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The City Council is following the protocol for action in response to the appearance of a dead tuna on Poniente beach

Following the necropsy performed on the animal by the Cavanilles Institute, the Department of the Environment is working with a company specialising in the management of animal waste.

Until then and following the established protocol, the specimen, weighing about 300 kilos, has been transferred to a municipal plot in the El Murtal area.

Benidorm City Council is following the established protocols for action in the event of dead marine animals appearing on the coast, after a tuna specimen was found on Poniente beach yesterday. According to the Environment Councillor, Mónica Gómez, as soon as the specimen was found, the sandy area near the shore was cordoned off and, following the protocol established for these cases, the Local Police transferred it to the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, whose staff proceeded to carry out the corresponding necropsy and take samples on the beach itself.

Once this action was completed, the animal was transferred to a municipal plot located in the El Murtal area, given the impossibility of incinerating it in the crematorium of the Animal Protection Society due to the large size of the specimen, weighing around 300 kilos, and waiting for a company specialising in the management of animal waste to collect it.
 

The councillor has clarified that “this plot is not located in the El Moralet park, as has been wrongly indicated, but in El Murtal”, and has specified that “it is the same one to which all the marine remains are transferred, such as the algae that are removed from the beaches, to proceed with their treatment in accordance with what is established in the protocols”. 

Gómez has pointed out that “one may not agree with the protocols, because obviously nobody likes to have a tuna on the beach for hours, nor in a municipal plot without being able to bury it, but the protocols are there to be complied with and this is what this City Council does”. 

The fact that the discovery has occurred on a weekend and a public holiday has made it difficult to have the specialised and certified animal waste management service, having to postpone this action. 

On the day of the Valencian Community The Festival Commission celebrates on October 9 with the 'Fira de Productes Típics de la Terra'

Elche Park is hosting this 'porrat' of local and artisanal products

Coinciding with the celebration of October 9th, this afternoon the 'Fira de Productes Típics de la Terra' (Typical Land Fair) has opened its doors, organized by the Comissió de Festes Majors Patronals (Major Patronal Festivals Commission) and which takes place throughout the day in the Parque de Elche. The mayor, Toni Pérez; the councilor for Festivals, Mariló Cebreros; and the Queens of the Festivals, Valentina Almodóbar and Laia Zamora, have been in charge of cutting the opening date of the Fair. Previously, and as is tradition on the Day of the Valencian Community, the Queens and their courts of honor have played, to the rhythm of 'xirimita i tabalet', the 'ball del peuet' on the Paseo de Colón before the attentive gaze of residents and tourists. 

After the inauguration, the delegation, which also included members of the municipal Corporation, visited the different stalls where artisanal and local products can be found, such as basketry and wicker, salted meats, bakery and pastry items, ceramics, mistela or chocolates, among others. In addition, there are also "rodabalcons" for sale with the image of the Mare de Déu del Sofratge and Sant Jaume, and the foremen of the Commission have a bar at popular prices. 

With this initiative, the Commission aims to raise funds for the next Festes Majors Patronals that will be held in the city from November 9 to 13. 

Benidorm commissions a geotechnical study for the second phase of the comprehensive renovation of the Mediterranean Avenue

Its purpose is to determine the feasibility of implementing infrastructures such as an underground car park or an anti-pollution tank on the section between Europa and Ametlla del Mar.

The mayor stresses that this study is “the previous step to being able to put the project out to tender” and recalls that this work “is one of the main objectives for this Administration”.

Benidorm City Council, through the Water Cycle Department, has commissioned the municipal water and sewerage service concessionaire, Hidraqua, to carry out a geotechnical study on Avenida del Mediterráneo, in the section between Avenida Europa and Avenida Ametlla de Mar. This was announced on Tuesday by the city's mayor, Toni Pérez, who explained that it is a "fundamental" study whose purpose is "to be able to continue advancing in the redevelopment and remodelling project of the infrastructure of this large avenue and its surroundings, as we already did in the so-called first phase".

Specifically, the mayor has indicated that the geotechnical study is “the previous step for the tendering of the drafting of a project that will allow us to have, in a very short period of time, a modern and renovated Mediterranean avenue throughout its length” and, in addition, “both in the part that we can see and walk on every day and in the part that we cannot see but that is equally or more important, such as the subsoil”.

According to the mayor, having this study is “totally necessary before the drafting of the project, given the importance and size of the hydraulic infrastructures included in this section, approximately 1,200 metres long”. Likewise, Pérez has advanced that, in addition to the renovation of pipes and conduits, the City Council is also considering the possibility of implementing other infrastructures in this area, such as an anti-pollution tank in a large part of the avenue or an underground car park. “Therefore, we need to explore the capacity of this subsoil from a geotechnical point of view, to know how it should be designed and to see if it is possible, for example, to build this underground car park as planned.”

The preparation of this study will allow us to know parameters such as the distribution of geotechnical units, seismic acceleration of the frame, foundation alternatives, possibility of complementary works, foundation level, admissible vertical pressure, situation and variables of the water table or aggressiveness of soils and water, among others, as detailed in the request that the City Council has made to Hidraqua.
 

The mayor explained that this order has been made, therefore, "in parallel with the work being carried out by the municipal Engineering area, which is drafting the technical specifications with which to put out to tender the drafting of the project for this second phase of Avenida del Mediterráneo and its surroundings" and, in turn, to be able to "already kick off the fulfilment of our commitment to the comprehensive renovation of this important urban artery, in the section from Avenida de Europa to Avenida de Filipinas, where - he recalled - for reasons of the Hydrographic Confederation we have the first open ravine" in the municipality.

Finally, Toni Pérez said that “we continue working and we continue to keep our word”, after which he expressed his confidence that “we will be able to know the results of this study very soon in order to be able to specify this project, which is one of the main objectives of this Administration, which will last until 2027”.  
 

The Moorish and Christian Parade brings together around 10,000 people in the streets of Benidorm

Yesterday, Sunday, the Parliament will took place that sealed peace between both sides
The third day of the Moors and Christians of Benidorm has brought together thousands of people, around 10,000, according to sources from the Local Police) in the centre of Benidorm to enjoy the most multitudinous event of the festivities, the Moorish and Christian Entrance.

Shortly before 8:00 p.m., on Tomás Ortuño Street at its confluence with Ondulada Street, there was the hustle and bustle of the members of the comparsas and musicians who were preparing to parade in the central event of the festivities. On the Moorish side, Nazaríes, Tuaregs, Tagarinos Muslims and Benidarhims; on the Christian side, Cavallers de la Baronia and Cruzados, sides reinforced with the 'filaes' formed by the ladies of the Courts of Honor of the queens of the Festes Majors Patronals 2024, Valentina Almodóbar and Laia Zamora.

They were not the only reinforcements that the squads received. The Crusaders were joined by the councilors of the Government team Jesús Carrobles, as corporal, Francis Muñoz, Jaime Jesús Pérez and Ana Soliveres.

The main representatives of the 2024 festivities, the Moorish queen, Verónica Rivelles, and the Christians, Antonio Jesús Díaz and Marifé Montoya, paraded in separate floats before the attentive gaze of local residents and tourists. They were preceded by the squadrons, first the Moors, with a slow pace; behind them, the Christians, with a more agile pace. In between, the music bands.

Upon reaching Gambo Street, in the tribune installed by the Town Hall, the authorities were waiting, with the mayor, Toni Pérez, and the Councillor for Festivals, Mariló Cebreros, at the front, flanked by a good part of the municipal corporation and the regional deputy, José Ramón González de Zárate. Also present were the presidents of the Comissió de Festes Majors Patronals and the Associació de Penyes Verge del Sofratge, María Dolores Cano and Jaume Cortés.

The Moors and Christians festivities in Benidorm continued yesterday, Sunday, with the Parliament of Peace that took place at noon, in the castle located in the Plaza de SS. MM. los Reyes de España and, then, the floral offering to Sant Jaume, patron saint of Benidorm, and subsequent mass. At 8:00 p.m., the Retreta begin, a cavalcade and parade of floats that will repeat the route of the entrance, and at its end, the Moors and Christians festivities 2024 will came to an end with a bouquet of fireworks.

Benidorm approves the renovation project for the second phase of the Levante lighting catenary with an investment of 908,581 euros

The project covers the section between Avenida Europa and Calle Médico Miguel Martorell and is included in the 'Visión 360' Tourism Sustainability Plan

The mayor says that this is a project “that should be carried out by the State” but that “the City Council will take on the task because it is what our city deserves”

The Benidorm City Council, through the Department of Public Space, will approve next Monday the project for 'Renovation of the public lighting and the existing catenary of the Paseo de Levante. Phase II', a work that is valued at 908,581.28 euros, plus VAT, and that the Council will execute through the Plan for Sustainable Tourism in Destination 'Benidorm Vision 360', financed with European funds Next Generation. This was announced this Thursday by the mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, after the proposal was included in the agenda of the Urban Planning Information Commission next Monday as a previous step to its approval by the Local Government Board.
 

Pérez has detailed that this second phase of the catenary renovation covers the section between Avenida de Europa –where the first phase, completed in the first half of last year, reached– and Calle Médico Miguel Martorell, so that “we are once again fulfilling the commitments of this government team with our city and our citizens, in the face of the omission of responsibilities by the State, which is the one who, by competences, should execute the work”.
 

The first mayor has recalled that the public lighting installations and the existing catenary of Paseo de Levante “were carried out in the 1990s, within the scope of the construction works of the Paseo Marítimo de la Playa de Levante, through a tender instrumented at the time by the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and the Environment”. 

