Proclamation of City Festival of Sant Bartomeu 2016

To all residents and visitors,

To describe with words the emotions and the magic of living through the festival of Sant Bartomeu in Sitges is very difficult. A mix of collective and immaterial with human aspects, and some aspects that are more material, and all combined with the unique and personal sensations and experiences of each member, each character of all the modern and traditional events that make us live the celebration; and make it become something almost impossible to describe. Our festivals are a mixture of emotions, joy, devotion, effort, suffering and perseverance. Surely we could add a handful of adjectives that could better express the personal feelings of each of the people who live an active Sant Bartomeu.

Summer brings us insistent trials of different dances, castles and music. In every corner of the city we hear from time to time, and somewhat hidden, as one who does not dares, the sounds of coming giants, the melody of all the popular dances or the beat to ignite the fire of our beasts and devils. Walking through the village you can spy trials of human towers, any dance or how fashion designers prepare costumes that will be applauded very soon. There are a good handful of citizens who work very hard to offer the best moments of the year, the best of our celebrations. 

As I am convinced that the best festivities in the world are those enjoyed, watched and experienced at home, only someone who puts passion can understand the great honor implied by being part of the popular dances and musicians of Sitges. Being a member of one of them or one of the elements of our popular procession is an honor, pride and passion. The same honor, pride and passion that we feel both dancing and enjoying, being on the sidewalk and clapping. Being part of the public is also being hundred percent of the party.

This year we celebrate the nomination of Heritage festival of National Interest. The distinction will officially arrive on the day of Sant Bartomeu from the Government of Catalonia itself. It is a distinction that recognizes a fact that for the inhabitants of Sitges is a reality since the fourteenth century: we experience and enjoy one of the most beautiful traditions that exists in Catalonia and now is the time for the rest of the Catalans to know. We do not need anyone to tell us how we deeply feel our festivals, but we would like people to spread the word around the world. This is the true heritage: dance, music and audience are all the same feeling of the festival.

Let locals, residents and visitors from out of town become fervent followers of Sant Bartomeu. That's why we will hear the Proclamation with utmost care. We will dance to the music of the shacks with all groups formed with people from home. We will follow the civic procession using a very innovative route, as the tradition marks every time there is a change of presidency of the Commission. We will look for places to see street parades and processions from which we have never seen them before. We will be awed again by fireworks and we will dance Sardana. We will go to new events, such as the homage to our centennial palm that broke down recently. We will discover the magic corners of the city full of music and burning gunpowder. We will pay attention to news, as the carriage of the Saint to the house of Pendonista or banner carrier. We can see all the news in the official program or web www.sitgesfestamajor.cat

We will live the Festival with civility and taking all due protections against pyrotechnical elements. Therefore, it is recommended that you follow all safety advice, and please, do not park on the routes of the processions and parades. All establishments and shops should remain closed on the 24th of August, local festivity. We also recommend taking the necessary measures of personal prevention and self-protection (especially in children), vehicles, awnings, windows, shops and private homes to prevent any possible damage caused by pyrotechnics and other elements. 

The stars of the festival are all of us, the whole town: locals and visitors, dances, human towers and traditional music, the Commission and all the organizations, companies and associations collaborating in organizing barracks, devotees of Saint Bartomeu, the town crier and the pendonista and cordonista, "the new favorite son of Sitges", that during these days will enjoy from head to foot all our traditions and festivals. 

We are the Heritage Festival of National Interest because we are the best Festival. We will make that our acts in honor of our patron are heard throughout Catalonia. 

Glorious St. Bartholomew,

which is the Patron of Sitges,

long live Sitges City Festival!

Intervention during the 25th edition of ADPG's Business Night

Honourable president; Mayors, authorities; ADEPG president; ladies and gentleman. Good evening. We welcome to Sitges all those coming from all over Penedès counties, those that we want to be part of the future Vegueria del Penedès.

I want to specially greet the President of the Catalan Government on his first official visit to Sitges. Thanks President, it is an honor to have you with us. Welcome to your home. I also want to thank the Association of Employers of Garraf, Alt Penedès and Baix Penedès for choosing Sitges to hold the current edition of Business Night. Our main revenue comes from tourism; most of our entrepreneurs work in this sector and the service sector. So if I may, I will focus my words in this sector. I will step ahead of events to congratulate all those companies that today receive an award for their business career. Congratulations to everyone! 

Our country has a diverse and heterogeneous industrial fabric. Agriculture, fishing, food industry and traditional industry. A wide range of services and small businesses ... and many, many freelancers.

