Ordinance regulating the network of tourist offices “Info Rías Baixas" - Turismo Rias Baixas

Initially approved by the plenary session of the Provincial Corporation of Pontevedra's Provincial Council, in the ordinary session from the 23rd February 2018, the Ordinance that regulates the creation of the network of tourist offices "Info Rías Baixas" is made definitive as there were no complaints against it in the period of public exhibition. The complete text of the ordinance is published as required by the Article 70.2 of the Law 7/1985, of 2nd April, that regulates the bases of the local regime: 

 

 

The Provincial Council of Pontevedra has amongst its goals the execution, coordination and boost of the promotion and development actions for the destination Rías Baixas, favouring a tourist offer of quality by means of the unification, promotion and follow-up of it, even in the performances of informative attention directed to the tourist or the final consumer, the ones that culminate this complex and heterogeneous process when they visit the destination.

 

The Strategic Plan of Turismo Rías Baixas 2017-2020 is a new tool of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra articulated from an analysis and a diagnostic of the destination. In this project, in the point 1.3 of the strategic guidelines, the creation of the network of tourist offices is considered a basic point to reinforce the provision of a homogeneous, global and quality service of the destination.  The information phase if one of the first real contacts done in the destination, greatly valued by the visitors of the destination and directly linked to their level of satisfaction. The loyalty and the selfless promotion of the appeals of the destination to others depend on a good evaluation of this service done by the final consumer. The creation of a quality public service of tourist information; well-organised, accessible, easily recognisable and with a good image; through a networking information system is fundamental in the process of updating the public administrations and the projects directly aimed at the tourist users. This service must contribute to the reinforcement of the competitiveness and the improvement of the quality of the public service in this field.

 

The Tourist Service of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra has all the necessary management tools to provide technical support to the tourist offices and information points in order to offer a quality service to the tourists visiting the province and show an unified image of the destination, as well and recollecting reliable data to perform a study of the profiles that visit the province to be able to promote the destination in a timely and accurate way. 

 

 

This ordinance has the object of creating and regulating the network of tourist offices "INFO RÍAS BAIXAS" with the goal of providing a quality attention service, with a unified image and homogeneous characteristics in the tourist offices of the province of Pontevedra to improve the level of satisfaction of the visitors.

 

 

The network of tourist offices “INFO RÍAS BAIXAS" is formed by the tourist offices and information points owned by the Provincial Council of Pontevedra.

In addition, the following tourist offices and information points can also be part of the network:

• Tourist offices and information points owned by the local administrations of the province of Pontevedra and dependent entities.

• Tourist offices and information points owned by cooperative entities, foundations and other non-profit organisations, legally constituted, that carry out tasks of tourist information. 

To be part of the network of tourist offices, the procedure laid down in Article 5 must be followed.

 

 

• Development of a shared corporative image and culture for all the offices and information points.

• Use of the management platforms, support and homogeneous informative content, provided by the Provincial Council of Pontevedra, respecting at the same time all the singularities of each municipality and implementation of unified methodologies for the visitor service.

• Coordination and technical support between the Tourist Service of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra and the attached offices and information points of the province in terms of tourist policies and promotion.

• Coverage of demands of updated and homogeneous tourist information based in new methods and technologies.

• Obtaining reliable statistics about the profile of the tourist that visits the province with the goal of defining and implementing a better strategy of promotion.

• Possibility of obtaining quality badges.

• Possibility of obtaining financial support from the Provincial Council of Pontevedra for staffing or internships for the tourist offices and information points.

 

 

• Suitably furnished interior, with a space for customer service and another for auto service or exhibition of the promotional material, with enough room for the material provided by Turismo Rías Baixas and its own municipality.  The office must be accessible to people with reduced mobility, according to the corresponding and applicable regulation.

• Storage space.

• Appropriate signposting in the main access roads.

• Technological and computer equipment. It must have at least one computer and Internet access to be able to access the databases and management platforms provided by Turismo Rías Baixas.

• Following the regulation in terms of security and risk prevention, as well the sanitary normative, especially in everything related to disinfection, disinsectisation and rat extermination.

• Establishing a cleaning plan for the facility. 

