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| WHY THIS GUIDE? |
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In the last ten years, Alicante has experienced continuous economic and social growth, converting it into an international city of reference. There are numerous reasons why Alicante is so appealing: an excellent client, with a mean annual temperature of 17 degrees Celsius, low precipitation and excellent beaches; population growth rates higher than average in the Valencian Community; a well-educated population; an education rate that is five tenths higher than the national average (1.9); and a solid business fabric. However, despite these magnificent results, there is still much work to be done to get Alicante to its rightful place. To do so, all economic and political agents must be involved and effective tools such as this one must be developed to promote and foster innovation. Current situation. The business fabric in Alicante and its business people in particular have expressed their willingness to adopt new solutions and strategies as a means of improving market competitiveness. The traditional vision of innovation focused on the association between innovation and R&D activities does not apply to Alicante’s economic reality since the nature of the innovations generated are primarily organisational and managerial in nature. Training and research are two essential aspects of development which, to date, have been scarce in the retail trade sector. This sector, which is often jeopardised by the larger retail chains, must innovate in order to survive. Adaptation through innovation has therefore become an indispensable necessity to give small retailers the push they need. Retailers are agents of society who play the role of integrating elements in urban spaces and we must pay attention to them. Some solutions. Within this context, the commercial itineraries through Alicante’s shopping districts are an indispensable tool whose ultimate goal is to foster, strengthen and energise retail commercial activity. The guide’s principal objectives: to stimulate innovation and the implementation of new technologies, to improve the quality of service, support the consolidation of retail businesses in the city centre, develop new models and promote neighbourhood trade. In order to do so, a set of commercial itineraries or routes has been prepared with information on the most emblematic establishments that meet certain requirements associated with commercial innovations. These are supplemented with information on dining and entertainment and enriched with cultural and historical information on the city of Alicante.
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