Tourism tax can be implemented in cities across Andalucía

Andalucía has no plans to introduce a generic tourism tax, but will change the law to allow municipalities to levy their own tax if they so wish. The announcement was made today by regional president Susana Diaz at the annual meeting of the Consejo Andaluz de Turismo. She said that this would be a valuable tool for major cities to deploy in order to control tourist numbers during high season and would respect the “all Continue reading Tourism tax can be implemented in cities across Andalucía

Junta seeks to mitigate effects of Brexit

Brexit has panicked the Junta, as it has the potential to devastate the economy of the region. Now President Susana Diaz has ordered the creation of a high-level working group to analyse the possible effects, and recommend a plan of action. The new working group is composed of senior civil servants from just about every Andalusian ministry, reporting back directly to the council of ministers of Andalucía. The minister of agriculture suggested last week that Continue reading Junta seeks to mitigate effects of Brexit

Breakfast with the Minister – any questions?

I’ve received a lovely invitation to a “friendly breakfast and chat” with the Andalusian Minister for Tourism, Francisco Javier Fernández Hernández, next week up in t’big city. Why, it was addressed to me personally and everything. Except for the gold rimmed border. Now, I’m not sure if I received the invite because: I am an important and respect businessman in the expat tourism sector; I once foolishly took out an advert with La Voz (who Continue reading Breakfast with the Minister – any questions?

Easy jet to improve Greece off season

Hotels and restaurants in Greece may stay open for longer to provide an alternative destination for winter holidaymakers who are avoiding countries on the other side of the Mediterranean after the Tunisian terrorist attacks. EasyJet is trying to persuade Greek tourist chiefs to extend the holiday season, which normally runs from May to September, to March until November. The talks are aimed at avoiding a repeat of bed shortages in the Canary Islands last year Continue reading Easy jet to improve Greece off season

News in brief

ROAD CLOSURES A number of roads will be closed and diversions in place around Villaricos this 7th, 8th and 9th of August whilst a large music festival takes place there. Dreambeach 2015 will cause the closure of the following roads. The diversions will be in place from 3pm Friday until 9am Saturday, and again from 3pm that Saturday until 9am on Sunday. The AL7107 Garrucha bound road will have a diversion setup at the Los Continue reading News in brief

Thomas Cook, Monarch increase capacity to Almeria

Tour operator Thomas Cook has been forced to upgrade the aircraft it uses for the popular Manchester to Almeria route due to increased demand from passengers. An Airbus A330-200, which seats over 300 passengers and has a double aisle, was used on the 23rd of July as the standard 200 seater plane had insufficient capacity. Sources from Almeria airport said that it was probably the largest passenger plane that has ever landed there. Thomas Cook Continue reading Thomas Cook, Monarch increase capacity to Almeria

Vera & Cuevas beach campaign launched after algae scare

The county council has launched a national advertising campaign to bring tourists back to Vera & Cuevas after the recent algae scare that saw the beaches closed. The cost of the campaign, 25,000€, is coming out of the provincial tourism fund. It will run on the internet, radio and magazine ads and a series of posters. Despite the claim that it will be national, the print and radio ads are only running in Granada, Jaén, Continue reading Vera & Cuevas beach campaign launched after algae scare

Did you know that Mojácar had a “Jewish quarter”?

Well, according to the tourism department it does. The bland and innocuous turismo de mojácar facebook page dedicates itself not to actually promoting the municipality, or advertising forthcoming events that may be of interest, but to publishing a never ending series of blurred and skewed holiday snaps sent in from the camera phones of locals, usually captioned with a happy good morning!!  OK, sometimes they publish a nice one, but you always get the feeling it’s by Continue reading Did you know that Mojácar had a “Jewish quarter”?

French students map Bedar mines

Geological students from the University of Lorraine in France are undertaking a project to map out some of the old mines in Bédar as part of a project by the townhall to reopen them as tourist attractions. The French university has been sending students to the area on field trips for the last few years now, but this year Professor Christian Hibchs suggested that an interesting project would be the mapping of two of the Continue reading French students map Bedar mines

Pigging dogs, the Mojácar PSOE promise to make Walt Disney central to the town

So the big idea of the Mojácar PSOE to attract more tourists to the town? Walt fecking Disney again. The whole Walt Disney thing just makes me depressed. It really does. He had nothing to do with the town (Lenox Napier can tell you how the whole sordid lie was cooked up in the 70’s) but still we return to him like the Kastom people pray to Prince Phillip in the hope he’ll send them Continue reading Pigging dogs, the Mojácar PSOE promise to make Walt Disney central to the town