In a similar way, Hotel Alba, one of the small hotels leaders in family tourism, so important for our model, has undergone a major renovation, and is reborn with the name of Hotel Sitges. I also have to consider the outstanding investment being made in the Avenida Sofia Hotel Spa, which shows that Sitges is a town that builds trust. The process that surrounded this building since the previous municipal government granted the first construction permit was a wealth of absurdities. Such an irregular process help to stress that compliance with laws should always be an essential point.

In the last two decades, Sitges probably witnessed too many things done in a wreckless way. The excessive and disproportionate commitment with the construction industry was, in some occasions, very damaging for the economic base of this town during the last half century: tourism, which should always be accompanied by the tag "quality" when referring to Sitges. For this reason, and responding to one of the essential items contained in the agreement signed just over a year ago by the four political parties comprising the municipal government, this Council will work to achieve positive economic initiatives for our town, and will provide to the organizers the necessary facilities to make them a reality.

First year in office: an assessment

Last week I presented, alongside with colleagues from the Governing Body, the results and the assessment of the first year in office. After the first twelve months, it is time to transmit to citizens the first assessments and reflections on the management of the municipal government, and make the appropriate assessments and reflections.

When, on 11 June 2011, the thirteen councilors of CiU, PP, SGI and NH formed the new government, as a result of the clear desire of the residents of Sitges, most of which requested a change in the erratic policy of previous years, we were aware that we had inherited a complex situation, a very difficult situation. As I stated at the press conference last week, the first year of government was often marked by sacrifices, abandoned projects and difficult decisions provoked by the dire financial situation inherited by the City Council.

However, it was also a very busy year. The thirteen councilors who form the Government carried out intense work based on three pillars: drawing the lines of governmental action (within the framework of the Governance Plan), redress and internally manage their respective responsibilities and strengthening dialogue and support with civil society. Such a support is not always possible to perform financially, but also it has been shown that it can be channeled through different formats, sometimes more effective and viable than purely economic channels.

The first year of government was a year of intense work, imaginative solutions, intact illusions and trust in the future, notwithstanding the somber economic situation. The inherited situation and the difficult economic environment has been, in this sense, an obstacle that limited our scope of action, but also proved a stimulus to seek new ways and strive even more to find alternatives.

Probably, it is still too early to assess important results, but have already displayed some significant outcomes: it was possible to halve the debt to suppliers, save on personnel costs, redirect the reform of museums to protect and safeguard our historical legacy, implement a plan to reform sidewalks, implement measures to promote tourism that are beginning show positive results, prepare a stable program for libraries, implement measures to support the needy and social organizations and ensure the construction of the school Agnes de Sitges, among many other tasks. In addition, we just began to work to announce major projects for the future of Sitges. Projects that involve public and private partnership and that unlike the past, will not be announced until their full confirmation. We will not fall into the trap of selling projects that are all smoke and mirrors or false expectations. Sitges still is a place of opportunity and I can guarantee that we are working to strengthen them.

In a general manner, I would like to dwell specially in the implementation of a new culture that values small actions that help us make Sitges more human. A culture that places the City Hall in the same side that residents, and that is pursue of new opportunities for all residents of Sitges. The path is long and uphill, but the backpack is full of ideas, enthusiasm and spirit of service.

Balance of the first year in office (see documentation)

Corpus Christi is always there

Corpus Christi left us with a good taste in our mouths. During a period of economic turmoil and in a weekend bearing somber economic news, Corpus Christi has again extended its unlimited charm and its ability to seduce us all. The flower carpets displayed their usual splendor, the balconies displayed their merriest face, the exhibition of carnations was a color explosion, the procession moved us, the Giants captivated our hearts again, and the festivity received a first level recognition thanks to its inauguration by Joana Ortega, Vice President of the Catalan Autonomous Government.

Corpus Christi is an equalitarian symbiosis of creativity, participation and friendship. The flower carpets are the result of a careful work, which required previous dedication and hands willing to draw spring inspired images, capable of drawing glances of complicity among people living in Sitges and visitors. The groups of neighbors, friends or members of organizations that come together to make flower carpets, is one of the signs that show us that Sitges still is and must remain being a village, with all the positive components that identify the word.

This year, Corpus Christi has shown that the capacity of the festival is quite solid. The financial constraints curtailed the budget, but the result, in the eyes of visitors and people from Sitges, was relative. As was the case with the Three Kings Parade and Carnival, the efforts of organizations and the dedication of the people who worked on the festivity, contributed to minimize budget cuts and, at the same time, demonstrated their ability to charm us entirely.

And we must not forget that for Sitges, Corpus Christi is a big attraction that will help our economic recovery. Sunday, several buses and a long line of vehicles came to Sitges to watch our flower carpets and spend the day in the town, good news that should be welcomed.

Once Corpus Christi is over, there are new activities coming up such as the Festival of Poetry and Sitges Fashion Weekend. Such events will highlight the name of Sitges again in the cultural, socioeconomic and entertainment media, stressing that the dynamism that sets Sitges apart from competitors remains firm and intact.

Leverage all major events

Last week, Sitges became the meeting venue of Cercle d'Economia (Economic Circle). Once again, our town hosted an all important event that occupied the forefront of all the economic media. The event allowed us to place the name of our town in a preferential and privileged position.
The meeting of Cercle d'Economia, and also other important events such as the Film Festival, Carnival, Vintage Car Rally and the array of social, cultural and economic activities held in Sitges, constitute an excellent cover letter for our town. In some cases, our town is the venue, in others, the driving engine, and in others, the genesis of the initiative, but in all cases, the event is an opportunity thanks to the media coverage it provides, which places the name of Sitges at the front-page of all the media.

The meeting of Cercle d'Economia can be sorted as an event in which Sitges is the scenario of the venue, and thanks to its characteristics, location and facilities, the town hosts an external initiative with an extraordinary impact and influence. Just the fact that it happens here is positive due to the direct and indirect effects generated. But if we also achieve that participants take with them the image that Sitges is a town opportunities, with a strong financial capacity and a very active cultural life, the investment will be even more effective.

This is precisely what we did in this year's meeting of Cercle d'Economia. This year, participants had the opportunity to get a closer and more effective look at our reality. The dinner offered by the organization (at their own expense) at the Miramar building - where some participants wanted to visit the exhibition about the works on Cau Ferrat, is a clear indicator. But especially, I want to stress that the City Council has promoted the program Sitges Investor, which aims to create agreements between public and private sectors for economic growth. Taking advantage of the meeting of the Cercle, we presented this program to many participating entrepreneurs and corporation managers, who have met the program positively and have shown interest in the possibilities and opportunities offered by Sitges.

Sitges Investor is a long distance program, designed to capitalize on the events taking place in the town and look for new initiatives. The program will get results if we take advantage of the opportunities offered by initiatives such as the meeting of Cercle d'Economia and many other congressional, social or cultural events held in Sitges.

Third Sector

Last week, we held a meeting with sectoral organizations that provide social support to needy people. The meeting was very positive thanks to the will to promote joint agreements and initiatives. But there was also a reason of concern because data, analysis and the experience provided by active professionals and volunteers, confirm that poverty is also gaining ground in Sitges. The number of people suffering from extreme poverty is growing.

Among the resolutions adopted at the meeting was the creation of the Third Sector Roundtable. The Roundtable will allow organizations working in this area to establish joint cooperation lines, share information and become organized in a flexible and swift manner. The organizations that attended the first meeting and, therefore, will be part of the Roundtable are: Càritas Ajuda Fraterna (Caritas Fraternal Aid), Creu Roja Sitges (Red Cross Sitges), Fundació Ave Maria (Ave Maria Foundation), Fundació Hospital Sant Joan Baptista (St. John the Baptist Hospital Foundation), Fundació La Granja, Associació AMIS (AMIS Association), ONCE Garraf, Municipal Senior Home, Agrupament Escolta Nostra Senyora del Vinyet (Scout Our Lady of Vinyet), Latin American Association Garraf, Gay Sitges Link,  Garraf Foster Care Foundation, Vida Útil Private Foundation. The next meeting will be held on Thursday 31, at 19.30 at the Red Cross, and is also open to other sectoral associations wishing to join forces.

