The challenges of the Association of Merchants
The leaders of the Association of Merchants of the Central Axis, with its president Sònia Yebra at the head and the director-manager of the employers’ association, Iago Andreu, as spokesperson, are working hard to get the necessary funds for an event large-scale The aim is to organize a level street that promotes gay pride and puts Andorra on the map as a ‘gayfriendly’ destination.
Meetings with the administrations
The Traders Association has held several meetings with the relevant administrations to seek financial support. They met with the Minister of Tourism and Commerce, Jordi Torres, as well as with representatives of the communes of Andorra la Vella and Escaldes. Although the administrations are studying the request, they consider that the amount requested is exorbitant and that the current resources are already sufficient for the actions that want to be carried out.
The tourist and commercial potential
The Merchants’ Association believes that turning Andorra into a ‘gay-friendly’ destination can be an opportunity for the country’s tourism and commercial sector. With an investment of 300,000 euros, they want to organize a street with a manifesto on gay pride and a concert with front-line icons of the LGTBIQ+ movement. This could attract people with high purchasing power and generate a positive impact on the local economy.
Meetings with political formations
In addition to the meetings with the administrations, the Traders Association has also met with different political formations to convey their concerns and seek support. This Wednesday, they had a meeting with representatives of Democrats to discuss aspects related to the tourism and commercial strategy, as well as the case of workers in the sector.