WITH IMPROVEMENT COMMITMENTS BY OPERATORS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, INSPECTIONS FINISHED AT TOURIST DOCKS OF THE ISLAND

· During the two inspection days there were certain faults that must be corrected with urgency, taking into account that it is intended to certify the destination as high quality.

With inspection and control campaign at the Tonino's and Police Tourist Docks, and the Boaters Cooperative located on the pedestrian pathway of Spratt Bight, the Secretariat of Tourism, together with Dimar, the Attorney´s General Office, Tourism Police, Coralina, among other entities, certified that the tour operators have the infrastructure and adequate services for visitors.

According to the Secretary of Tourism, Yadira Olivo Florez, during the two days of inspection, certain faults were found that must be corrected with urgency, taking into account that the destination is to be certified as high quality.

In the same manner, she added that meetings will be held with tour operators to inform on the changes they must make to their businesses in order to provide an excellent service to tourists.

"The first measure is to make owners of establishments and properties understand that no one can exercise tourism activity without control,"said Olivo Florez, Secretary of Tourism.

Clean areas, with enough space for visitors to move, adequate with chairs and restrooms in perfect sanitary conditions, spaces to deal with emergencies and the main thing, businesses that have the National Tourism Registry, are the main demands made by the officials to the operators.

"We cannot allow them to take over public space and low-tide areas.  Cordial invitation was made to operators who are making unauthorized sales to move out because we do not want to come and remove them, it is not the idea. We know that it is their economic activity, but do it in a legal way. Processes must be followed and permits must be requested,"added the Secretary of Tourism.

Continuing with the findings, the official referred to the excess and bad management that is being given to advertising.

"Operators are using advertising unconventionally. We invited business owners to remove the advertising and they very kindly agreed. They understood that this is a totally friendly verification and control. We came with some verification processes and they have not complied, so we had to do this verification,"concluded Olivo.

The Secretariat of Tourism will continue with the inspections, which have as fundamental objective to know first-hand and without filters the current state of the services that are provided to visitors and to tend for their improvement.