President, I think you must know that some counties are making great efforts to achieve the economic recovery of the area, while at the same time making an extraordinary contribution to the recovery of Catalonia. According to the 2015 index of competitiveness of the association, we are in the twelfth place and climbed steadily since 2003 ... we are one of the leaders in business and employment recovery with increases above 4% on average year.

Garraf, in particular, ranks as the second county with people holding degrees and the third with highest proportion of people working in highly skilled professions. Our clear commitment should be the sector of vocational training. President, we are deeply committed with the governance plan that we presented recently... Therefore, we are at your disposal to expand vocational training in our county.

Despite the difficulties of recent years, we have more good economic news. In one year, the number of freelancers has increased by 3%. We are therefore an enterprising county that is growing in all areas. The county showed an unemployment rate of 17% in March, more than two points below last year. I must stress that in Sitges we are just over 12%.

I have another example of improved economic activity. Sitges granted in 2014 a total of 545 business licenses and in just a year we climbed to 713.  Nearly 200 more in just one year. These recovery figures are the result of our common effort. But special efforts made by the businessmen and businesswomen in the region. We are referring to small and medium enterprises that have suffered greatly in the worst time of our economic recession, and that have survived thanks to their effort and tenacity.  

During these years, and still today, municipalities and local authorities tried to take steps to further business activity and modernization, while being well aware of the situation, and, above all, to generate and maintain employment.  In short, to create wealth for our people.

However, despite initial positive data, we know that we continue to go together in everything that affects us all. We must continue to go together in one of the most important claims of the Great Penedès: infrastructures... The toll of the C-32, essential for our competitiveness and for our everyday living.

Garraf and Penedès claim for a free motorway. We have no direct access to the metropolitan area other than windy curves along Garraf's coasts. Territorial rebalancing goes through all this process. 

As we are aware that it will not be immediate, we believe that it will be an outrage not to obtain a significant reduction. 

I'm not making an isolated claim, is a vindication of all the counties beyond political options; as is the improvement of rail services, bearing in mind that only in the Garraf county, 50% of the population needs to leave the county for work.

The municipalities can establish tax incentives to create programs to support entrepreneurship, employment plans, aid for self-employed.. (that we do and we will do, to help create wealth and welfare)... but there are issues that escape us such as infrastructure and cost. Authorities are working to serve citizens and we try to interiorize the claims that come from different sectors. It is increasingly evident that we must network and also ... that society works best when networking. 

Therefore, social return is very important for our business world. The world changes, and if companies do not give back to society what society gives them, we will break the fabric. The concept leading to the social return on investment is now spread throughout the world and must not be an alien idea in our environment. Companies have to be competitive, but also socially competitive... There are already many business schools that abound in the social return concept as key to obtain benefits. Therefore, I ask you to be innovative and commit yourself for social return.

I will put an example of a subject on everyone's lips. The Government of Catalonia and municipalities prepare a list of what citizens, businesses and organizations can offer to Syrian refugees. Because the drama of the refugees does not leave anyone indifferent, moves you and you become enraged with this Europe. City Halls are preparing themselves to receive refugees, but all of us can offer our help in different ways. We already did that? We will do it? This is also social responsibility. As is the everyday life in our country, our villages, towns and cities.

The adaptation of the company to social environment is paramount in the tourist industry. Sitges is a tourist town but we are also very concerned about our environment. We have sixteen kilometers of coastline and a mountain range that is one of the most outstanding natural areas of the country. So we decided to make a clear commitment and ask for a Biosphere certification backed by Unesco ... that means: environmentally friendly tourism and sustainable tourism. 

This we have to do it necessarily with the help of the business sector of the city. The City Hall alone is not enough. Are we interested? Yes, absolutely. Yes, for the preservation of the town, but also because all of you are interested... And they are interested because we need a qualitative leap to remain a town known worldwide as a tourist destination, respecting the environment and the people.

We must therefore be jointly responsible for all. I ask you to make a clear commitment for social responsibility in our counties.

And finally, one last thought - a personal request. We must also be jointly responsible with our country. Policymakers are often urged to become involved, to defend the interests of society, to become involved in decisions even if they are daring. Nothing to say, it is our responsibility.

 Many Mayors like me are doing it from their City Halls. Also President Puigdemont, our government and parliament. But we are in dire straits. That is why I ask you to watch everything from a national perspective. We are a great nation with a historical significance. So help us enlarge our history and our great country.

Many thanks to all, congratulations to the winners again and enjoy dinner. Good night. 