 

 

The entities enumerated in article two will be able to apply to join the network of tourist offices.

The procedure to join will be initiated by an application submitted by the interested party to the President of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra. It will be presented in the Registries or places specified for such proceedings in the Article 16 of the Law 39/2015, of 1st October, of the Common Administrative Procedure. 

The following documentation must be attached to the application:

• Certificate of agreement from the governing body specifying the interest in joining the network and the application for it. 

• For the collaborative entities, foundations and other non-profit organisations, a copy of their Statute.

• Plan of the location of the tourist office or information point.

• Report listing the characteristics of the tourist office or information point. An inventory of the furniture, as well as pictures of the structure and/or materials must be included in this report.

• Affidavit stating that the tourist office or the information point meet the minimum characteristics listed in article four.

 

Once the applications are received, the Tourist Service will analyse the documentation and perform the required checks to verify the state and the characteristics of the office or the information point and will issue a report about the adhesion that must at least include the following information:

 

• Compliance of the minimum characteristics listed in article four by the office or information point.

• Strategic location of the tourist office or information point in the municipality, accessibility conditions and signposting situation.

• Infrastructure and basic equipment to perform a quality and correct tourist support service.

• Compliance of the gratuity requirement in the information service. 

Once the technical report is reviewed, the competent authority will reach an agreement on the approval or dismissal of the application.

If the application is approved, the Provincial Council of Pontevedra and the applicant entity must sign an agreement with all the conditions of the adhesion and the obligations of both parts. 

The adhesion will be annual and it will be possible to tacitly extend it annually for up to a maximum of five (5) years in total, with the exception of an express renounce or complaint from one of the parts with at least a one month's notice.  For the extension, a favourable report from the Tourist Service of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra about the maintenance of the minimum characteristics of the tourist offices or information points listed in article four will be required. 

ARTICLE 6.—DUTIES OF THE JOINING ENTITY IN RELATION TO THE OFFICE NETWORK

The titular entity of the tourist office or information point that joins the network of tourist offices must follow these obligations:

• Maintain the conservation status of the tourist office or information point, carrying out the inspections needed and repairing the possible failures of the equipment.

• Cleaning the tourist office or information point following a cleaning plan, to guarantee an appropriate quality in the provision of the services.

• Facilitate and collaborate in the necessary actions to improve the signposting, the computer tools in the exchange of tourist information.

• Always keep the corporative image of the Turismo Rías Baixas offices network.

• Obtain the authorisation of the Tourist Service of the Provincial Council of Pontevedra for the installation, utilisation and maintenance of any tourist database or computer tool different to those provided by the Provincial Council of Pontevedra. 

• Facilitate the necessary checks that must be carried out by the Tourist Service to verify the optimal conditions of the maintenance of the office or information point.

 

 

The unfulfilment of the duties listed in article 6 will result in the exclusion from the network of offices, after the pertinent contradictory procedure is processed, and, consequently, the loss of all the rights conceded by the membership. 

 

 

The running of the network of offices "INFO RÍAS BAIXAS" will be regulated by the following legal provisions, its latest developments and all the pertinent rules that may be applied:

 

• Law 7/2011, of 27th of October, of the tourism of Galicia Law 7/1985, of 2nd of April, Regulating the Bases of Local Regime.

• Law 5/1997, of 22nd of July, of Local Administration of Galicia.

• Law 39/2015, of 1st of October, of the Common Administrative Procedure of the Public Administrations.

• Law 40/2015, of 1st of October, of Legal Regime of the Public Sector.

• Royal Legislative Decree 781/1986, of 18th of April, which approves the rewritten text of the legal disposals valid in subject of local regime.

• Royal Decree 2568/1986, of 28th of November, which approves the rules of organization, operation and juridical regime of the Local Entities.

 

 

SINGLE DISPOSAL.— This ordinance will be published in the Official Bulletin of the Province and won't come into effect until the expiration of the time window foreseen in art. 65.2 of the Law 7/1985, of 2nd of April, of Bases of the Local Regime.”

 

Pontevedra, 8th May 2018

 

The president

María del Carmen Silva Rego

The secretary

Carlos Cuadrado Romay