in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Tourists Triple Javea Population
Tourism is not only income…
Recent Forum Posts
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Tourists Triple Javea Population
(account deleted) 02 Oct 2010 03:32
in discussion Natural Environment / Marine Reserve of the Cabo de San Antonio » San Antonio Auto Transport
A search for assistant professor of psychology was posted for this school at the end of April. Anyone know anything about the status of this late search? Possibly an inside candidate?
Those of us who have lived in Jávea some time will remember the time when saline water came out of our taps, washing anything was a nightmare and house plants died from too much salt. We had to collect fresh water from large roadside tanks. Our desalination plant was an initiative by the present mayor, Eduardo Monfort, in a previous administration. No other municipality took the initiative and the risks at that time. It is no wonder that the Town Hall wants to hang on to control of its drinking water capacity now that everyone else is jumping on the bandwagon.
Charity begins at home? Not it appears for those who are still waiting for ( or unlikely to receive) compensation for their losses in the October floods in Javea of October last. An opportunity to provide neighbourly support lost with local charitable funds raised going to who knows where and whom in Mauretania, whether deservedly or probably not. Timo Dee
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Real Estate Agencies go Bust
Santiago Baena knows a thing or two about the market place, as there is no income from trying to sell an oversupply of lettuces; they just go limp.However, at the right price, and that probably far lower than folk in this very limp and oversupplied property market are currently prepared to accept, bricks and mortar, if legal, will sell, albeit sluggishly. Timo.
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Javea Rejects Plan to expand the port
I am away all this week but really appreciate keeping up to date on this site, so many thanks Chris.
It occurred to me that if we concentrated on getting the coastline made a protected area it would be a start. It should be easy, as I understand it the proposal was sent to Valencia and its only their incompetance that it wasn't processed. Or am being naive? Anyway it is a cause we could all support and we could petition Madrid, get Greenpeace on side, write letters to Spainsh and english press etc. etc..
If we could get this passed then any proposals to extend the port would have to respect it - or is that naive too?
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » Modern Irrigation uses less water but more energy
The cost of domestic electricity will rise after July 1st. According to the Economist (June 28th 2008) The average increase will be about 5.6%, but some families will see a rise of 16%. This is due to the gradual removal of Governemnt subsidies. The cumulative difference between what it costs power companies to produce power and what they are allowed to charge for it, the "tariff deficit" has now ballooned to €14 billion.
in discussion Vision and Strategic Planning / Vision » Essential reading so far!
To save your reinventing the wheel, have a look at what has emerged from Agenda 21 in respect of summary views.
Town plan proposals 2007
Antonio Martinez presentation
in discussion Urbanisation and Town Planning / Major works and infrastructure » Conference Centre
This from Timo Dee -
A conference centre (adjacent to the Fontan canal) is one item on the NJ list of proposals.If one could find a commercial backer, then it might manage to jump ahead of the municipal auditorium, as that is a rather different concept.
A decent conference centre is after all basically a large warehouse, but kitted out rather better.The suite of rooms at the Denia Marriott is a good example.
And have you seen just how fast Mercadonna have managed to build their new shed at the bottom of the road from Benitachell into Moraira…..
So perhaps a spanking new MasyMas downstairs, doing away with their two other existing motley offerings, and they would build above the shell for a conference centre.Something of a focal point for the Avenida Disgusta, roofed in photo voltaic solar panels and overlooking an expanded marina joined onto the canal?
Timo Dee
PS …..no underground/underwater carparking !
in discussion Hidden / Per page discussions » News - 2008 Municipal Budget
Is this sustainable?
Can the gap between income and expenditure only be filled by selling off €2.2 millions worth of patrimonio land? How about next yearand the year after?
And as for the overspend on fiestas, it is probably already way over spent again this year, while the chap in charge of Javea's finances is also in charge of fiestas…..so what next?
in discussion Culture and Heritage / Fiestas, exhibitions and concerts » Costs of Fiesta Rock groups
By chance I was reading an article about the spiraling cost of rock concerts and rock festivals in Spain. (El Pais, English edition, 19th June) and noted the following paragraph:
In Spain there is no law that regulates what institutions can spend, and city halls have free reign. They let promoters use municipal land free of charge and provide the security, public transportation and more.
This brought to mind a conversation I heard about the cost of rock groups hired to entertain people at fiestas. Apparently a group which sang in Orba cost some tens of thousands of Euros for one night (I can't remember the exact figure, but it was a lot!)
