The University of Alicante will host the XXIII International Tourism Forum of Benidorm on 23 October, organised by the Pedro Zaragoza Orts Chair of Tourism Studies under the theme "Beyond growth: the social value of tourism." The event will focus on measuring and enhancing the contribution of tourism to the well-being of local residents and those employed in the sector.
Scheduled from 9:00 to 13:15 in the Alfredo Orts Lecture Hall, located in the Optics and Optometry building, the forum will gather institutional leaders, specialists from international organisations, researchers, and business representatives to discuss the social challenges of tourism and explore opportunities for advancing towards more responsible and inclusive models.
The opening session will feature Antonio Pérez, Mayor of Benidorm and President of the Provincial Council of Alicante; Juan Llopis Taverner, Director of Institutional Relations and Projects at the University of Alicante; and José Manuel Camarero, Secretary for Tourism of the Generalitat Valenciana.
The programme will commence with a keynote address titled "Understanding the responsible traveller: new profiles and opportunities for European tourism," presented by Miguel Gallego, Marketing and Communication Manager of the European Travel Commission. Josep Ivars from the University Institute of Tourism Research (IUIT) at the University of Alicante will moderate this session.
Following this, Issa Torres, Policy Analyst at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, and Óscar Perelli, Executive Vice President of Exceltur, will discuss the social sustainability challenges facing tourism in a dialogue moderated by Leire Bilbao, Manager of Visit Benidorm.
After a coffee break and networking session, the forum will explore how to measure the social perception of tourism activities. An academic panel will include María Jesús Salado, a researcher at the Institute of Economic and Social Analysis (IAES) and Professor at the University of Alcalá; José Francisco Perles, Honorary Collaborator of the IUIT and the Department of Applied Economic Analysis at the University of Alicante; and Carlos Mora, Director of Market Research at Likert Applied Social Research. This session will be moderated by Ana Ramón, Director of the Pedro Zaragoza Orts Chair of Tourism Studies, and will also cover the satisfaction surveys conducted by the chair in Benidorm.
The final session will focus on best business practices regarding social inclusion in the destination. Rafael García, Director of the Levante and Balearic Zone at Ilunion Hotels; Isaac Vidal, Marketing and Sales Manager at AR Hotels & Resorts; and Elisa Fernández, Sustainability Director at Casual Hotels, will share experiences from the hotel sector. This panel, which will also include Magic Costa Blanca, will be moderated by María Jesús Such from the IAES at the University of Alcalá.
The institutional closing will conclude a day aimed at broadening the perspective on tourism development, moving beyond visitor numbers to incorporate the impact of this activity on the quality of life of the local population, the working conditions of those in the sector, and social inclusion in destinations.