Fairs and events intended to extend tourist season

Closed in March and but open in April. We changed month, but kept the calendar of socioeconomic and cultural fairs and events. Such events act as catalyzer to attract visitors tby generating a wide range of activities. In March we held Fair Scrap+, International Patchwork Festival and Art Fair, in addition to Easter (which recorded an occupancy of 90% on average). April started with  Vintage Jazz Festival, Vintage Cars Rally and will continue with Tapa a Tapa, the acts to celebrate Sant Jordi and Sitges Next - festival of innovation in communication and new media. That is, it means than during two months Sitges weekends will be filled with different events that provide content and at the same time, generate traffic and public projection.

The calendar of fairs and events in late March and early spring allowed to transform a low season period into a highlight in our cultural and tourist calendar. At the beginning of March we installed the tents in Ribera, weekends held a continuum of events that filled streets, restaurants and hotels.

Three years ago, the City Council set a timetable to implement a stable and orderly calendar of fairs and events during the months of March and April, with the aim to avoid competition between some of these activities and to extend the season to periods that had traditionally been low season. Earlier, Carnival was an isolated event in the vast winter season. Now, there are years that depending on the calendar, such event could trigger tourist pre.season, as subsequent events link togeteher.

The calendar of events in March and April also includes events with diverse profiles that attract different audiences. In all cases, however, we are referring to a public that are also decision makers and that represent relevant cultural leisure interests. In addition to the direct impact they have on local economy thanks to their participation or presence, the calendar provides additional exposure to Sitges as events generate  pages and minutes of media communication and, therefore, direct promotion. Meanwhile, some of the festivals held during low season allow to further the role of Sitges as a land of festivals, a city capable of generating and attracting famous events that enhance our status as a cultural capital.

Neighbourhood Plan: proximity actions

A few days ago we started to meet with the residents of Vallpineda, Garraf and Botigues to set goals and work dynamics that will mark the Neighbourhood Plan, that we are already implementing in the City Council. The Neighbourhood Plan is one of the actions included in the Governance Plan designed by our City Council. The Governance Plans details all the strategies and actions that will be carried out by the City Council during this term.

The Neighbourhood Plan aims to satisfy the most important needs and demands expressed by residents from the various areas and sectors of the municipality, in case such demands can be implemented. The Plan will detail the actions that will be carried out in various fields such as urban improvements, utilities, green areas, playgrounds or road planning, among other areas. 

The actions contained the Neighbourhood Plan are the result of proposals made by the Government, added resident proposals made through Municipal Councils composed by residents. It is a formula for direct participation in which citizens can express their opinions and preferences and at the same time, recognizes and supports the role of Councils as representative bodies in their respective fields and as direct partners of our city council. During the first meetings held with the Municipal Councils, we were able to communicate to them the formula that will characterize the Neighbourhood Plan. We shared shared structural needs and objectives of a tool that is intended to entice the full participation of all residents.

At the same time and in parallel to such meetings, we opened a permanent cooperation path with the City of Castelldefels to address all the needs in services and improvements in Botigues de Sitges. The unique location of this area and the determination to correct some deficiencies in the provision of services require a stable cooperative action with the city of Castelldefels, allowing to expedite and complete services. A few days ago I met with Candela López, Mayor of Castelldefels, and other councilors of the municipality. I was accompanied by Aurora Carbonell, Deputy Mayor, and the Councillor for Public Roads, Carmen Almirall, also representing Sitges. We laid the the groundwork for joint actions which will improve services to Botigues de Sitges.

Carnival: necessary debate

Carnival 2016 has been intense. In many senses of the word. As usual in this festivity, we experienced all the passion and and brilliance embodied in the event, but also with an undercurrent of anxiety and controversy over the new route of the parades of Debauchery and Extermination. The debate gave rise to initiate an urgent debate: which model of Carnival we want? 

The controversy over the route of the parades is urging us to study and analyze the best circuits. But at the same time, also on other issues related with Carnival that might need a thourough analysis in search of new approaches. This year 2016, in which the Councillor for Culture and Celebrations, Rosa Tubau and the President of the Commission, Carlos Garcia, were able to manage the Carnival in a brilliant manner despite evident and unrealized difficulties, has helped us to put on the table a series of aspects that need to be analyzed.

