The Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality declares that BEC is a safe space

Bilbao Exhibition Centre has been awarded the “Safe Tourism Certified” seal by the Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality (ICTE), recognising the health protocol implemented by the Basque centre against COVID-19. Thanks to this acknowledgement, BEC has now entered the list of Spanish centres that have been declared a safe space. Specifically, BEC and Santander Convention Centre are the only two venues on the Cantabrian coast which are on this list.

The strict protocol implemented by BEC since May focuses on access control; preventive capacity management; monitoring of people’s movements and social distancing; cleaning, sanitisation, quality and environmental safety of facilities; and coordination and seamless communication with health authorities and services. These measures must be applied to all the events that are held at BEC, and they can be made stricter if necessary. The protocol was based on the ICTE’s guidelines, as well as on measures proposed by UFI, AFE, AIPC and EMECA.

The Basque centre has led the way in terms of holding large-scale examinations with thousands of people. BEC has also hosted conferences and business meetings for Basque Energy Cluster, Iberquimia and Eroski.

Furthermore, it successfully organised the first show that was open to the public since lockdown – Desembalaje, on 17-18 October; and also Zerupeko Gauak, a gastronomic-musical series where safety was one of the aspects rated most highly by attendees.

BEC’s hard work in all these events has earned it the ICTE’s “Safe Tourism Certified” seal. The ICTE’s board of directors is made up of national tourism employers’ organisations, the Secretariat of State for Tourism, the autonomous regions and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces.