The Ministry of the Interior has approved the Safe Tourism Plan for the period 2024-2027, which updates the plan in force since 2011 and pays special attention to the fight against cybercrime in the current digital environment.
New Safe Tourism Plan for the period 2024-2027
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It notes the increase in the online market, “which facilitates the increase in intrusive computer activities and computer fraud”, and provides for specific awareness-raising and sensitisation actions to inform the tourism sector about the main cybersecurity threats, “promoting a culture of prevention” and providing the sector with recommendations and advice that will enable them to increase the security of the services they provide.
The State Security Forces and Corps will also intensify the dissemination of information on their websites and social media channels to prevent victimisation by online scams, particularly when booking accommodation and tourist packages through the digital environment.
Among the advice, users will be urged to ensure the existence and reliability of the brand name of the portal selected for bookings, to make payments through a trusted platform and to prioritise connection through a virtual private network rather than a public WI-FI network, as well as to report possible activities that may cast suspicion on the booking platform.
For the first time, the Safe Tourism Plan, hitherto associated with international sun and beach tourists, devotes specific attention to inland tourism, linked to nature, the environment, cultural wealth in the most depopulated areas and pilgrimage routes, such as the Camino de Santiago, and provides for reinforced police action in these areas.
Use of alerts cops and the fight against uncivil behaviour
Among the measures introduced to improve tourist information and assistance, the use of the Alertcops security application for mobile devices will be promoted, with more than 2.3 million downloads since its creation, which allows rapid and effective interaction with the State Security Forces and Corps in situations of risk throughout the country.
The plan also focuses on maintaining security in transport infrastructures and promotes the establishment of collaboration mechanisms with the public entities that manage the main entry points for tourism, such as international airports, high-speed railway stations and cruise ship ports, so that videos are regularly shown in the facilities and on the means of transport to disseminate and publicise the Safe Tourism Plan.
The instruction approved today focuses for the first time on the “negative impact” on the tourism sector of “uncivil behaviour by young tourists” which causes “disturbances to public order and insecurity for residents, as well as undermining the quality of tourism in these areas”.
To curb these situations, the collaboration will be strengthened within the framework of the Local Security Boards, between the State Security Forces and Corps with local authorities and representatives of the tourism sector “to join forces” and “prevent the degradation of tourist areas and the disruption of normal coexistence”.
Boosting the service for foreign tourists
The plan envisages boosting the Foreign Tourist Assistance Service (SATE), teams that have been operational since 2011 to assist foreign tourists who, during their stay, have experienced a situation that requires police intervention or support. The SATEs assist tourists in their own language and the communication they need with consulates, embassies and countries of origin.
Through the General Directorates of the Police and the Civil Guard and the Government delegations and sub-delegations, agreements will be signed to create the SATE service in those municipalities that receive a large number of foreign tourists and do not yet have these police teams and interpreters.
The instruction will take into account the figure of the missing person, in line with the 1st Strategic Plan on Missing Persons, and specific information campaigns will be developed and disseminated aimed at tourists on the procedure for action if a family member or relative goes missing.
Channels of cooperation will also be established with the State Company for the Management of Innovation and Tourism Technologies (SEGITTUR), attached to the Secretary of State for Tourism, to develop joint and collaborative activities to contribute to the promotion of safe tourism in Spain and to encourage the exchange of data and the carrying out of studies and analyses of safety in tourist destinations.
The Safe Tourism Plan will be joined in June by the activation of Operation Summer, which involves the reinforcement of National Police and Civil Guard staff in the communities with the greatest tourist impact, to increase preventive vigilance on urban and interurban roads, stations, ports, airports, hotels, beaches and campsites and at large-scale events.