The 2008 Sant Joan Fiestas feature six different bands - at least two of which (Formula V and Vertigo) are pretty well known. These concerts are free for everyone who wishes to attend.
I know it is acknowledged that Fiestas should gradually become more self-sustaining, and not be financed entirely by the coffers of the Town Hall, but obliging people to pay for something which is currently "free" is a hard sell!
The Group "Formula V" was formed in the 1960's. The regional expat community has a number of highly talented groups hailing from that era (and younger) who do gigs for a few hundred Euros a night. Perhaps Jávea could look to exploiting this talent a bit more ?
in discussion Natural Environment / Marine Reserve of the Cabo de San Antonio » how to promote this as a tourist attraction
Hi Gaile
I contacted Guiomar about your question and her initial response was:
Well, first the divers have to get together, and that doesn't sound easy.
If they ever do, then they can go to the Consell de Turismo or to the Estación Náutica de la Marina.
Turismo is working already in unifying promotion packs.
but if divers don't get together…
Later she told me more about Estación nautica.
This idea is really interesting and encouraging. This consists of groupings of various businesses which work together to offer an comprehensive package of activities from which visitors can cherry-pick. Not only sea sports, but other stuff such as biking, golf…support businesses such as hotels and restaurants are also involved. Locally the main centre is in Dénia. A few Jávea companies have also joined.
Here's some of the blurb:
The Marina Alta resort offers water sports enthusiasts and visitors in general a comprehensive range of seamlessly coordinated activities and services especially designed to ensure a pleasant stay.
More importantly, its water sports centres, where guests can learn, master or simply enjoy all manner of water sports and activities, are open 365 days a year. Holiday packages also include an extensive range of hotels, apartments, campgrounds, hostels and farm-schools. Moreover, visitors have the option of hiring the necessary equipment.
http://www.estacionesnauticas.info/
Click on English
More here as well - this seems to promote packages
http://www.disfrutaelmar.com/es/home.php
Chris
in discussion Natural Environment / Marine Reserve of the Cabo de San Antonio » how to promote this as a tourist attraction
I'll try to find out about grants and subsidies etc.
..and will report back
Chris
in discussion Tourism / Which model for Jávea's Tourism ? » Getting Tourists here - How and Why?
Urban mobility (or lack of it) has been a big talking point in Agenda21 and we had some formal sessions on this in 2007, though the approach was not from the point of view of getting tourists here, but how we deal with getting about in general.
One suggestion was a network of microbuses and another an intermodal station (where passengers switch from long distance bus to taxi/mini-bus). This would be located near Mercadona and the Thursday market. A piece of land is available.
More cycle tracks were also suggested, but the whole thing became bogged down. I think mainly because Jávea has three urban centres, so we can't look at other places and say "Well, that plan works fine there, let's try something similar here!"
So when it came to the Local Action Plan (the document we are currently working on) , everything was boiled down to the need to carry out a proper study and develop a plan based on the findings. As I understand it, the consultant IDOM which is drawing up the General Town Plan, has been asked to look in to this issue.
As regards tourists, many of them stay in rented villas in urbanisations, and the only way they could feasibly get about would be by using a car, and it makes sense for them to hire a car at the airport.
There is no direct bus link from El Altet Airport. UBESA buses go from the Airport to Benidorm. Trains go from Denia / La Jara / Gata to Alicante City . These used to be very slow, but I think things are being upgraded.
The main problem Jávea has, is that we are out on the peninsular, and off the main routes. Boats? - the Turkish gulets are fine for a leisurely cruise, and stop in tiny picturesque bays. We sinply don't have the variety of coastline they have in the Aegean (I sailed there last year!)
Chris
in discussion Natural Environment / Marine Reserve of the Cabo de San Antonio » how to promote this as a tourist attraction
When I did my open water diving course, the one lesson that was drummed into me - after I had grasped the rudimentary elements of safety - was the need to preserve the areas where diving takes place and to touch and disturb as little as possible - keeping a safe distance from fragile plants and sea life. It was the same with photography - if you want to photograph wildlife and plants down to a macro level - you have to avoid either disturbing it or standing on it!
Are there any grants or subsidies or tax allowances that could be given as incentives to our numerous but struggling dive centres to work together (which they probably already try to do) to help them to promote themselves and the Marine Reserve more, as a tourist destination - getting articles and ads into international diving magazines, for example, is very very costly for a small diving centre - but done as part a Jávea Promotion pack supported by the Town Hall and all clubbing together, wouldn't cost that much… Not really sure how practical the idea is - just an idle thought in passing - but divers and tourists will keep reserve poachers away - or at least restrict their access - and divers do night dives too - so it could be almost a 24 hour rotation of diving clubs and divers and marine patrols around the reserve during the tourist season!!
in discussion Tourism / Which model for Jávea's Tourism ? » Getting Tourists here - How and Why?
