Training sessions for members

During the year our legal and financial services department organise numerous activities such as seminars, courses and conferences. These activities cover those topics that most affect our members such as VAT and the letting of properties, income tax and the letting of properties, taxation regulations of associations, non resident taxation regulations, and the legal requirements of Health and Safety regulations.

Courses are also run at the same time to assist those companies that are taking steps to introduce new practices to improve quality.
With the aim of meeting our members needs, ATA organised the first “ATA conference on the financing of borough tourism.”

This was the first time a conference of this nature was organised. Numerous points were raised and discussed both in general terms and more specifically regarding the letting of tourist accommodation

The event gave members the opportunity to debate different viewpoints concerning the state of affairs in question: the impact of the Ecotax in the Balearic Islands, the opinions of those responsible for development, the role of the local councils, the theoretical reflections of an economist and the business outlook in the future for the sector.

The Symposium of the association is biannual.

On the 5 th of November 2004, the “2nd Symposium of the ATA” was held in the Hotel Carlemany of Girona, under the title Second homes; Benefit or Burden for the Costa Brava?

The Symposium was directed at professionals and businesses in the Girona tourism sector; hotels, campsites, rural tourism accommodation, leisure centres, promoters, constructors, architects, and especially to our sector, apartments.

The themes dealt with were of interest to technical professionals, civil servants and politicians from a variety of administrative areas, those associated with tourism in a multitude of ways, university teachers and students, as well as business and tourism schools

The opening ceremony was inaugurated by the Honourable Councillor for Commerce, Tourism and Consumption, Mr. Sr. Josep Huguet, together with the president of the association Mr. Lluís Torrent.

The main theme “ Second homes; Benefit or Burden for the Costa Brava ?” was taken up immediately

The conclusions of the Debate on the Costa Brava were commented on first, before continuing with a talk on the profitability of second homes, and the session was rounded off with a debate between speakers from the affected sectors and participation from the public.

Later in the afternoon, after dinner at the Hotel Carlemany, the theme of E-tourism was dealt with . Internet sales experts were the first to speak, outlining their own professional experiences.

Later the theme centred on how internet can help in renting tourist apartments, with the presentation of a website aimed at tourist rental websites and the new website of the ATA.

The “2nd Symposium of the ATA”, was rounded off by the Sub-Director General for Tourism in Catalonia, Mr. Javier Sobrino, and the President of the ATA, Mr. Lluís Torrent.