Three decades later, “and given the need to renew the entire infrastructure both due to the passage of time and to adapt it to more modern and energy-efficient technologies”, Toni Pérez recalled, the Provincial Coastal Service authorized in November 2021, the execution of the works of the first phase project, in the section from Plaza del Torrejó to Avenida de Europa, a project in which the City Council invested 1,972,119.41 euros, financed with municipal resources and with which a reduction in energy power of more than 33.65% has been obtained.

Given “the will and commitment to continue advancing in the modernization of this infrastructure, an icon of our city”, the City Council commissioned the drafting of the project for this second phase to the company Guía Consultores, SLP, which was delivered on September 30 and is now being submitted for approval by the Local Government Board. Pérez has stated that the project “includes the complete renovation of the public lighting installation and the emblematic overhead power line on the Paseo de Levante in the affected section, also improving the support elements and the internal lighting and communication systems.”

The mayor also explained that, in parallel with the approval of this project, the City Council has already requested the relevant authorisation for its execution from the Provincial Coastal Service. “As soon as we have this authorisation, which we hope will be as soon as possible, we will proceed to draft the specifications for the tendering of the work”, he said. 

Finally, Toni Pérez recalled that, “as has already occurred with many other infrastructures, such as the first phase itself, the accesses to the tertiary sector or the so-called second phase of Poniente, this work would be financed and executed by the State, but in the face of a new omission of its responsibility, the Benidorm City Council is going to assume it and carry it out because we understand that it is what Benidorm deserves”. The mayor ended by regretting that “while the central government is doing and redoing works in many other municipalities, with Benidorm they continually look the other way” and requested that “if they are not going to invest a single euro cent in this renovation, at least they process the necessary authorisations quickly”.

Benidorm is making progress in the landscaping restoration of the Poniente promenade with the installation of artificial grass and new plantations

González de Zárate reminds us that “we are working to ensure that this area offers the best possible image”

The Department of Parks and Gardens of Benidorm City Council has resumed the restoration and renovation work on the Poniente promenade that had been halted during the summer so as not to affect pedestrian traffic in the area. Now, according to councillor José Ramón González de Zárate, all the landscaping on the promenade that began to be planted before the summer is being reviewed, as well as the new drip irrigation system.

The councillor also indicated that work is also being done on the islets of the promenade itself by placing decorative artificial grass with a height of 25 millimetres on a concrete base "which greatly improves and protects the appearance of the promenade". 

The areas where the existing plants have dried up or are damaged due to being stepped on are also being reinforced. “Little by little we will finish the work so that this walk, one of the most emblematic, can offer its best image” said the councillor, who also asked residents and visitors “to avoid stepping on the planted areas because there are many areas of passage and a lot of money has been invested to offer a feeling of freshness and colour on the walk”.

To mark the restoration of the gardens, the City Council launched an awareness campaign, as a significant part of the plants had deteriorated due to the frequent passage of people through areas not designated for this purpose. The campaign coincided with the start of the garden restoration work, which involved an investment of more than 48,000 euros.

González de Zárate has reiterated the need to undertake this investment “to restore the area and replace many units of various plants, as well as to recover and increase the beauty of the Paseo de Poniente by introducing a greater number of plant elements”. Thus, the species that began to be planted and are now being resumed are 3,000 units of rosemary (romero postrata), 500 of olivilla (teucrium fructicans), 2,500 units of lantana (lantana sellowiana) and 80 of Chinese orange blossom (Phytosporum tobira) and lavender specimens.

On the other hand, work is also being done on changing the drip irrigation system by removing the polyethylene pipes and replacing them with 16-millimetre self-compensating, self-cleaning and heat-sealed pipes that are of higher quality and better able to withstand the flow and pressure of the irrigation water. The councillor stated that “it is essential to keep the area in perfect condition, as the wear and tear caused by the passage of personnel is very high”.
 

Benidorm revalidates the Green Flag and once again exceeds glass recycling figures in summer

The city collected more than 1.1 million kilos of glass in June, July and August, almost 1% more than last year

More than 300 restaurants, bars and cafes have joined the campaign in collaboration with Ecovidrio and the City Council 

Once again, Benidorm has been awarded the Green Flag, which is awarded every year by Ecovidrio and rewards the efforts of local hospitality and city councils in recycling glass containers and fighting climate change. This non-profit organisation in charge of managing glass container recycling has communicated this to the Benidorm City Council, after confirming that the city increased the total volume of glass container collection for recycling during the months of June, July and August.

The city was already the winner of this award in 2021 and 2022 and revalidated in 2023, so now it has won it for the fourth time in a row. According to Ecovidrio, obtaining the recognition is due to the teamwork of the council, the citizens of the town and the hoteliers, which has allowed Benidorm to “continue taking steps forward in the transition towards the circular economy and in the fight against climate change”, as well as having become “an example of green recovery in the hospitality industry”.

In total, more than 300 hospitality establishments in the city have participated, contributing their grain of sand in this fifth edition of the #MovimientoBanderasVerdes. An initiative that rewards the commitment of the municipalities and their hotel sector to recycling glass containers, protecting the environment and sustainable development.

Thus, according to Ecovidrio data, Benidorm has collected a total of 1,136,777 kilos of glass in June, July and August of this year, which represents an increase of 0.9% compared to the same period in 2023. The recycling of these glass containers has allowed the town to obtain a score of 1,076 points and be among the first municipalities in the Valencian Community to have obtained the Green Flag in 2023 and one of the few to renew it.

The Environment Minister has thanked “the massive response of the hospitality sector once again, which is key to achieving this distinction”. Benidorm has competed with up to 40 Valencian municipalities and at a national level more than 150 municipalities from five autonomous communities and 15,000 hospitality establishments have participated.

Further up the coast L'Alfàs has also obtained the Green Flag for sustainability for the 2nd consecutive year.

A total of 105 hospitality establishments in l'Alfàs del Pi have participated this summer in the fifth edition of the #MovimientoBanderasVerde, demonstrating their high level of commitment to the circular economy and glass recycling. Two thirds of the glass containers put into circulation are consumed in summer and 50% of them are generated directly in the hospitality sector, so their involvement is essential to generate a real transition towards a more circular and decarbonised model.

Benidorm brings together professionals from all areas of tourism at an event on innovation organised by Smart Travel News

Mayor Toni Pérez has highlighted that this type of event is “an opportunity to compare models and experiences” in a city “always eager to learn”

The Benidorm City Hall auditorium hosted yesterday, Thursday, an event aimed at tourism professionals organised by Smart Travel News, the first online media outlet in Spanish specialized in innovation and technology for the tourism sector, which has chosen the city as the venue for its first 'Roadshow' that aims to tour different parts of the country to talk about technology, digital transformation, data management, sustainability or digitalisation in the hotel industry, among others.

The Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, welcomed all those attending the event and stressed that for the city “hosting these meetings of professionals at the highest level, especially in the run-up to World Tourism Day – which is celebrated today, Friday, – is a great opportunity. In Benidorm we are always eager to learn, to be able to compare models and experiences, to find out more details and, above all, to know more. All of this seems little to us to be able to apply it in favour of our main industry and of those who live and enjoy Benidorm: residents, visitors and tourists.” 

During his welcoming speech, the mayor argued that “in a world in constant transformation such as tourism, movement is demonstrated by transforming as we continually do here in Benidorm”. He also recalled that the city was “the first certified smart tourist destination in the world with the UNE 178501 standard” and that, in addition, “it is a great example of sustainability in its three aspects: environmental, with examples such as the RTVE 'Reduce your footprint' programme; economic, since we contribute 1.1% of the regional GDP, according to SEGITTUR data; and social, because we are the only city in the Valencian Community with a single-digit unemployment rate”. 

Following the mayor's welcome to the participants, the next event on the programme was hosted by the manager of the Visit Benidorm Tourism Foundation, Leire Bilbao, who was interviewed by the CEO of Sien Consulting, Mariano Torres, on 'Benidorm: everything that defines the first smart Spanish tourist destination'. In this conversation, the head of the public-private entity in charge of tourism promotion has recounted the data management practiced in the city, recalled how this knowledge allowed the city to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and post-pandemic in better conditions than other destinations; the investments that have been made during the recovery phase or why, unlike other destinations, 'tourismophilia' is practiced in Benidorm as opposed to 'tourismophobia'. 

The Smart Travel News 'Roadshow' also featured other speakers from the public and private sectors throughout the morning. Among them, the director of Tourism Innovation at Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, Olivia Estrella; the president of Hosbec, Fede Fuster; the founder of Smart Travel News, Juan Daniel Núñez; the CEO of Port Hotels, Daniel Fernández, among others. Along with the entire team, Santiago Cañizares, sports commentator and former player of the Spanish National Football Team, also participated, closing the event with a conference entitled 'The seven capital virtues'. 

Benidorm improves the accessible beach areas with the addition of three amphibious chairs

The three points of Levante, Poniente and La Cala registered more than 8,600 users in June, July and August

Benidorm City Council has improved the accessible beach areas in the city with the acquisition of three new amphibious chairs for users. The new chairs have required an investment of 18,165 euros and a grant has been requested from the Department of Social Services, Equality and Housing to finance them.

The City Council has been improving this service over the years, increasing the number of amphibious chairs, support and rescue personnel, equipment, etc. “and it is our commitment to continue working for accessibility and the elimination of architectural barriers on our beaches.” This was stated by the mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, during today's visit to the accessible beaches point in Elche Park, where the new elements were presented.

The improvement in question has consisted of the addition of two amphibious chairs for adults with a load capacity of 125 kilos and an XXL amphibious chair with a load capacity of 220 kilos. Each of the accessible beach points will have one of the new chairs, although the XXL model will be located at the La Cala point.

The accessible beaches in Benidorm have very wide opening hours in summer, from 9.30 to 18.30 from June 1 to September 30, while in winter the opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. the rest of the year, except from January 15 to February 14, when they remain closed.

