News in Brief: Costa Blanca North

Doggy Heroes

On 29th January, TV channel À Punt’s “Animalades” team visited La Nucía to film the Municipal Rescue Dog Training Camp. 13 USAR volunteers and their dogs participated. The report, featuring these “rescue dogs,” will air soon on À Punt’s weekly programme “Animalades.”

Beach Games

Alicante and El Campello are collaborating to host the IV edition of the Beach Games, spanning two weekends, May 17 and 24. Anticipating 40,000 attendees and an economic impact of £5.6 million, the event will take place on Muchavista Beach, featuring five disciplines: volleyball, handball, tennis, rugby, and soccer.

Cardio-Protected

Benidorm boasts twelve cardio-protected public buildings, equipped with mobile semi-automatic defibrillators for emergencies like cardiorespiratory failure. Additional defibrillators are present in police stations, new Local Police vehicles, and select hotels in the city, enhancing overall public safety.

Madrid to Alicante

OUIGO, having started operations in Spain in May 2021, has transported 9 million travellers on existing routes, including Madrid-Zaragoza-Tarragona-Barcelona, Madrid-Valencia, and Madrid-Albacete-Alicante. The operator, with rates starting at €9, offers 509 seats spread over a two-storey train.

Quality Tourism

The Tourist Information Office of La Cala in Finestrat has received the Q Prize awarded by the Spanish Tourism Quality Institute (ICTE) in recognition of the City Council’s efforts to promote Quality and certified tourism sustainability.

Parking Pain

The odyssey of parking at the La Vila Joiosa hospital as user complaints increase due to the lack of parking space, with waits of up to half an hour walking around to find a free space. The Council has confirmed they are looking into a way to combat the issue.

Incredible but True

The Teulada City Council has launched its tourism campaign for the year with the motto ‘Incredible but True.’

The campaign aims to position Teulada Moraira as a year-round tourist destination by offering diverse and unique experiences throughout the year.

The goal is to attract visitors during all seasons, challenging the traditional concept of seasonal tourism.

The campaign promotes a wide range of activities, including beach days, picturesque landscapes, concerts, sports competitions, dining experiences, parties, and shows.

By providing a comprehensive and varied set of attractions, Teulada Moraira seeks to cater to different tastes and preferences.

The initiative aims not only to meet but exceed the expectations of tourists, showcasing the destination’s distinctiveness and adaptability.

Low zone

The implementation model of the Low Emissions Zone in Benidorm has been acknowledged and adopted as a reference for municipalities with over 50,000 inhabitants in the Valencian Community.

This recognition came during the event ‘Sustainable Mobility at the highest level,’ which gathered air quality and mobility technicians from these localities.

The meeting aimed to provide insights into the newly operational Benidorm Low Emissions Zone, which commenced this year.

The objective was to facilitate information exchange, address queries, and foster collaboration among municipalities with over 50,000 inhabitants to expedite the launch of their respective Low Emission Zones.

Francis Muñoz, the Benidorm Mobility Councillor, highlighted the cooperative spirit among municipalities in this endeavour.

Showcooking splendour

On Friday, January 26, Teulada-Moraira’s eagerly awaited Showcooking Event was presented at the FITUR Tourism Exhibition in Madrid.

The Showcooking focused on the duality between tradition and innovation, showcasing the sardine as the main ingredient.

Miguel Noguera, a director of the group Teulada Moraira Fisherman, brought his experience to the authentic flavour of seafood, representing the traditional aspect.

Chef Nazario Cano, from the Ritual de Terra Moraira hotel complex, demonstrated haute cuisine techniques to transform sardines into an exquisite dish: Foie in salted boot sardines with syrup and parsnip and muscat molasses.

To showcase local gastronomy, two extras dressed in haute couture outfits represented two identifying products of Teulada Moraira: the Moscatel grape and the octopus, drawing attention and promoting kilometre-zero products.

Q for Quality

Villajoyosa has proudly renewed its Q for Tourist Quality certificate, which makes this year the 13 consecutive year for receiving the title.

This recognition is a testament to the ongoing commitment and effort of the tourist informants working in the Villajoyosa tourism office.

Rosa Llorca, the Councilor for Tourism, acknowledged the dedication of the tourist informants, stating that “this recognition is theirs, and I greatly appreciate the daily efforts of the members of the Tourism Department.”

Mayor Marcos Zaragoza emphasised the significance of quality and sustainability as fundamental pillars of the municipality’s tourism strategy.

The Villajoyosa Council is actively working on the development of the Destination Tourism Intelligence (DTI) and the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD) to revitalise the sector.