FREE! COSTA DEL SOL
Issue 078 9th - 15th Nov
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Pitching for tourists CREDIT: Visit Costa del Sol, via Twitter
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OURISM officials and businesspeople from the Costa del Sol were in London this week to present out the region’s holiday offering at an industry fair. The Costa del Sol delegation to the World Travel Market fair arrived with its own stall for the first time. It comes as part of an effort to woo British tourists to the region and to gain a footfall in the business travel market. The event ran from last Monday to Wednesday. Jose Carlos Escribano, president of the Tourism Forum Malaga Costa del Sol, said the fair gave the region the chance to show off its potential. “It was British operators themselves who asked us to show and to improve our tourism offering, particularly in winter,” Escribano said. The official added the tourism sector is “vital” for the Costa del Sol to pitch
HOLIDAY FAIR: The mayor of Marbella and officials were in London this week.
itself to British travellers as uncertainty over Britain’s departure from the European Union (EU) continues. Costa del Sol towns including Mijas and Torremolinos joined regional tourism officials at the fair
Child friendly award THE United Nations (UN) has granted Fuengirola the status of a ‘child friendly’ town as part of a global programme which recognises urban areas for their commitment to young people. The UN’s UNICEF children’s body grants the child friendly status to towns and cities which support young people’s welfare, defend their rights and encourage youth participation in local life. The status is set to be officially conferred on Fuengirola at an event in the Asturias capital Oviedo on Tuesday November 27. Francisco Jose Martin, Fuengirola Council’s social services spokesperson, said the UNICEF recognition was important for the town.
to show off their own holiday offerings. Mijas mayor Juan Carlos Maldonado said council officials wanted to highlight the importance of British tourism to the town. “British tourism trans-
lates into a direct investment into our economy,” the mayor said. Elias Bendodo, the head of Tourism Costa del Sol, said the fair gave the Costa del Sol the chance to show off its potential for tourists
and for businesspeople. The World Travel Market saw more than 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions across the world. Organisers said they hoped to top last year’s total of 87,700 visitors.
Hotel checks in THE Melia Group is planning a new hotel in the Intu shopping and leisure centre in Torremolinos. Chief Executive Gabriel Escarrer revealed some details of the plans during a presentation at the World Travel Market in London this week. “We are developing a new project for a four-star luxury hotel, equipped with the very latest technology,” said Mr Escarrer. He added that he was confident the hotel would provide quality and value, while integrating well into the area. Melia Group accounts for 20 per cent of the hotels in Torremolinos and Mr Escarrer praised the town’s character and powers of reinvention. Despite Brexit, he expressed his optimism about future British tourism in the area and said that there was no indication next summer would be worse than this year’s, as long as the exchange rate remained stable.