Each of the points has a series of elements that facilitate adapted bathing and staying in the corresponding facilities. Thus, at each point there is an access ramp, a walkway that connects with the access ramp to the sea, an adapted changing room and an adapted toilet, three amphibious chairs, three sets of amphibious crutches of different sizes, three lifeguards as support staff for bathing and buoys that delimit the bathing area.

Toni Pérez has indicated that accessible tourism “is not only the elimination of physical, sensory or communication barriers, but also aims to ensure that tourist environments, products and services can be enjoyed on equal terms by any person with or without disabilities”. In this regard, the mayor has highlighted “the effort we have been making for years to achieve this, which has materialised in numerous investments and actions in favour of accessibility”.

Pérez also insisted that “the City Council and the concessionaire company maintain permanent contact with the users of the accessible beaches to collect their suggestions in order to further improve the service, which has a very high rating from the people and families who use it, especially with regard to the attention they receive from the staff at the three points.”
 

Users in summer
The satisfaction of the users of this service is reflected in the constant increase in the number of people who use it. If in the months of June, July and August of last year the number of users was 7,128 bathers, in the same months of this year the figure has risen to 8,684 users. More than 1,500 more bathers.

In June there were 2,840 users, in July 3,216 and in August 2,628. In terms of accessible beach points, La Cala registered 958 bathers in the three months in total, Levante reached 2,544 and Elche Park had the highest figures with a total of 5,182 people.

Nuria Montes says that the Consell will ask Turespaña to carry out promotional actions in the British market aimed at the LGTBI Community

• The Minister of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism has attended the Benidorm Pride parade to promote the LGTBI offer of the Valencian Community
• Nuria Montes highlights the interest of the Valencian Community in promoting the LGTBI product since, according to the World Tourism Organization, it represents the segment with the highest growth rate, 10.3% annually.
• The Minister for Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, Nuria Montes, hs announced that “we will ask Turespaña to include, for next year, promotional actions in the British market aimed at the LGTBI community.”

The councillor made these statements at Benidorm  Pride , where she attended to promote the Valencian Community's tourist offer specialising in LGTBI among the attendees.

Nuria Montes explained that within the strategy of promoting tourism products that her department is promoting, “we pay special attention to the LGTBI product, due to its size and its capacity for growth.”

In this regard, he stressed that this is a tourism product that represents “more than 10% of all trips made internationally, with a worldwide expenditure of more than 165 billion dollars and which is growing at a rate of more than 10% each year.”

For this reason, the councillor explained that “we must promote this product not only at a national level, where we already do so at different Pride celebrations, but also in the international promotion that we started this year at the  Manchester Pride  ”, and she recalled that the British market “is one of our main markets and therefore must form part of the strategy, not only of this Ministry but also of Turespaña”.

For this reason, the councillor has announced that “we are going to ask the Spanish Government to include specific actions for the LGTBI community in the United Kingdom”, since as she explained “it is a growing tourist segment, and our intention is to position ourselves as a reference destination for this group in our main international source market”.

The head of Turisme has recalled that “our presence at  Manchester Pride  opened the possibility of this product being incorporated into Turespaña's 2025 Marketing Operational Plan”, and has stressed that “we believe that, together with the Spain brand and other destinations that also have interests in LGTBI tourism, we can promote and have a very important presence of the product in an international market where we must be united”.

At the next Annual Convention of Turespaña, which will take place next October in Tenerife, the Consell will ask Turespaña for a coordinated strategy with the Government of Spain to promote promotional actions in the United Kingdom aimed at this segment. It should be noted that, at this convention, the planning of the 2025 Marketing Operational Plan will begin.

According to figures from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the LGBTI community represents 10% of all international travelers, spending 165 billion dollars annually worldwide. It also represents the segment with the highest growth rate, 10.3% annually.

Nuria Montes made these statements at the Benidorm  Pride Grand Parade , where Turisme Comunitat Valenciana is collaborating with Benidorm City Council and RTVE with a Benidorm Fest themed float.

The head of Tourism has highlighted the commitment of the Consell to LGBT tourism and has stressed that in addition to being a tourist product, it is also “a product of values, solidarity, transversality and diversity”.

Several thousand people celebrate Benidorm Pride with a massive parade

• Mayor Toni Pérez and Tourism Minister Nuria Montes join the city's Pride celebrations
• Twenty floats take part in the most popular 'Parade' in living memory  

Several thousand people filled the streets and avenues along which the Benidorm Pride parade took place on Saturday, the largest ever seen. From the start on Ametlla de Mar avenue to the arrival at the Julio Iglesias auditorium, thousands of people followed the fun, lively and multicoloured 'parade' organised for the occasion. 

It was the central event of Benidorm Pride, a week-long celebration organised by the LGBTIQ+ community that marks the culmination of the most important Pride weeks in Europe. Mayor Toni Pérez, together with the Minister of Tourism of the Generalitat Valenciana, Nuria Montes, joined this protest parade, which they followed from various points along the route together with other members of the municipal executive, and from one of the institutional floats that participated in it. 

Rainbow flags, costumes, floats, trucks and lots of people walking and dancing have shown the most diverse and welcoming side of Benidorm, a European benchmark for LGBTIQ+ tourism. 

In fact, the organisation, the City Council and Visit Benidorm have estimated that more than 20,000 people have come to the city specifically to experience these days of celebration and protest, mostly from the United Kingdom, as could be seen throughout the route, but also from other parts of Spain and Europe. 

The parade started from the confluence of Ametlla de Mar and Paseo de Levante and ran along the beachfront to Avenida Europa, where it turned to take Avenida del Mediterráneo towards Plaza de la Hispanidad, Avenida de l'Aigüera, until reaching the Julio Iglesias Amphitheatre, where the party continued. After a week of celebrations and various activities, Benidorm Pride comes to an end tomorrow, Sunday, with the 'Closing Party' at the Óscar Esplá amphitheatre.

Benidorm and Mundomar are organising TODAY,Saturday, a day of cleaning the seabed in the Castell cliff area

The activity will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and there will be environmental educators to raise awareness about the importance of keeping the coast clean.

The Department of the Environment of Benidorm City Council and the Mundomar Foundation have organised a seabed clean-up day for today, Saturday, 7 September, which will run from the beginning of Levante beach in Torrejó to Mal Pas beach, covering the entire area of ​​the Castell cliff, a place with difficult access.

The event, which is being held to mark International Diver's Day, will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and will be attended by divers from the Mundomar Foundation, the Fire Department, the region and volunteers. The Councillor for the Environment and Beaches, Mónica Gómez, indicated at the presentation of the initiative that the aim is to "raise awareness of the importance of caring for the seabed, the beaches, of not leaving objects behind, etc." 

To this end, there will be environmental workshops led by an educator who will explain to the attendees everything that will be done during the day and will raise awareness about the need to keep the coast clean. This initiative will also have the collaboration and support of the Local Police and the concessionaire of the beaches, RA Benidorm. 

Gómez has encouraged “everyone, and especially the youngest, to come and see how this event unfolds and to learn first-hand the importance of caring for the sea.”

Javier Sánchez, from the Mundomar Foundation, explained that the workshops “will show the little ones that many things can be made, such as toys, with what is collected from the sea.” Sánchez recalled that a few years ago they also carried out another cleaning day, this time in Rincón de Loix, “in which we took out from the seabed many objects, utensils, bags, plastics, etc.”

Mónica Gómez, finally, recalled that the beaches of Benidorm have a comprehensive system that cleans the sands several times a day. “But this type of event also helps to preserve underwater flora and fauna in places that are not easy to access and require more specialized personnel, such as divers.”

The latest episode of heavy rain in Benidorm results in up to 25 litres per square metre and no damage

• Some of the interventions were due to broken fences or fallen branches on public roads, and Paseo de Colón and Calle San Pedro had to be temporarily closed due to water accumulation.
• Two people were rescued by the local police after being caught in the storm while kayaking

The latest episode of heavy rainfall recorded yesterday Wednesday in Benidorm resulted in up to 25 litres per square metre in 30 minutes and no significant damage. This was reported today by the Councillors for Citizen Security and the Water Cycle, Jesús Carrobles and José Ramón González de Zárate, who explained that “in general terms the city's hydraulic infrastructure responded well to the rain and there were only occasional incidents that were quickly resolved by the Local Police and municipal concessionaires”. 

According to both parties, part of the actions focused on the placement of manhole covers that had been blown up or on the removal of branches that had fallen onto the public road, as well as on the cleaning of debris. Although the rainwater collection systems “worked perfectly in practically the entire city, accumulations of water were occasionally recorded in some points during the moments of greatest rainfall”, such as Paseo de Colón or Calle San Pedro, which were temporarily closed to traffic. In this last street, the Local Police had to assist a vehicle that could not continue its journey. Likewise, the accesses to Poniente beach from Calle Murtal were also temporarily closed. 

González de Zárate recalled that “years ago, during episodes of rainfall of this intensity, there were significant incidents due to the accumulation of water at points such as the confluence of Comunidad Valenciana and Alfonso Puchades avenues, Mediterráneo avenue or Severo Ochoa, all of which have responded very well to yesterday's rainfall.” 

“Thanks to the City Council’s significant investment in the renovation of water infrastructures – he added – these problems have been progressively corrected and Benidorm is responding better and better to rainy situations such as yesterday, with peaks of 25 litres per square metre in just half an hour in areas such as La Cala”. He also specified that “the City Council’s intention is to continue improving and solving problems in areas that may still be pending”. In fact, “a project has already been approved to act on the wastewater network of Elche Park”. This action, for which permission has already been requested from the Provincial Coastal Service, will be carried out by the Water Sanitation Entity (Epsar), dependent on the Generalitat Valenciana.

The Councillor for Public Safety has explained that the most striking action was the rescue by a Local Police boat of two people who were surprised by the storm while kayaking near the island of Benidorm.  

