Culture and technology will shape Malaga’s future post-COVID – EURACTIV.com
Strengthening the cultural elements and a focus on innovation-driven projects are the driving forces for Malaga’s future after the pandemic, Mayor Francisco de la Torre told EFE in an interview.
De la Torre said he sees the Malaga of the future as “very bright” and “very powerful culturally and technologically”, a trend that, he assures, will help shape the city in the medium and long term.
“It will be a Malaga strong in culture […] as well as a technologically advanced city that sees clearly that innovation is one of the keys to progress”, he said, adding that it will show itself to the world as an “urban laboratory” for innovative projects.
Accessibility completes the panorama of “a city without barriers” that is especially sensitive to social and solidarity aspects.
The city also shares, says the mayor, two of the main objectives of the European Union regarding post-pandemic recovery: the green transition and digital transformation, two issues that determine the distribution of Next Generation EU (NGEU) funds – the European Union’s social and economic COVID recovery package.
And so, in the coming years, Malaga “is going to take very important steps in sustainability”, he noted.
A city of ‘five minutes’
On the one hand, the pandemic has led to a labour scenario in which teleworking “provides a response to sustainability”, and many choose to work remotely in Malaga: “It is happening, it is a reality, and we will continue to support it”, said the mayor.
On the other hand, “the urban approach has a lot to do with sustainability” and, along these lines, Malaga could be a city “of five minutes”, in which “the time between the place of work, residence, shopping, and study is much shorter. That’s the kind of model we’re trying to promote”, he explained.
Among his projects is opening Malaga to the metropolitan area, facilitating public transport “with a BUS-HOV lane and with modal interchanges, where citizens can arrive without using their private car, collaborating in the control of CO2”.
“Malaga province will be, I am convinced, one of the great achievements from the point of view of a successful territorial policy of Spain and Europe,” said the mayor.
Progressing in digitisation
In terms of digitisation, the city is “progressing strongly”, but, he notes, there is still a long way to go in this area, both for the local administration and companies, where there is a lack of awareness when it comes to accessing training courses.
The mayor alludes to the importance of “a higher educational level because then, the projects will have more quality, more strength, more ambition, more international vision and more capacity for digital transformation.”
All these elements contribute to a Malaga “that tries to provide good service to its citizens”, a city with “a lot to offer the people of Malaga in transport, in green areas, in culture” or, in technology, “a comfortable city, pedestrian, which takes care of its heritage and with itineraries that make it welcoming […] making it attractive for outsiders”, he added.
The role of tourism
Malaga’s tourism was hit hard by the pandemic. Still, according to the mayor, it has now recovered and returned to pre-pandemic levels, with a confident forecast for a full recovery and an eye on technology and culture.
“The forecasts show that there is confidence in the recovery”, the mayor said, pointing out that growth compared to 2019 of between 3% and 4% is expected”.
Moreover, although the restrictions imposed during the early stages of the pandemic led to a drop in international tourism in favour of domestic tourism, by 2021, the figures had returned to normal.
As a result, the capital faces a new summer campaign with high expectations in terms of occupancy and reservations.
Several factors converge and contribute to the city of Malaga’s qualities that make it a place to visit and live in. One is “tourism excellence”, thanks to the hotels, the food, and the cultural offerings, elements that have brought people back together, something that was missing during the pandemic.
Fine dining, one of the city’s hallmarks and part of tourism excellence, “has been further improved in recent years and is a local attraction”, in an effort “infused”, the Spanish politician says, with that “key concept: quality”.
In fact, Malaga stands out for its numerous quality certificates in “the entire tourism value chain, from the taxi driver who picks up tourists at the station or airport to hotels, restaurants, museums, and businesses”, De la Torre concluded.
This article is part of a Special Report supported by METRO AG.
[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com]
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