Melilla has celebrated World Tourism Day this weekend, which is commemorated today, Sunday, September 27, by showcasing its heritage and history to both locals and visitors with the help of the city's official guides.

This activity has been organized by the Tourism Department and the Association of Tourism Guides of Melilla (Aguitur) and has taken place from last Friday, September 25, to today, Sunday, both in the morning and afternoon.

It has been an initiative of 13 guided tours dedicated to Melilla la Vieja and the modernist center. All routes started from the Plaza de las Culturas and lasted approximately one and a half hours.

These routes have been very well received, as confirmed to El Faro by the president of Aguitur, José María Romano, who positively assessed the development of the various visits and the public turnout recorded during these days.

The last two routes focused on modernism concluded this afternoon, led by José María Romano himself and Elena Fernández, who introduced this local style to two large groups of eager visitors wanting to learn about Melilla's heritage.

The last two routes dedicated to modernism concluded this afternoon with José María Romano and Elena Fernández. Both guides accompanied two large groups of visitors through different points in the city to discover the peculiarities of its modernist architecture and get closer to Melilla's heritage.

Participants showed notable interest in learning about the history and characteristics of this architectural style during the tour, in an activity that allowed them to discover one of the main elements of the city's heritage.

The official tourist guides of the autonomous city conducted various free tours throughout the city this weekend. The goal was to enable interested individuals to participate in one of the free routes and learn about part of the city's historical and architectural heritage.

José Oñaha highlighted the excellent response to these routes. In his case, the visits focused on the modernist center, also noting the presence of numerous visitors arriving from outside Melilla during a weekend in which the city center recorded significant public attendance due to various activities, such as the IX Desafío de Regulares, the Water Games, and the Iwa Fest.

"On Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and afternoon, and Sunday morning, we conducted different visits at various times so that no interested person would be left out."

For his part, Juanjo Florensa also participated in the activities with a route focused on modernism, this time with a group of women who were in Melilla for the first edition of the Melilla 2026 Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Awards. Florensa noted that the experience was very positive and that the participants were satisfied with the tour.

Florensa described the route as a "pleasant and entertaining" proposal, while also highlighting the work done by José María Romano at the helm of Aguitur, as well as the efforts of the Tourism Board.

Tourism activity in Ceuta continues to be marked by the situation arising from the border crisis in the sister city, which has particularly affected small businesses and professionals linked to the sector. Among them are the tourist guides, who have seen the arrival of visitors drop to nearly zero over the past two months, with direct consequences on their income and activity.

Jennifer Aragón, from Tu Guía en Melilla, has taken advantage of the commemoration of World Tourism Day to highlight this reality and demand that the situation of those who depend on tourism in Ceuta not be relegated to the background. As she explained to this medium, the activity of tourist guides in Ceuta is practically paralyzed, a situation even worse than the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on the sector.

Aragón does not forget that behind this drop in activity are small businesses and families that directly depend on the income generated by tourism. In this regard, she believes that while the humanitarian crisis requires attention, it is also necessary to consider the economic consequences it is causing for those who carry out their professional activities in Ceuta.

The lack of visitors during this period means, as she pointed out, weeks of no activity for freelancers and small businesses, who face a particularly complicated situation after having lost a significant part of the summer season.

"Subsidies or grants alone do not compensate for the months of activity that have already been lost."

In this regard, the Melilla tourist guide has wanted to remind that the Ceuta tourism sector continues to need attention and support.

Meanwhile, Tu Guía en Melilla will continue to operate, offering its services through official tourist guides and collaborators who are part of the company's team, so that the activity can be maintained during their maternity period.

The Association of Professional Tourist Guides was created on November 20, 2002, with its first president being the late journalist Carmen Goes.

This association also works with collaborating guides, who do not have the corresponding qualifications. Although since the liberalization of the tourist guide profession in 2009, anyone can have a company, to work as an official guide, accreditation granted by the Autonomous City is required.

Currently, Aguitur has 12 official guides accredited by the Autonomous City, a number that the association hopes to increase in the near future to consolidate an ever-growing group of professionals who can cater to the increasing number of tourists arriving in Melilla.

September 27 is celebrated as World Tourism Day, an initiative of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) that has aimed to highlight the importance of this industry and its social, cultural, political, and economic values in a playful manner since 1980.

This day is promoted by the World Tourism Organization to emphasize the importance of this sector and its contribution to the economic, social, and cultural development of territories.

The date of September 27 was chosen to coincide with a significant event in the history of global tourism: the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the UNWTO Statutes on September 27, 1970. On the other hand, it is a moment of crossover between the high tourist season in the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere.

The date also seeks to highlight the role of tourism as a tool for understanding other cultures, fostering exchange between communities, and promoting the conservation of historical, cultural, and natural heritage. The celebration also serves to reflect on the need to move towards responsible and sustainable tourism, capable of generating opportunities without compromising the resources of future generations.

The entry "Official guides bring the heritage of Melilla closer to residents and visitors with great reception" first appeared in El Faro de Melilla.