Shortly after the rain stopped, the city had returned to absolute normality, with the exception of the Julio Iglesias auditorium and the Óscar Esplá amphitheatre in the Parque de l'Aigüera, which were closed to pedestrians due to the accumulation of earth carried by the rain. By early morning, both facilities were already operational again after the debris had been removed. 

In total, during the hour that it rained approximately, 30 litres were collected at this point - 25 of them in just 30 minutes - while in the Centre 28 litres fell, around 16 in Rincón de Loix and 18 in the area around the water treatment plant. 

Visit Benidorm is promoting a hundred promotional actions in 23 countries during the first months of 2024

• The city has been present at 33 national and international fairs and has promoted numerous workshops, professional trips and campaigns in priority markets.

• The promotion of the destination on social networks has reached 16.9 million users, while the Benidorm Fest and the Cyclocross World Championship stand out for their impact on the media.

The Visit Benidorm Tourism Foundation, the public-private partnership entity in charge of promoting tourism in Benidorm, has promoted a hundred promotional actions in 23 countries during the first months of the year, activities that “have been fundamental in strengthening the image of Benidorm, establishing valuable contacts with professionals in the sector and attracting a diverse public”. This was highlighted on Tuesday by the mayor of the city and president of Visit Benidorm.

Benidorm, Toni Pérez, during an assessment of the main actions carried out between January and August 2024, to which another 30 actions scheduled for this last four months will be added. 

Pérez pointed out that, within the activity carried out by the Foundation in these first eight months of 2024, it stands out "the attendance at 33 national and international fairs, both general and of more specialized tourist segments, and that have served as a showcase to promote the entire offer of our destination, from sun and beach to gastronomy, accessibility, sports, nature, health and well-being, congresses or aimed at the LGTBIQ + public", a market in which "our city is even more involved this week with the celebration of Benidorm Pride", recalled the first mayor. 

I
n addition to its presence at these 33 fairs, Visit Benidorm has also carried out 13 familiarisation trips or 'famtrips', 14 press and 'influencer' trips, 14 presentations and 24 'workshops' with professionals, also deploying different advertising campaigns and continuous work on social networks "as a strategy - Toni Pérez stressed - to increase the visibility of the destination, interact with potential visitors and disseminate sustainability initiatives and the various tourist offers of our city". 

Among the messages launched by this body in the different actions developed, “a special emphasis has been placed on sustainability, promoting and publicizing DTI management and responsible practices that guarantee a balance between tourism, social, economic development and the conservation of the natural environment”, an approach that “has allowed Benidorm to consolidate itself as an innovative, sustainable and attractive destination for all audiences and highlighting its commitment to more conscious and responsible tourism”, as explained by the mayor.

With Spain and the United Kingdom as priority markets, Visit Benidorm's actions between January and August have also been directed at other countries of special interest as tourist issuers, mainly Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, Switzerland, France, the Nordic countries, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria. Likewise, among the products on which greater emphasis has been placed for their promotion are sports, especially cycling and golf; accessibility; the Film Office and the possibilities of the destination as an audio visual stage; the MICE sector –congresses, events and professional trips–; the health and wellness offer; gastronomy; and for the LGTBIQ+ market. 

As regards the campaigns developed on social networks, Visit Benidorm's activity has reached more than 16.9 million users and more than 15.4 million impressions; more than half a million 'likes', almost 42,000 shared posts and 20,385 comments. Instagram and Tiktok are, in this order, the networks where Visit Benidorm had the most impressions and views - 5.7 and 5.2 million, respectively, compared to 4.6 million on Facebook - while Facebook was where there was the greatest reach, reaching almost 8 million users, compared to 5.7 and 3.4 on Instagram and Tiktok, according to the data compiled by this entity. 

Finally, as regards the presence in traditional media in these first eight months of the year, Benidorm was present in all the major media outlets in the country, while the international press also dedicated space to it in newspapers and channels such as Le Monde Diplomatique, France TV, BBC, NI Travel News, Variety.com, RTS Switzerland, TTG Media, Selling Travel, INews, Io Donna, Spectator or Dezanove, among others. 

Among all the events held during this period in the city, the Benidorm Fest and the Cyclocross World Championships were the two events with the greatest media impact. The contest to select Spain's representatives at Eurovision recorded 337 television appearances and more than 1,700 press publications, while for the winter cycling world championship, the number of publications was close to one hundred. 

The mayor of the city and president of Visit Benidorm has pointed out that “during this last four months of the year we are going to continue working with the same intensity in promoting our destination”, with thirty actions scheduled in different countries, and with the World Travel Market in London as one of the most important fairs that will be attended. Toni Pérez has highlighted that in all these actions “the objective is to maintain the levels of occupation but also for this industry of happiness that is tourism to continue being sustainable from the environmental, economic and social point of view and that this also results in benefits not only for tourists but also for our residents”.

The mayor defends the “happiness industry” at the presentation of the Hosbec #Yotambiénsoyturista (I am also a tourist) campaign

Toni Pérez and the councillor Nuria Montes point out that this initiative arises as a reaction to tourismophobia

The Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, has once again defended this morning the tourist activity and tourism as “the industry of happiness” during the presentation of the campaign promoted by the hotel employers' association Hosbec, #Yotambiénsoyturista (I am also a tourist), which was held in the Levante beach library of the city and which was attended by the regional minister for Industry, Innovation, Trade and Tourism, Nuria Montes, as well as representatives of the entire tourist sector of the province.
This campaign, which is already present in the media of the Valencian Community, was born as a way of reacting to the tourism-phobic movement that is promoted from other places, as both the mayor and the regional minister have made clear.

Toni Pérez, in fact, has highlighted that the initiative “aims to create a link between residents and tourists and, at the same time, to promote responsible tourism”. It is a campaign that covers all areas of the Valencian Community “and that shows how tourists identify with residents”.

The mayor insisted that the city “is once again soaked by tourism, as it is every day”. “I am also a tourist, we all are. Wherever we are. Everyone is a tourist, and they do so thanks to the hospitality and generosity of a territory” said Pérez, who added that “we are tourists thanks to the welcome, we do not forget to be hospitable. And here in Benidorm we open our arms to the world and tell it that tourism is the most wonderful industry”.

In his speech, the mayor also stressed “the social sustainability of the tourism industry” and, at the provincial level, he stated that for the Costa Blanca Tourism Board “it is a pleasure to participate in the Hosbec campaign, with the support of the Ministry, because we are tourism, and we know that the world makes tourism an invaluable industry, as is the industry of happiness”. 

For her part, the councillor Nuria Montes has emphasised the objective of the campaign “as a reaction to tourismophobia” and has placed tourism as one of the great achievements of society that we are not willing to abandon”. “Tourism enriches us personally and socially” she has assured before insisting that “the messages of tourismophobia are classist”.

Nuria Montes also stressed that the campaign “reflects the hospitable spirit of the Valencian Community, which has not brought us any harm, but quite the opposite. That is why this is a campaign in favour of tourism and sustainable tourism activity.”

Finally, the councillor referred to the “open debate on the tourist tax” to emphasise that “tourists cannot be criminalised for other problems that the region has, such as economic, health or social ones”. On this point, Montes said that “we have a huge underfunding in the Community and those who now want the tourist tax have not moved a finger to solve it. They are only using demagogy to try to cover up their shame”.

Queen, ABBA, Coldplay and The Beatles star in 'Música a l'Hort', led by Salzillo

On August 31, legendary film soundtracks will be played at the recently renovated house museum

The house museum of l'Hort de Colón has hosted tonight the second of the sessions of 'Música a l'Hort' starring the Salzillo string quartet and a musical repertoire that has staged the best of groups such as Queen, ABBA, Coldplay and The Beatles before the public that filled its gardens.

After its recent restoration, the emblematic stately building of 19th century Benidorm, is once again the focus of the free musical programme by the Department of Historical and Cultural Heritage directed by Ana Pellicer, opening wide to host experiences such as this, micro theatre, workshops and other activities that highlight the cultural heritage of Benidorm.

The third installment of 'Música a l'Hort' will be on 31 August, with a programme of legendary film soundtracks on piano and violin by Scordadúo. On 7 September, the cycle will come to an end with jazz and swing by Orchestralia. 

Benidorm, ready for a Pride that will attract 20,000 people and that complements its leisure offer with cultural activities

• It will be from September 2 to 9, with a Parade with a record number of floats and an after-party with names from the Benidorm Fest such as Jorge González
• An exhibition by illustrator Javier Navarrete and a cycle of 'Cinema with Pride' make up the cultural agenda 

Benidorm Pride is preparing for a new edition that will attract around 20,000 people to the city from 2 to 9 September and, as a novelty, will complete its recreational and protest aspect with cultural activities. This was announced today by the Councillor for Equality, Ángela Zaragozí; the Councillor for Events, Jesús Carrobles; and Santos Torres, from the Benidorm LGBT Tourism Association, in a press conference in which they presented the programme for this edition in which “synergies with local businesses” have been generated. Thus, a large part of the planned parties will take place in leisure venues, nightclubs and hotels in the city. 

The Councillor for Events has pointed out that after last year's experience, the Benidorm Fest will once again be present at Pride with a float in the Parade and also with performances by some of the artists who have participated in the event such as Jorge González, the first of the confirmed names and with more to join in the coming days. 

Carrobles has highlighted that the presence of more Spanish artists is expected to favour the increase in the national public, in a Pride that in previous editions has had a clear predominance of international attendees, mainly from the United Kingdom. He has also stressed that the Benidorm Pride “is in the league” of the Spanish Pride festivals “at a first level”, closing the European calendar and gaining “in quality” year after year.  

