Calpe Town Council has once again put out to tender the construction of the 21st Century Tourist Office with an increased budget of 124,000 euros after last year's tender was unsuccessful.
Specifically, the project, which includes the partial demolition of the building and the construction of the new Tourist Office, has a base budget of 699,992.99 euros, compared to 575,954.92 euros last year, an increase due to the increase in costs.
The aim of this project is to create a modern centre equipped with state-of-the-art technology to publicise Calpe's tourist attractions in its aim to become a smart tourist destination. In fact, it will represent a new concept in tourist services as it will be carried out through new technologies, not only through electronic brochures or digital screens, but will also offer immersive experiences to the visitor. It is intended that visitors can enjoy immersive experiences in this office, with 360º screens as well as other types of virtual visits that allow them to see tourist attractions with restricted access or not accessible to people with reduced mobility as if they were in situ, such as the climb to Penyal d'Ifac, the sites of Banys de la Reina and the medieval Pobla d'Ifac or also the old town or a fish auction in the fish market.
Precisely at this moment the Town Council has also put out the tender for the acquisition of the digital tools that will allow some of these virtual visits not only from this new office but also from the museums and the rest of the tourist offices of Calpe, a project that is part of the Tourism Sustainability Plan in Destination with the support of the Valencian Regional Ministry of Tourism - Turisme Comunitat Valenciana - and the Secretary of State for Tourism in the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) financed by the European Union - Next Generation.
The office will be located in a 282 m² property acquired by the City Council in 2018, in Llibertat street, in the heart of the historic centre, which will replace the current premises in Mosquit square.
According to the project drawn up by architects Rubén Bodewig Belmonte and Alejandro Soriano Herrera, the new building will consist of an open-plan ground floor for tourist services, a first floor and a terrace-viewpoint.
Companies can submit their bids until 8 July and a deadline of six months has been set for this project to become a reality.