We often have a wrong image about the impact of poverty. We tend to relate poverty to situations and environments far away from our reality. Crass Error. There are people suffering from poverty in Sitges, and not precisely few. The profile of people applying for aid is changing and needs have expanded, now including more plural segments. There are instances that require fast and expedient action because the situation has reached unsustainable levels.

As a City Council, but also as a society, we have the moral obligation to respond to this situation. On one side, acting with discretion but with efficiency, we must engage in actions to meet impending needs. We are engaged in such actions right now. But above all, the final intent is to provide instruments to neutralize the impact as much as possible, being well aware of our obvious limitations and that the economic situation is very far from buoyant. For all the above, I can guarantee that the City Council and Councilman Marc Martinez will not spare efforts to fight poverty and look for suitable alternatives.

Good news for suppliers

This week, we will sign the loan with eleven banks. Such a loan will allow us to cover the debt of 12.8 million € incurred during the years 2008 and 2011 with different suppliers. We will make use of Royal Decree Law 4/2012. The measure is very good news for many small and medium enterprises in town in and the surrounding region, now they can receive payment -late payment- for jobs they performed in the past. Unpaid bills were an excessive burden for many of those companies.

The loans, amounting to 12.8 million €, correspond to 3.095 invoices recorded by the City Hall of Sitges, the Tourism Promotion Agency and "Societat Sitges Model XXI". The loan will be returned in 10 years with an interest rate of 5.9%. Such a rate will be applied during the first quarter and will be revised afterwards. Last week, the Municipal House approved the arrangement of the loan, a crucial step for signing the loan with different banks.

Since we gained access to municipal government a year ago, payment to suppliers has been a number one priority in our financial management policy. In this context, we included our first urgent measure in which we ordered payment of invoices below 1,500 Euros, corresponding mainly to small and independent businesses located in Sitges. According to the same principle, we are adopting a policy of budgetary constraints and reduced spending, which only authorizes the procurement of services and investments that have their corresponding budget allocation.

The above mentioned operations constitute a source of reflection for the current government, that wants to prevent the recurrence of situations like those recorded in recent years. The former government spent money they did not have, and had no qualms about increasing credit ad infinitum. The new political culture based on austerity in public spending is quite tough for people; they witness how services and benefits are reduced or suppressed. It is also quite tough for the municipal government, since their field of action is more limited. However, the positive lesson that we learned from such situations is that a general policy based on severe budgetary constraints is the best warranty to insure that resources are used in a responsible manner. Suppliers and citizens at large can rest reassured of our commitment.

Entrepreneurship

Last Friday marked the beginning of a new edition of Sitges Tapa a Tapa, the successful initiative of several restaurants and bars associated with the Restaurant and Lodging Association of Sitges. The initiative offers specially prepared "tapas" for the event during ten days. Until next Sunday, twenty bars and restaurants in Sitges will participate in this exciting initiative, which last year raised the attention of consumers and attracted new customers to participating bars and restaurants. 

The campaign Sitges Tapa a Tapa shows that the combination of talent, drive and work are good allies to obtain results. During the first days of this year's campaign, the public tried the offers of each bar and restaurant, and they realized that the initiative is positive for all stakeholders: bars and restaurants, since they get more clients and exposure; consumers, because they can enjoy attractive offers, and the entire Sitges and our Sitges Brand, because the event reinforces our position and generates direct and indirect traffic to town.

Although we are going through difficult times, such initiatives are an actual proof that Sitges has an enormous potential for future growth. Sitges Tapa a Tapa is just an example of the entrepreneurial nature of our tourism industry, which has always been at the forefront of initiatives to boost the economy. In fact, the Restaurant and Lodging Association of Sitges was an extremely innovative organization when initially chartered, afterwards other organizations or trades joined forces to win together. The City Council will always support all such positive initiatives for Sitges and all residents.

La Montserrat Almirall. Last week, we lost a woman from Sitges that was very dear for several generations of "Sitgetans", "la Montserrat Almirall", "la senyu". When Montserrat passed away, the entire town felt a unanimous and saddening shudder. Her virtuous hands and her teaching spirit awoke a yearning for music among hundreds of local residents. Few places like her home, at the Francesc Gumà Street, have been such an authorized reference for music and a symbol of many memories for boys that are now grownups. They will be always accompanied by the bars and lessons learned with her piano teacher.