The parade scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday 7th, Carrobles and Torres have announced that “there will be more than 20 floats and a variety of vehicles, increasing the participation of previous years”. A parade that will maintain the route of previous editions, leaving at 17.00 hours from Rincón de Loix and going along Paseo de Levante and the Mediterráneo and l'Aigüera avenues until reaching the Julio Iglesias auditorium. After the Parade, and in the same auditorium, it will be the turn of the 'Main Stage' party. 

The secretary of the LGBT Tourism Association has explained that in the days preceding these two parties there will be the 'White Party', also in the Julio Iglesias auditorium; the 'Pool Party', in the Marina Resort Hotel; and the 'Queen of the palace' in Ku Lounge Café. On Saturday itself, after the 'Main Stage', it will be the turn of the 'Kluster Afternoon Party' in Penélope Benidorm; while the 'Closing Party' will move to the Óscar Esplá amphitheatre in the Parque de l'Aigüera. In addition, and as usual, there will be daily parties in the LGBT venues in the Old Town. 

Regarding the launch of the cultural agenda for Pride, Torres said that it “enriches us greatly” and is “the icing on the cake, what was missing” for this celebration. The cultural agenda has been designed by the Department of Equality and includes an exhibition and a film series. 

On Monday 2nd at noon the exhibition 'Voices' by 'El chico llama', the artistic name of the illustrator Javier Navarrete, will be inaugurated. The Councillor for Equality has explained that this exhibition is “very interesting” since in it “you can find figures from the world of culture, sport or politics” recognised for their “professional career and for their contribution to the LGBT community”. 

Zaragozí has ​​explained that 'Voices' presents "a non-traditional format", since the illustrations are printed on 'roll-ups', and has reported that the exhibition can be visited throughout Pride week in the afternoon in the exhibition hall of the Casa del Fester. 

The 'Cinema with Pride' cycle will take place on Wednesday 4th at 8:00 pm in the Town Hall's Assembly Hall, where the documentary film 'Pride' and the short film 'Muerta en la Bañera' by Juan Dresán will be screened. Dresán, a regular attendee of Benidorm Pride, will be recognised with the 'LGBT Tolerance Award' in this edition.

The organisation and development of the Pride, the representative of the Benidorm LGBT Tourism Association has stressed that “it is wonderful to see how Benidorm accepts the community”, which is “integrated, positioned and also supported by the authorities” in the city.
In addition to the City Council and the Benidorm LGBT Tourism Association, the Generalitat Valenciana – through its brand Orgull -, Visit Benidorm and the Benidorm Fest are collaborating with this edition of the Benidorm Pride. “We believe that the involvement and work of all parties will be reflected in all the events”, Carrobles added. 

Program of events
Monday, September 2nd.
Parties organised by the bars and clubs in the Old Town 
Tuesday, September 3rd.
Parties organised by the bars and clubs in the Old Town
Wednesday, September 4th
'Queen of the Palace' party. Ku Lounge Café. (Tickets available on the Benidorm Pride Festival APP and at the entrance gate).
Parties organised by the bars and clubs in the Old Town 
Thursday, September 5th
Pool Party at Primavera Park Hotel (Tickets available on the Benidorm Pride Festival APP and at the entrance gate). 
Parties organised by the bars and clubs in the Old Town. 
Friday, September 6th
- 10th Anniversary White Party at the Julio Iglesias Auditorium in Parque de l'Aigüera. (Tickets available on the Benidorm Pride Festival APP and at the entrance gate)
 'After Party'. Ku Lounge Café. 
Parties organised by the bars and clubs in the Old Town. 
Saturday, September 7
17.00h - THE PARADE - starts at Rincón de Loix and ends at the Julio Iglesias auditorium. 
19.00h - MAIN STAGE - Julio Iglesias Auditorium in Parque de l'Aigüera. 
- 'Kluster After Party'. Penélope Benidorm. 
Parties organized by bars and clubs in the Old Town. 
Sunday, September 10 '
Closing Party'. Óscar Esplá Amphitheatre in Parque de l'Aigüera.
Parties organised by bars and clubs in the Old Town.

Benidorm will have a municipal forest fire fighting network with purified water

The City Council will commission the water and sewerage service concessionaire to draft the execution project within a maximum period of three months.

The municipality of Benidorm will have a municipal forest fire fighting network with purified water that will allow it to act much more efficiently in particularly sensitive areas with significant forest cover. To this end, the Water Cycle Department will commission Hidraqua, the concessionaire of the drinking water and sewerage service, to draft the execution project for the aforementioned municipal network within a maximum period of three months. 

The proposal by councillor José Ramón González de Zárate will be addressed and ruled on in the next Urban Planning information committee and approved by the Local Government Board and the project will be financed with the economic resources available in the drinking water and sewerage contract.

It is worth remembering that on July 15, the Governing Board agreed to ask Hidraqua to draft the Master Plan for the Municipal Service for the Reuse of Purified Water in the city, the objective of which is to increase the consumption of water for compatible uses within the municipality. One of these uses will be the use of purified water to supply the network of fire hydrants that will be distributed throughout the city, "with special importance to those that will be used to meet the possible demand of forest areas such as El Moralet, El Murtal, L'Aigüera alta, the Séquia Mare Park or the surroundings of the PORN of Serra Gelada, etc. forest areas close to the urban area and essential for Benidorm" said Mayor Toni Pérez.

The mayor also pointed out that, very close to and even crossing these areas, "there is a pipeline for reusing treated water from the WWTP, which has sufficient flow and pressure to provide the basic firefighting service that would be required in the event of an emergency."

In this regard, Toni Pérez has highlighted the “urgency” of undertaking this action and has argued that “the drought period in which we find ourselves gives these green areas a high potential risk of fire”. This is why Hidraqua has been asked to draft the project, regardless of whether it is contemplated in the aforementioned Master Plan for the Municipal Service for the Reuse of Waste Water “so that it can be carried out in the shortest possible time”.

The project requested from Hidraqua must consider several conditions. Thus, it must be coordinated and adapted to the instructions given by the Local Security and Emergency Corps (Firefighters, Civil Protection, Local Police, etc.) and those given by the Community of Irrigators of the Canal Bajo del Algar, which is the owner of the reuse pipeline that would supply the planned fire-fighting network.

The scope of the project will also include all green areas, parks, forested areas or undeveloped areas that could be served safely, with the necessary flow and pressure from the treated water reuse pipeline. The future distribution network will also have to be installed preferably along existing roads and avoiding affecting forested areas. In cases where this is not possible, the hydrants will be located in the closest possible areas (cannons or special hydrants) with the possibility of activating and directing them appropriately. Finally, the network must have the control and location systems necessary for this type of installation.

For the first time, the Youth offers four water activities for the last stretch of summer in Benidorm

Those interested can choose a time and date from August 26 to September 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Youth Department of Benidorm City Council will launch for the first time the 'Actimar' activity, an initiative consisting of offering various aquatic activities for young people to do during this last stretch of summer. According to information from the Department, the date of these activities will be from August 26 to September 30 and those who sign up will be able to choose a time from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be four water activities in total. The first of these, jet skis, will cost 80 euros and offers two seats. The second activity, parasailing, costs 100 euros and also offers two seats. The activity called 'Sofa' will cost 30 euros and is offered for a maximum of eight seats, while the 'Banana' also costs 30 euros, although in this case it is offered for a maximum of ten seats. Youth reminds that to sign up for jet skis you must be at least 16 years old and that for any activity, if you are under 18 years old, you will need parental authorization. 

In any case, the Council has indicated that registration for those interested as well as any other information can be found at the Benidorm Youth Information Centre.

The Department of Beaches will replace the broken footbath in Poniente on the night of Wednesday to Thursday

• The City Council has already received permission from the Coastal Authority to act on the footbaths damaged in the October storm
• A section of Armada Española Avenue will be closed to traffic for six hours

The Department of Beaches of the Benidorm City Council is going to replace one of the footbaths that was damaged during the storm last October, after the Provincial Coastal Service has authorised this action. The councillor of the area, Mónica Gómez, has explained that “we are going to act on the footbath that was most damaged and that in fact has been out of service for all these months waiting to be replaced.” Gómez has detailed that “this action is going to be carried out at night, the night of Wednesday 7 to Thursday 8, in order to affect as little as possible the ordinary activity of the beach, which is very busy during these days of August.”

To facilitate the action as much as possible, the section of Avenida Armada Española between Jaime I and Xixo will remain closed to traffic for approximately six hours, between midnight and 06.00 hours on Thursday 8. From the Mobility area they have informed that while the cut lasts, only vehicles with a ford will be allowed access to this section. The rest of the vehicles that want to access Poniente will have to do so from Avenida Vicente Pérez Devesa. 

The head of Beaches has asked for “apologies” from residents and tourists “for any possible inconvenience that this night-time operation may cause”; and has clarified that “we have decided to replace this footbath in the middle of the high season in order to reinforce the service in this specific section of the beach, postponing until later the pending work on the other two footbaths, which were also damaged in the storm but are operational.” 

Gómez has recalled that in January the City Council presented a project to remove the three footbaths located in the narrowest section of Poniente beach, in the vicinity of the Les Fontanelles spring and move their position to an area closer to the promenade to protect them from possible coastal phenomena. This project included the repair of the damaged devices.
 
Shortly before the San José long weekend and Easter, given that the Ministry had not yet authorised this project, the City Council sought a temporary solution to at least put the footbaths into service. After some adaptation work, two of them were able to be put into operation, leaving the third, the most damaged, out of service. This last footbath is the one that is going to be replaced now; and the other two that are active will be changed later.   
 

More than 1,000 young people participate in the first two days of the 'Gaming Benidorm Fest' 2024

The second call is scheduled for August 24 and 25.

Successful participation in the 'Gaming Benidorm Fest' 2024 of the Youth Department in its first weekend of activities that took place on August 3 and 4 at the facilities of the Youth Information Centre (CIJ).

