Valencia flood victims remembered at WTM in London

This year's World Travel Market was marked by the absence of regional presidents, provincial tourism bosses and local mayors

Pilar Martínez

London

Friday, 8 November 2024, 10:44 | Updated 11:12h.

The first day of the World Travel Market began at the Spanish stand with business owners and tourism workers holding a minute's silence in honour of the more than 200 people who died as a result of last week's floods. It was broken by a warm round of applause before people signed a book of condolences.

Turespaña director Miguel Ángel Sanz, together with secretary of state for tourism Rosario Sánchez Grau, and the heads of various Spanish administrations showed their support and solidarity with the Valencia region, which had a black ribbon on its stand.

The opening of the fair was marked on Tuesday by the absence of the usual visits and speeches by leading politicians representing the main tourist destinations, who stayed away due to the tragedy caused by floods around the country.

On Sunday the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, and the regional tourism minister, Arturo Bernal, announced that they would not be travelling to London, as did the president of Turismo Costa del Sol, Francisco Salado.

On a local level, only two mayors from the Costa del Sol, Óscar Medina of Torrox and Ángeles Muñoz of Marbella attended the WTM on Tuesday to support their tourism teams.

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