Luis Silvestre: "We Should Bet on Year-Round Tourism, Industry, and the Primary Sector"

Local produce and the flavours and knowledge of the Marina Alta are the essence of Grupo Melic, winner of the Cedma Sustainability Award. Its manager, Luis Silvestre, advocates for a change in mindset towards local initiatives. "We need to strengthen our values if we want to be competitive," explains the driving force behind Melicatessen and initiatives like the gastronomic route of the riu-raus, the Passaport dels Cellers de la Marina, or the Sunsets of music and wine.

It is a great joy to be remembered among such important awards. Many colleagues have expressed that this award does justice to such an unconventional approach. Creating a business where you voluntarily limit yourself to a specific range of products is not easy, but therein lies the differentiation. People need things to be easy, so if I wanted to support local products, I had to set up a shop like Melicatesen, and that's what I did. When I developed this project, I was convinced that the products and producers deserved it, not out of chauvinism, but because we have very high-quality products.

It is essential for the regional business fabric. They keep us informed about topics of interest such as legislative changes or training in various business aspects. It is a voice for our needs and demands. Above all, it allows you to meet other entrepreneurs in the region, their needs, problems, achievements, and successes.

Visitors to Melicatesen are surprised that Dénia and the region offer much more than sun and beach. Besides cultural and natural heritage, we have an interesting offer in agrotourism that also benefits the inland areas. We have 25 wineries, 13 of which can be visited. That's why I created the Passport, because my clients were unaware of it. But we also have beekeepers, oil mills, craft beers, orchards, the 'blat' of the Marina... This type of tourist helps to spread tourism throughout the year and shows attachment to the producers and territory they visit.

Recently, I saw a news piece that should make us reflect: we are the region with the highest risk of poverty in the Valencian Community, yet we have the cities with the highest housing prices. Something is not working. We should bet on more year-round tourism and on the industry and primary sector. Putting all our eggs in one basket is not a good idea. We learned this in the past with a little bug called phylloxera.

Environmentally, most products come from within a 30-kilometre radius, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of transportation. It helps maintain traditional crops and, therefore, the landscape. Economically, it boosts local businesses. Some products have a cultural background of great interest that helps to better understand the territory.