The Councillor for Youth, Ana Soliveres, and other members of the municipal government team, have taken the pulse of the experience together with hundreds of young people (around 500 per day) who have taken advantage of the opportunity to enjoy, free of charge, the best connection speed and the most popular video games of the moment.

The Youth Councillor has made popular titles such as FIFA, Brawl Stars, Fortnite, Just Dance, Clash Royale, Lips, Forza 4, Tennis and Call of Duty, among others, available to gamers. The activity has taken place from 7.30 pm to 1 am.

The 'Gaming Benidorm Fest' 2024 programme also includes the 'Content creators, learn from the best' conference and, as required, the technical means and specialised monitors made available to participants: ten full PS5 Pro stands, six full XBOX Series X stands, VR2 glasses, a driving simulator, Game Pass Ultimate and others.

The second phase of the 'Gaming Benidorm Fest' 2024 will take place on 24 and 25 August, at the same location. 

The municipal swimming pool at the Guillermo Amor Sports City is back in operation after the celebration of the Low Festival

The site is resuming its normal activity and regular hours, although during the first few days access will be via the pine forest of Foietes Park.

The Department of Sports of Benidorm City Council has announced the opening of the municipal swimming pool at the Guillermo Amor Sports City following the celebration of the Low Festival last weekend, so the facility is resuming its normal activity.

The swimming pool is reopening to the public with all health guarantees and all parameters within the required range as confirmed by the analyses carried out. The opening hours for the general public will continue to be the usual ones from 12 noon to 8 pm, although during these first few days access to the premises will be via the pine forest of Foietes Park.

The Councillor for Sports, Javier Jordá, has indicated that “once the dismantling of the Low Festival event is almost finished and the analyses carried out by the Municipal Laboratory have been certified, the pool is reopening its doors and operating as normal”. The councillor has highlighted that “the impact on users, once again, has been minimal because we have rushed to close it as late as possible and open it in the shortest time possible once the festival is over”. 

Likewise, the Mercasa car park is also being restored for public use as the dismantling of the infrastructure for the musical event progresses and the car park will soon be fully available.

Benidorm celebrates the XXII edition of the traditional L'Illa Swimming Crossing on August 25

Places are limited and registration to participate opens this Thursday, August 1, at 9 a.m.

On Sunday, August 25, one of the most eagerly awaited events of the summer in Benidorm will be held, the XXII edition of the traditional L'Illa-Port de Benidorm Popular Swimming Crossing, organised by the Department of Sports in collaboration with the areas of Citizen Security, Mobility and Beaches, as well as the Benidorm Nautical Club and collaborating companies. This was conveyed by the Councillor for Sports of the Benidorm City Council, Javier Jordá, who recalled that the test covers the distance that separates this natural space from the Mal Pas beach, with a distance of 2 nautical miles, equivalent to 3.6 kilometres.

Jordá has announced that registration to participate in this test will open at 9:00 a.m. this Thursday, August 1, and must be done through the link Click Here, after which she also recalled that places are limited. 

Regarding the actual organisation of the event, the Councillor for Sports has reported that the delivery of the numbers will take place on the day of the crossing in the dock of the Port, from 7 in the morning until 7.30 am. The boarding of the swimmers to the golondrina from the Port for their transfer to l'Illa will take place at 7.45 am, while the departure of the crossing will be at 8.15 am. 
 

Finally, the councillor reminded that all participants will be obliged to use their approved location buoy during the crossing.

Benidorm welcomes Low 2024 with more than 20,000 people on its first day

During the three days of the event, nearly 70 national and international bands and artists will perform on the four stages.

More than 20,000 people welcomed Low Festival 2024 yesterday afternoon, which will bring together almost 70 national and international bands and artists in Benidorm over three days. Shortly after the doors opened, the mayor, Toni Pérez, the councillor for Events, Jesús Carrobles, and the promoter of the festival, José Manuel Piñero, toured the venue, which was filling up as the afternoon progressed, accompanied by other members of the local government.

In terms of music, the first day of Low has seen the performance of 22 bands, artists and DJs on the four stages of the venue, including performances by Ginebras, Sidonie, Amaral and Pixies, among others. Ahead of this, there will be two more days of music, with names such as Suede, Planetas, Mikel Izal, Ojete Calor, Arde Bogotá and La Casa Azul. 

Entry into the Guillermo Amor Sports City took place in stages and without incident from 7pm, when the doors were opened. The good atmosphere, the desire to party and listen to good music was the predominant note in those first hours of the festival.
 

Alicante TRAM reinforces the TRAMnochador on the 26th and 27th to facilitate mobility for the Benidorm Low Cost Festival

• FGV will put two additional trains into circulation between El Campello and Benidorm and two others on the reverse route
• The TRAMnochador offers night service on weekends and on the eve of public holidays on lines 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 until August 31

Alicante TRAM will strengthen the TRAMnochador service on the 26th and 27th to facilitate the mobility of users traveling to Benidorm to attend the Low Cost Festival, which is held in the Guillermo Amor Sports City.

In this way, in addition to the trains on line 1 (Luceros-Benidorm) of the TRAMnochador on Friday 26 and Saturday 27, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) will put into circulation two trains between El Campello and Benidorm and two others in the reverse direction to improve the service.

TRAMnochador is Alicante's TRAM night service on weekends and summer holiday evenings that this year provides service from last Friday, July 5th until Saturday, August 31st on lines 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9.

The TRAMnochador offers a night service between Luceros and the towns of Benidorm (L1); Sant Vicent del Raspeig (L2); El Campello (L3); and Sant Joan Beach (L4); as well as between Benidorm and Garganes station in the municipality of Altea (L9), with stops at the different stations and bus stops on these routes.

Benidorm celebrates today the big day in honour of Sant Jaume, (Saint James) the city's patron saint

• The programme includes a bell ringing, a parade, a mass, fireworks and the traditional 'ball del Peuet'
• This day the Commission also presents the poster announcing the Festes Majors Patronals next November 

As every 25th of July, Benidorm will once again take to the streets tomorrow to celebrate the big day in honour of Sant Jaume Apòstol, the city's patron saint, with a full programme of events organised by the Comissió de Festes Majors Patronals, in collaboration with the Department of Festivals. The councillor for the area, Mariló Cebreros, has emphasised that "one more year, we are going to experience the day as the big day that it is for our municipality", after which she has invited the citizens to "participate and enjoy all the events" planned. 

The day will start with a parade at 11.30 from the Casa del Fester towards the Plaça de la Senyoria, next to the church of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna, from where a general ringing of the bells will take place before the launching of an air raid. In addition to the municipal authorities, the queens of the Festes Majors Patronals 2024, Valentina Almodóbar Climent and Laia Zamora Picó, will also participate, along with their courts of honour; members of the Comissió and the Associació de Penyes Verge del Sofratge; representatives of other entities; as well as the public who want to join the celebration.  

In the afternoon, at 6:30 p.m. and also from the Casa del Fester, the procession will set off again towards the headquarters of the La Barqueta Cultural and Recreational Association, where the mayors will collect the image of Sant Jaume to carry it in a parade through the city centre. 

 7:30 p.m., the entire procession will make a stop in the Plaza del Torrejó, where the poster announcing the Festes Majors Patronals, which are held from November 9 to 13, will be unveiled. This image will also be the one that the Commission will use as the cover of the Official Magazine of the 2024 festivities. 

Later, at 8:30 p.m., a solemn mass will be held in the church of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna, at the end of which the Flag Bearer of 2024, Vicente Fuster, will place a bow tie on the banner of the Commission and receive the insignia of the city from the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez. 

After the Eucharist, in the Plaça de Sant Jaume, the traditional 'Estampeta' will be lit, in honour of the patron saint, which will give way to the traditional 'ball del Peuet' by the ladies and queens of the Festes Majors Patronals. Finally, the Turís pyrotechnics company will set off a fireworks display. 

The day dedicated to Sant Jaume will end with a popular street party in the Castelar square, in El Castell, organised by the mayorales of the Comissió de Festes, who will open a bar with food and drink at popular prices to raise funds. The event will be enlivened by music from a DJ. 

The celebrations in Benidorm in honour of the patron saint began last Friday night, with the traditional gala dinner of the Comissió de Festes, which once again took place on the esplanade of the Nautical Club. After today's festive day, the programme will conclude next Saturday, 3 August, with a commemorative concert that the ACR La Barqueta will dedicate to Saint James the Apostle, in the church of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna. 

Benidorm is applying for funding to deploy technological platforms in tourist destinations with a project worth more than 3 million euros

It proposes alliances with other municipalities and administrations to share technological solutions and maximize the scope of the investment, such as Torremolinos or San Bartolomé de Tirajana

Benidorm City Council has opted for aid from the Secretary of State for Tourism for the deployment of technological platforms and digital solutions in the destinations of the Smart Tourist Destination Network with a project of more than 3 million euros. The Councillor for Innovation, Aida García Mayor, explained that “these grants are 100% financed with European funds, so if our project receives approval it would be carried out entirely with external resources, without having to make any municipal contribution”. 

Specifically, Benidorm participates in this call for proposals in modality B, reserved for local entities, regions and associations and endowed with 57.1 million euros. 

García Mayor recalled that “in relation to technological platforms, Benidorm is not starting from scratch”. In fact, at this time, “we are finalising the implementation of our Smart Tourist Destination Platform through the Red.es programme and we have already tested some pilots”. For this reason, “the project of more than 3 million euros that we are presenting for these grants proposes advanced solutions to be able to make the most of the data and indicators that we already measure or that we will soon measure as soon as the implementation of our platform is completed.” A platform that “will experience a qualitative shift.” 