The current Carnival is a model developed 40 years ago. At the end of the dictatorship, Sitges showed its passion for Carnivals by launching the first street  floats in 1976. Floats were forbidden by Franco, but were tolerated inside our social organizations, were residents lived a Carnival that they refused to forget). During this time, the Carnival has grown significantly, has added new events and, above all, has added more people, both in the organization and participation, making it a highly popular festival driven by groups and organizations. But, however, the framework of Carnival has not changed since our democratic transition. It has become bigger, much bigger, but on the same model. We must analyze and discuss over the whole issue, we must take the right decisions together.

We must ask ourselves about the route of the parades -but assuming an essential and unavoidable element which is the prevention and security, we can not put it into risk. We must discuss and analyze the number of floats on the streets, the maximum duration of the parade,  limits to participation and behaviours during parades, we must also discuss about the constant presence of alcohol on the parades, television coverage and we must also examine what is the real sense of the existance of our Carnival. The debate on the Carnival is necessary and ugent.

For this reason, as I promised at the Ash Wednesday's "Xatonada" at El Retiro, in a short time we will open a discussion with organizations, groups, security forces and all the agents directly involved in the festivity to analyze and tackle all the necessary changes. Humbly but resolutely. We love the Carnival and we can not look the other way when there are issues that we must face with determination.

Debauchery and "festa", but safety above all

We are ready. With the much awaited "Arribo", tomorrow will mark the beginning of Carnival, one of the most magical moments of our calendar of festivities. Carnival 2016 comes with the usual expectation, which is to add almost unprecedented spring weather and the introduction of necessary prevention measures for a safer holiday.

The most discussed measure, as you know, has been the change of the route of the parades of Debauchery and Extermination. Parades maintain their route through the streets of the town center, but with a modified route for safety reasons. The various security forces involved in the prevention and security of our Carnival, repeatedly warned about of the risks posed by maintaining regular routes, a very wise warning. This change was necessary but now is essential to maintain basic measures of prevention and safety. The new protocols on prevention, added to common sense and safety policies, advised the organization to fully implement this modification change.

All changes in our festivities have to be "cooked over low heat" but without any pause. Three years have passed since it was decided to advance the schedule of parades, including the Children's Parade, Debauchery Parade and Extermination Parade. The first change generated certain rejection among some of the most directly involved in organizing the event, but once modifications were implemented in the Carnival, the evaluations were positive and three years later are entirely consolidated and almost no one misses late schedules anymore.

Last Friday, we held the meeting of the Local Security Board and we set the operating system that will assume the Carnival in this area. The high turnout, the arrival of hundreds of thousands of people and the implementation of existing protocols on prevention and safety, invite us to implement security measures that make our Carnival safer for everyone, without altering participation, openness and attraction. And for this purpose the role of the various security forces working full time is essential (Local Police, Autonomous Police, Fire Brigade, Civil Defense, Red Cross Emergency Medical Service ...). I want to take advantage of these lines to thank and encourage all to do their job. If the festivity is and will be a success in the future, their main actors are the Commission, organizations, groups and various teams involved in the Carnival and their constant work. 

Now, it is time to enjoy our Carnival. The best Carnival.

Tourism: realities and commitments

2015 was a good year for tourism. The beach season, annual data of overnight and business stays, and the organization of events are a perfect indicators. Results were good, but we must manage and interpret them with a clear mind, but with a well fundamented confidence to continue our path. These three areas (beaches, conferences and events) are the three routes, all necessary and complementary, that are allowing us to maintain a good position. But at the same time, such areas constitute unique future challenges. If we can properly manage the moderate growth, and at the same time generate and take advantage of opportunities that arise in such  three areas, we will ensure the future.

1. Beaches 

No need to dwell on the crucial importance of beach tourism for Sitges. But it is also true that beaches are not enough to maintain our current level. But without competitive beaches, our future would face uncertainties. For this reason, during 2015, 2013 and 2014,  we did not hesitate a second to pour sand to our beaches to save the season. Storms in recent years, especially during 2014, seriously threatened our beach season, and without beach season, everything starts to look bleak in Sitges.

I am fully aware that the timely actions of the last few summers to gain sand are just temporary patches. Those interventions are no long-term solutions, their only goal was to save their respective seasons. A very essential action. The solution to prevent investing new resources every summer to bring sand is the definitive regeneration of our beaches. Sitges has been expecting this project for over 20 years, but until now no Ministry has backed us with the guarantees and requirements needed for such an intervention. In recent months, however, we have been working with various stakeholders to finalize the necessary project, that we want to agree with the new Ministry arising out of elections next Sunday. The Deputy Mayor, Aurora Carbonell, together with Councilor Jordi Mas and myself, are totally committed in the project, which will require patience, skill and support from other governments where we can make our voice heard.

