The government proposes to start the work to raise the nomination of Benidorm to a World Heritage Site

The intention is to have a document that identifies the keys, strengths and weaknesses to achieve that statement

The mayor, Toni Pérez, will bring to the plenary next week a proposal to start "exploratory work" to determine how to propose the possible candidature for Benidorm to be declared a World Heritage Site.

The motion has been decided today in an informative committee, and proposes to do "a rigorous analysis" that allows to determine "the real possibilities of obtaining such a worthy recognition, to detect where the accent should be placed, what are the precise steps, the essential requirements, the reports and the promotional actions to be carried out, etc. ".

Pérez added that "it is essential to have all the information that allows us to X-ratify what this declaration of UNESCO implies and what are the options that the city has to obtain it, and at the same time guide us where our action should go" .

The mayor stressed that "facing the challenge of presenting the candidacy" of the city to a World Heritage Site "can not be a mere declaration of intentions", but "must be accompanied by a firm and sustained action in the best Studies and reports. "

According to the motion, it was the French tourist expert Philippe Duhamel who first proposed in 2008 - at the XII International Forum of Tourism of Benidorm - the declaration of the architectural ensemble of the city as a World Heritage Site. Later, in April of 2015 the sociologist Mario Gaviria returned to this idea, but extending it to all the city and not limiting it only to the architectonic question.

In addition, scholars from different fields have defended the excellence of Benidorm, such as the sociologist José Miguel Iribas, or more recently "outstanding architects and urbanists" such as Óscar Tusquets, Javier Mariscal, Juli Capella and Jordi Garcés.

The exploratory work proposed by the motion will address issues such as urban planning in Benidorm, environmental sustainability as well as economic and social, landscape and architectural design, social cohesion or the contribution of the city to the popularization of tourism.