The councillor has explained that the proposed project “will allow Generative Artificial Intelligence to be put into play to exploit the information and indicators obtained to improve the management of the city.” 

Among the solutions included in the project, which proposes more than 20 actions, are the creation of a destination portal, a location intelligence module, a loyalty system and module, another for smart parking and a capacity control and flow measurement, without forgetting Blue Tourism.

The head of Innovation has clarified that “the Benidorm platform will be linked to the Ministry's Intelligent Destination Platform (PID), also based in our city, so that there will be an exchange of data.” Thus, “we will have access to external indicators that are essential to understand the reality of the tourism market at any given time and to know what measures to adopt in the future; while Benidorm will contribute to this PID data collected by our platform and that are of national interest.” 

García Mayor stressed that “the spirit of this national PID is collaboration between destinations and following this philosophy, in Benidorm we have established alliances with municipalities or administrations to share technological solutions and maximize the impact of the investment.”  

Among the formalised collaborations there are two with cities of the Alliance of Tourist Municipalities of Sun and Beach (AMT): Torremolinos and San Bartolomé de Tirajana. These synergies will be linked to the monitoring of beaches and the location intelligence module. In addition, alliances have also been forged with the City Councils of Elche and Almuñécar and with the Provincial Council of Alicante.  

Benidorm's accessible beaches are transformed into 'smoke-free spaces'

The City Council is considering extending the initiative to other spaces such as parks or gardens

As a result of the collaboration agreement signed between Benidorm City Council and the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), the areas of Accessible Beaches in Levante and Poniente have been transformed into 'smoke-free spaces', as announced today by the Councillor for Beaches, Mónica Gómez.

The councillor recalled that in Spain, smoking is the cause of the death of “around 60,000 people”. It is therefore the “responsibility” of the public administration “to ensure the well-being and health of citizens”.

The aim of this action is to “create an environment free of harmful tobacco smoke” by warning of the danger that exposure to tobacco smoke poses for smokers, “and also for passive smokers.”

The Accessible Beaches areas of Benidorm have the necessary infrastructure and adapted services so that people with functional diversity can enjoy the sea and sand without barriers. They promote equality and social inclusion. Now they also advertise that they are 'smoke-free spaces'.

To this end, the City Council has published posters advertising the event and indicating that it is a “healthy initiative to prevent cancer”. It also encourages citizens who support this type of initiative to share their experiences on social media using the hashtag #RespiroLibre and the AECC hashtag #TodosContraElCáncer.

Mónica Gómez explained that the agreement with AECC will go beyond the creation of 'smoke-free spaces' on the Accessible Beaches and, from the Department of Health coordinated by Ana Pellicer, they are "studying the expansion of the initiative or other municipal spaces". She also stressed that "soon", the Department of Parks and Gardens, directed by José Ramón González de Zárate, "will create El Moralet spaces where tobacco is avoided and healthy habits are promoted".

"It is about raising awareness and disseminating among citizens the need to prevent smoking and the services that help people to quit a habit that causes enormous damage and affects patients and their families," the councillor concluded.

New York and Benidorm strengthen ties in a meeting between the mayors of both cities

Eric Adams and his team welcome Toni Pérez to the New York City Hall

Both councillors have discussed the urban development model in height, water management, the recovery of spaces and social integration.

The cities of New York and Benidorm are a little closer together from today, after the meeting held at the American City Hall between the mayors of both cities, Eric Adams and Toni Pérez. A visit that takes place one day after the mayor of Benidorm participated in a High Level Political Forum on the 2030 Agenda at the UN headquarters as part of the Spanish delegation headed by the third vice president of the Government of Spain, Teresa Ribera, and the Minister of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, Pablo Bustinduy.

During the meeting, both mayors have spoken about their cities and what they have in common “each in its own dimension”, according to Toni Pérez. Thus, they have talked about “the commitment to the vertical city”, about “the renovation and recovery of spaces” and about “the effort in favour of the inclusion and integration of the communities that arrive” because “we are both lands of opportunities”. In this regard, Eric Adams has defended the value of sport as a tool for inclusion and integration and the steps that New York is taking in this regard, something that the Benidorm delegation was able to see yesterday. 

On the other hand, Toni Pérez has detailed to his New York counterpart “how water and resources are managed in Benidorm, in which we are a model of sustainability”. 

Furthermore, during the meeting, both councillors have commented that New York and Benidorm are two of the cities in the world with the highest concentration of skyscrapers, and “each one in its own size is a reference in this aspect”. 

Toni Pérez has thanked Eric Adams “for the courtesy of receiving Benidorm and taking an interest in the city and its urban and management model”, as well as for his intention to “continue maintaining contact and strengthening ties”. He has also thanked “the magnificent attention that the elected councillor for the district of Queens, Francisco Moya, has given us throughout the visit”, who has accompanied the Benidorm delegation.

After meeting with the Mayor of New York and visiting the Town Hall, Toni Pérez and the manager of Visit Benidorm have travelled to the facilities of the football school that the vice-president of Benidorm CF, David Villa, has in the city. This brings to an end two days of work in New York.

Benidorm incorporates a crane in the Accessible Beaches to make bathing even easier for people with reduced mobility

• It is located at the accessible point of Levante and will allow the transfer of users from a wheelchair to the amphibious chair in a safer manner.

• Toni Pérez: “We were pioneers in bringing accessibility to the beaches and we continue to improve them for the enjoyment of all people, regardless of their abilities”

​​​​​​​Benidorm City Council, through the Department of Beaches, has incorporated for the first time a crane to the Accessible Beaches service to facilitate bathing in the sea for people with reduced mobility who use this service. Specifically, as explained by the Councilor for Beaches, Mónica Gómez, it is a crane that is already operational at the Accessible Beaches point in Levante, which will allow for a more comfortable and safe transfer of people who travel in wheelchairs to the amphibious chairs used for bathing, an operation that "until now required the intervention of at least two lifeguards and which can now be carried out with just one assistant and without the need for sudden or difficult movements for the user."

The Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, accompanied the Councillor for Beaches this morning to this point in Levante to see first-hand how this new mobility assistance element works. “We were pioneers in bringing accessibility to our beaches so that they could be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their condition or abilities, and now we continue to improve this service, also incorporating this crane in a pioneering way so that our Accessible Beaches are even more comfortable, more inclusive and more accessible for all,” said the Mayor.

Mónica Gómez has indicated that the incorporation of this new element has been assumed by the company in charge of the integral management of the beaches, RA Benidorm, and that therefore it has not had any additional cost for the City Council. 

In 2000, Benidorm City Council opened the first Accessible Beaches point in the city, a service that was expanded in subsequent years to the three that exist today: one in Levante and two in Poniente, and which remain operational throughout the year. At these three points, people with physical and functional diversity are offered elements such as access ramps, walkways that connect with the access ramp to the sea, adapted changing rooms, adapted toilets, shaded areas and windbreaks, amphibious chairs for adults and children, amphibious crutches of different sizes, lifeguards as support staff for bathing, buoys delimiting the bathing area and WIFI connection, recalled the Councilor for Beaches, all with the aim of "making their stay on the beaches as satisfactory as possible." 

Last year, this service had a total of 16,155 users: 6,649 at the one located on Levante beach; 7,959 at the one in Elche Park; and 1,547 at the one located in La Cala.

Grant to introduce new improvements

On the other hand, the Councillor for Beaches has announced that, despite the fact that Benidorm's Accessible Beaches "are fully equipped and are set as an example of a fully accessible and inclusive service by the main disability platforms in our country, the City Council continues to explore all possible avenues for improvement". This is why the Council is going to request a subsidy from the Generalitat Valenciana within the line of aid launched by the Second Vice-Presidency and Ministry of Social Services, Equality and Housing, by which subsidies are called for the year 2024 to local entities and non-profit entities for the improvement of accessibility conditions to the physical environmen

t. 

Specifically, according to the councillor, a project will be presented for the improvement of the three accessible beach points, which includes the acquisition of new sections of roll-up walkway to facilitate access to the sea, a railing and three new amphibious chairs, one of them XXL in size. The total cost of the project to be presented to obtain the subsidy is budgeted at 12,815 euros. 

Success of the Gold edition of the Reggaeton Beach Festival in Benidorm

The event met the musical and organisational expectations and took place completely normally.

The Gold edition of the Reggaeton Beach Festival in Benidorm, which took place last weekend at the new multipurpose facilities in Foietes, has been a complete “success”, meeting “the musical and organisational expectations of the public”, according to the Councillor for Events, Jesús Carrobles. 

"We are talking about a festival that is fully consolidated in our city, which has already held five editions, which grows year after year, always attentive to improving services and production, with new features that improve the experience of attendees and which is undoubtedly an attraction for young audiences."

The councillor recalled that “Reggaeton Beach is the first of three festivals that will take place in municipal facilities during the summer and early autumn”. Three festivals, he said, that “have already become established events in the city's calendar and that contribute to positioning Benidorm on the national circuit and in the musical and cultural tourism segment”.

Carrobles, who is also in charge of the Citizen Security area, explained that “as was certified during the inspection carried out at the festival by municipal inspectors, the security and health measures included in the Self-Protection Plan were strictly complied with, both in terms of the number of personnel and staff provided by the organisation and in terms of emergency measures”. 

In this regard, the councillor recalled that “more than 200 people have made up this device, between the means provided by the company and the personnel assigned by the Local Police, the National Police Force and Civil Protection”. 

The Events and Public Safety Officer reported that “the festival has taken place completely normally, with no significant incidents occurring during the event.” In total, 146 medical attentions were provided in the venue over the two days, mostly minor injuries due to sprains or sunstroke, and only one person was taken to hospital. 

This overall number of attendees represents “around 34% less than in the previous edition”, while “transfers have been reduced by 80%”.