2. Night stays 

The summer of 2015 has been remarkably successful. And the annual aggregate gives us positive results overall thanks to full recovery of the arrival of congresses. This year, there has been an overall increase in the organization and reception of conventions and corporative visitors, and such data confirms two trends:

• On one hand, an improvement in economic indicators in Catalonia, which confirms the strength of our economy despite the abondance of biased bad omens.
• And, on the other, the positioning of our town as a town of congresses is gaining positions and improving results. Sitges was again this year, the second town of Catalonia in the organization of conferences, having lost that status for several years. And that fills us with satisfaction.

In anticipation of closing the data for the year, 2015 will exceed the figure of 600 professional events held in Sitges and a global turnover of 40 million euros distributed among all stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in services.

The data and results are positive and invite to a tempered satisfaction. But we must be aware that other localities are also celebrating a successful 2015. Competition is growing and you know better than anyone that every client and customer requires special attention and extra effort.

In Sitges, we certainly have some very important elements that support our commitment to conventions. We have a brand- that is undeniably. We have the experience of  generations in managing political and tourist facilities, and in addition to its privileged location,  hotel facilities are tailored to the needs, although some improvements must be addressed in the future.

But we are still missing some features that until now could be necessary but that now are increasingly essential. This is the case of a congress and exhibition center, which responds to a real and growing demand. This is a challenge both the private and the public sector, a challenge we must face together immediately. We can not wait any longer because we risk losing vital opportunities.

For this reason, our City Hall has envisaged a Governance Plan to pave the way to complete an infrastructure of this kind for Sitges. Facilities that ensure the future of Sitges as a convention center, but that help at the same time to retain the present. If we do not do it, if we keep looking the other way because we believe that we already have the brand and the other virtues that I mentioned, we would be at risk of taking a step back.

In this regard, authorities and the tourism sector must act as one voice, capable of unifying efforts needs. The first step is to decide which profile -and which location- should host fairgrounds.. And, in parallel, to explore all possibilities and find suitable investors. For this reason, Joan Anton, in the coming weeks we will summon you to a meeting that must lay the foundations of this required  facility and where we will present preliminary work.

3. Events

If the first two poles of future challenges (beaches and convention tourism) require additional effort, the third should not appear as relegated. I mean the organization of events intended to transform Sitges into a relevant point of attraction. Namely, festivals, fairs, sectoral initiatives or cultural facilities such as renovated museums, which next week will be a year since we reopened and constitute an excellent business card: in the first year they received 50,000 visits.

This year we have added two more festivals in our stable calendar. On one hand, Sitges Next, the festival of innovation and communication, which brought together 500 advertisers and creatives past April, some coming from the United States. We are already working on the next edition. And, again, just ten days ago, the Sitges Christmas Festival, which has enabled us to strengthen our position as a patchwork town, extending the offer with a complementary event with great quality.

In parallel, we are working on two festivals in which we want you to be particularly visible and significant. First, an international music festival that we would love to hold summer months in the gardens of Terramar. It would be a fastival following the format of Cap Roig, Peralada or Pedralbes, hosting groups of different profiles and music allowing to generate quality and attractiveness. And, again, a summer sports festival, in which Aurora Carbonell and Carmen Almirall are already working for 2017.

We want to make Sitges a land of festivals. What We want Sitges to be what Cannes was in France during the second half of the twentieth century, not only in Catalonia, but in the whole of the western Mediterranean. The Councillor of Culture, Rosa Tubau, is considering other proposals to promote festivals during the coming years. She wants to set a stable timetable positioning Sitges as the first Catalan city, besides Barcelona, ​​in this field, and with a clear international projection. And to further progress in this field, fairgrounds for fair and congresses will be increasingly essential.

Last week, the Board of Film Festival confirmed the growth figures recorded this year, a 20% increase of tickets sold and 10,000 news appearing in the media. A promotional tool, and as you can ascertain, a extraordinary tool that keeps growing. For this reason, this year we wanted to add new screens and activities spread around the town, with the intention that the direct impact of the Festival  is also clearly noticed in the center of town.

The Municipal Government's commitment is clear and unequivocal in its quest to provide the necessary tools to Sitges. The current Mayor is totally devoted to such an end, wether as Mayor and as Deputy of Tourism in the Provincial Government, a condition which will advance the cause of our town. The Governance Plan, which can be visited at the web of Sitges City Hall, describes such goals and all the future challenges we have full ahead. Our dream is to transform Sitges into a entrepeneurial town that champions high quality and sustainable tourism and that becomes an international cultural capital.