Those of us who own cars mostly feel that being just over an hour from two airports is reasonably convenient - but for a tourist, it creates an obligation to hire a vehicle to get here which they will then drive whilst here - which puts pressure on Jávea to provide the infrastructure to cope with this Summer influx of cars and car parking - and we have all seen what happens to Jávea when it tries to improve parking! Not least it narrows all the streets and lifts all the kerbs.
If we are to promote Jávea as a tourist destination, deciding how we want them to get here will go a long way towards deciding what type of tourist we want and what type of Jávea they are going to want to come and see.
Example:- If we want more pedestrians and less cars in the centre of town - which seems to be the way we are heading now (I am actually not being sarcastic - just for once) then maybe we should be encouraging tourists who come by bus, coach, train and boat. The buses are currently very cheap - but it is a lengthy journey with stops and changes at the depot in Alicante to get to and from the Airport, there. Coaches require either a "coach tour" approach to tourists - which leans towards Benidorm… or we could take a leaf out of the Scunthorpe model and encourage/subsidise Airport transfer coaches that are dedicated to Jávea and stop nowhere else… I for one would use this sort of service and I know a lot of others who would too- if there is one already tell me where and when! We could also go for an Oxford "Park and Ride" approach for the driving tourist - at least this won't put all our car hire companies out of business.
We have often discussed the possibility of encouraging eco tourists - but it is a bit of a drawback if we cannot offer an eco-friendly means of getting here from their arrival point in Spain - so may be we should be looking to copy the Turkish phenomenom of bringing back the old fashioned 60 passenger sailing ships to ferry up and down the coast - pretty stylish way to get to your holiday destination! And good for boat trips!
Trains are good as far as Gata, apart from the stop in Altea - but then it is a long walk to here - so perhaps coaches meeting Gata/Altea "airport" trains would work…
The point I am wandering around is that Jávea is rapidly becoming a bottleneck. It is a destination, not a place you go through, to go anywhere else - so whilst its position is its charm - it is Jávea's accessibility that will dictate what model we can follow - are we being pushed into only being accessible to the wealthy or maybe we are aiming at the determined back packer - or are we developing a larger model for a wider audience?
in discussion Economy and the Job market / Diversifying the Job Market » JEREMIE - EU Funding Helping EU Businesses
Chris
I really think that is an excellent proposal - I seriously feel that businesses here need a boost and business funding is not the only type of funding available from the EU - there are many EU community projects that could be possible sources of future funding to address some of the serious and underlying issues - beyond the bricks and mortar schemes that have been tapped into so far. Adult Education has been a high flyer in Europe for years and schemes involving increasing facilities for children, care and the disabled must be in there somewhere.
in discussion Economy and the Job market / Diversifying the Job Market » JEREMIE - EU Funding Helping EU Businesses
Hi Gaile - The Agenda21 proposal to employ a Mister Fixit (or company) to chase up sources of external funding has not been discussed with the Town Hall. At present each department does its own looking for funding in an ad hoc sort of way, and no one person is responsible.
Some of us feel that some specialist skill and diligence could produce better results, and I have suggested that we could look at this project again and discuss its implications.
Chris
in discussion Economy and the Job market / Diversifying the Job Market » JEREMIE - EU Funding Helping EU Businesses
Some time ago, the Agenda21 forum discussed the necessity for the Town hall to employ someone whose sole job was to chase after funding. This suggestion was adopted in the Local Action Plan, Project 8. "Contratación de los servicios de un técnico para búsqueda activa y tramitación de subvenciones". As far as I can recall this project has not been mentioned in the briefings we have had from the Ayuntamiento. I'll e-mail Noa (who is the co-ordinator for the Consultant "Masuno" which is managing the Ad21 process at the moment) to see what has happened to this proposal, if anything.
Thanks for raising the issue!
Chris
in discussion All about the Agenda21 Process / Promoting Agenda21 » Wikidot Agenda 21
Hi David
The comments for each page are found at the bottom of the page in question.
There's a link which says "Show Comments"
In this way comments relating to a particular article are stored with that article.
So far, I have only added the code for comments on the main page, but will add it to other pages…when I get round to it!
Thanks for your kind words!
Chris
