L'Alfàs del Pi to Enhance Visitor Monitoring at Serra Gelada with New Sensor System

To bridge the significant gap between the only official data available on visits to the Serra Gelada Natural Park, currently estimated at 176,000 annual users, and total estimates that could double this figure, a new geolocation monitoring system will be implemented by the L'Alfàs del Pi Town Council in the coming months. This initiative is part of the Sustainable Tourism Plans in Destinations, funded by European resources.

Luis Miguel Morant, the Environment Councillor, explained how this system will utilise signals emitted by visitors' smartphones to provide real-time data on the number of people entering the park, both by land and sea. Essentially, it leverages everyday technology to better understand the reality of the Natural Park's environment. As Morant rhetorically asks, "Who doesn't carry a smartphone?" This will enable "almost complete control over how many people visit us," he emphasised.

The new counting system will be operational this year, as part of the Sustainable Tourism Plans in Destinations programme. The council has already budgeted €82,500 for this project, financed by European funds. It is expected to be fully operational in the second half of 2025 and by 2026, it will feed into the municipal Smart Office's tourism intelligence systems.

Currently, visitor data is only collected via a counter installed on the Faro route, and solely between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM. This excludes those accessing the park outside these hours, such as early risers who watch the sunrise or those who visit later in the day, as well as users entering from other access points like the Cruz area in Benidorm or secondary paths leading to coves.

"In the Serra Gelada Natural Park, the growth is constant. People increasingly seek out these open and natural spaces," Morant noted. "We know that far more than the 176,000 we've counted have visited because many complete their walk before eight, come to see the sunrise, and, of course, after three and well into the night, people continue to visit."

This real figure, the councillor estimates, is currently close to 300,000 annual visits. This volume makes Serra Gelada one of the most visited natural parks in the Valencian Community, and the only one with this designation in the Marina Baixa.

The need for precise data is not solely for statistical purposes. As the councillor pointed out, "The main goal of installing this new system is to understand the actual load that the Serra Gelada Natural Park bears." It is, he insisted, a tool that will enhance tourism management and planning from a sustainable perspective, compatible with environmental protection.

"We are always working to grow, to enhance tourist icons like the Faro itself, but with an eye on ensuring the sustainability of the environment," he stated. This information will be crucial for designing strategies that balance the increase in visitors with the need to preserve the park's natural values.

The development of this tool is part of a broader strategy to position L'Alfàs del Pi as a leading smart tourist destination. Thanks to the sensor system, the municipality will be able to incorporate reliable data into its tourism intelligence system and make decisions more aligned with the actual use of the territory.

"The data provided by this system will ultimately help us make decisions regarding the overall tourism management of the municipality and specifically the Serra Gelada Natural Park," Morant assured. "We always have to navigate between two interests: promoting tourist destinations and doing so sustainably and in harmony with the natural environment. Therefore, I believe it is a necessary tool that will be a differentiating element in understanding the reality of our municipality."