Carrobles also pointed out that “the traffic system has also worked well during the development and end of the festival day, especially considering the volume of vehicles that Benidorm currently has.”  

Benidorm kicks off the fourth edition of the Benidorm Fest, consolidated as a national and international benchmark

• RTVE, Generalitat and City Council sign the agreement for the celebration of the contest in 2025, which will repeat the format with two semi-finals and a final gala
• The event closes a collaboration with the Viña del Mar Festival that joins the one already established this year with the San Remo Festival.

Benidorm will once again be the centre of attention in the national and international music industry at the beginning of 2025 during the celebration of the fourth edition of the Benidorm Fest, which has become, in just three editions, a benchmark for artists, fans and Eurofans beyond the borders of our country. The musical competition that selects the artist who will represent Spain in the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in our city from January 26, with semi-finals on January 28 and 30, while the grand final will be on February 1, as announced today.

The Paseo de Tamarindos, where the Mirador de la Música is located, has hosted this Monday the presentation of the next edition of this event, in an event that marks the starting shot for the new edition and which was attended by the president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón; the president of RTVE, Concepción Cascajosa; and the mayor of the city, Toni Pérez. The event was also attended by the regional minister for Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, Nuria Montes; the senator Agustín Almodóbar; the regional deputies José Ramón González de Zárate and Mario Villar; members of the local Council; participants from previous editions; a large representation of media outlets from all over the country; as well as representatives of business and economic sectors of the city, such as the associations Hosbec, Abreca-Cobreca, Aico or Aptur, among others.

The event was presented by María Eizaguirre, director of Participation and Communication of the public entity RTVE, who after giving way to a video of all the singers who have participated in previous editions of the Benidorm Fest, highlighted the consolidation of this festival as a focus of attraction for artists and the public. Immediately afterwards, the agreement was signed between RTVE, the Generalitat Valenciana and the City Council that will allow the celebration of the fourth edition of the Benidorm Fest next year.

After the signing, the president of RTVE, Concepción Cascajosa, mentioned the first steps of this event, conceived at the beginning of the recovery after the pandemic, and how the three institutions that created it continue to support it, something that, in her opinion, "builds the country, great collective projects and allows us to move forward into the future". Cascajosa said that "the Benidorm Fest is a wonderful collective project" and, at the same time, "a magnificent opportunity to come and get to know the Valencian Community and to enjoy life" in a destination like Benidorm.

The president of the entity has also pointed out that this competition has allowed the public corporation to evolve towards “linear television, social networks and new communication channels”, highlighting that, partly thanks to it, “RTVE was the audience leader among Generation Z last year”.

For his part, Mayor Toni Pérez began his speech by highlighting “this enormous alliance such as that of RTVE, the Generalitat Valenciana and Benidorm City Council”, after entities that “continue to support, joining hands, to promote Spanish music and the creativity of our artists, and to offer an opportunity and be a focus of attraction for all Spanish creativity to launch it to Europe and from Europe, to the world”.

The mayor of Benidorm also thanked the promoters of this festival for “positioning this brand, which is public television, and also another great brand that belongs to everyone and is made by all of us, Benidorm”, arguing that the Benidorm Fest is “a great promotional tool” for the city.

To end his speech, Toni Pérez encouraged the artists who are already preparing their songs for the new edition and recalled that this year “it is 55 years since Julio Iglesias won the Benidorm Song Festival”. He then used a phrase from 'Life goes on' to reiterate the municipal commitment to the Benidorm Fest: “The works remain and projects like this are the ones we have to support”. 

For his part, the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, began his speech by reproducing another phrase from the song with which Julio Iglesias won the Golden Mermaid: “The same song says 'others who come will continue them' and that is what we are doing. We have come to continue with this project and make it bigger, to take the base and work not only so that it remains the same, but so that it goes even better”. 

Mazón has highlighted that “just as RTVE is finding new audiences with the Benidorm Fest, Benidorm and the Valencian Community are finding new tourists” and has said that, in addition, this contest serves to highlight talent. “The talent from Alicante, and Nebulossa is a great example of this, of a talent that was there and we needed to see it flourish; but also of the emerging talent that is new and coming from many other parts of Spain”, because in his opinion the Benidorm Fest is “a platform that is probably one of the best there is to show this talent to the world”. 

Finally, he has thanked the public television “for betting on Benidorm and the Valencian Community”.

After the official speeches, the next part of the event was led by Mery Bass and Mark Dasousa, members of Nebulossa, who told all the attendees what they have experienced since they won the 'Bronze Microphone' in the third edition of this music contest. “The Benidorm Fest is a very big platform, which not only gives you promotion, but also creates an atmosphere, a microclimate with your colleagues, and all you get is winning,” they explained, going on to describe the song 'Zorra', which has already reached 26.8 million views, as “a message of hope for many people, a ray of light for everyone” but also “a very important change in our lives for which we can only be grateful.” 

The president of RTVE has surprised Nebulossa by giving them a gold record to commemorate the millions of views that the winning song of the Benidorm Fest 2024 has already accumulated, which minutes later they performed again on the Mirador de la Música stage.

News for the next edition
Regarding the next edition of the Benidorm Fes, which will take place from January 26 to February 1, 2025, RTVE representatives have explained that the contest will once again have two semi-finals and a final gala, although parallel activities and parties will be scheduled throughout the week to prolong its impact.

Likewise, the director of Studies and Technical Media of this entity, José Luis Muñiz, has announced that the Benidorm Fest has closed a collaboration agreement with the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, in Chile, after the one already established last year with the San Remo Song Festival, which will also be maintained in this edition. In fact, the presentation of the Benidorm Fest was attended by the RAI board of directors Mariangela Borneo, representing this Italian festival. 

Although the format of the next Benidorm Fest will be similar to that of past editions, there will also be new features. The first of these is the incorporation of the artist Beatriz Luengo to the team of advisors in charge of selecting the songs and artists that will be presented to the preselection of songs to participate in the festival. 

In addition, a change in the voting system has also been announced. The co-director of the festival, Ana María Bordas, has explained that in the semi-finals the names of the finalists who go on to the grand final will be announced but the result of the votes of each of those selected will not be given, with the aim that this information cannot condition the votes at the end of the galas, where the winner of the Benidorm Fest 2025 will be chosen. The RTVE spokesperson has explained that this is "a demand" that the participating artists have been asking for, to which a response will be given this year. 

Projection of the 2024 finalists
To conclude the presentation of the event, the projection that their participation in the Benidorm Fest is bringing to many of the participants in the third edition, held in 2024, has also been reviewed. Among them, they have advanced that Marlena's song 'Amor de verano' will be the song selected by RTVE for the broadcasts of the Paris Olympic Games, as has already been the case with Almácor's 'Brillos platino' for the Eurocup. 

In addition, Miss Caffeina has composed the official song for this year's Vuelta Ciclista a España, while other performers will also provide the soundtrack to RTVE series and productions. 

Benidorm installs litter bins decorated by artists from the 1st Urban Art Day on the beaches

The initiative aimed to give a second life to different elements of public furniture with the creative proposals of the participants.

Benidorm City Council, through the Departments of Historical and Cultural Heritage and Environment, has proceeded to place the litter bins that were decorated by the participants in the 1st Urban Art Day that was held last June in the interior esplanade of the Foietes Park. An activity that aimed to give a second life to different spaces and elements of public furniture, intervening them with the best proposals of the urban artists who participated.

T
he bins, now with their new decoration, have returned to their original place of origin and have been located on the beaches of Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas, according to the Councillor for the Environment and Beaches, Mónica Gómez, who also specified that the bins had been given a coat of primer before installation to protect them from the weather and prolong their life.

The Councillor for Historical and Cultural Heritage, Ana Pellicer, has highlighted the importance of “giving a second life to these urban elements and doing so in an attractive way”. The Councillor has indicated that this initiative “is in line with our commitment to sustainability, responsible use and respect for and protection of the environment”. 

The Urban Art Day was held on June 8th in a participatory event open to the public and coincided with World Environment Day, which was commemorated on June 5th. There, the public voted for their favorite proposals that have now been installed on the beaches for the enjoyment of users.

Ana Pellicer has announced that both councillors “will continue to work together along these lines, so that in future editions of the Urban Art Day, creative proposals will be made on other elements of urban furniture”.

This year, the themes that have been the focus of the creative proposals in the bins have been sustainability, beaches and/or the environment and Benidorm, although the theme may change each year "to adapt to the needs or circumstances of each moment" Pellicer added.  

Benidorm Local Police are carrying out a campaign of controls on personal mobility vehicles, which has resulted in 265 inspections in the last two months

70% of the fines imposed are for driving in pedestrian areas and 14% for driving without a helmet

Most of the violations committed by drivers of personal mobility vehicles (PMV) in Benidorm are due to driving in pedestrian areas, a circumstance that is prohibited and which causes 70% of the violations detected by the Local Police in the controls carried out in the last two months.

In January, the local police began more intensive surveillance due to the proliferation of VMPs and their urban use in the city. Given this situation, the police considered it necessary to take action to allow safe circulation for both the drivers of this type of vehicle - mostly scooters - and for other road users.

The campaign of controls on public roads began in January, although it was reinforced from May "in view of the confusion existing among the users of these vehicles given that the regulation depends on each municipal authority and, therefore, can be different in different municipalities" said the Councillor for Citizen Security, Jesús Carrobles. Thus, from January to May the number of controls carried out was 28 and in May and June this number rose to 53. In total, 81 controls on public roads.

The results of this campaign of controls on VMP indicate that approximately 800 personal mobility vehicles have been inspected in the first six months of the year. Of these inspections, 70% of the infractions were due to driving in pedestrian zones; 14% were committed for driving without a helmet and 10% for not having compulsory civil liability insurance. The remaining 6% were due to other causes.

As regards the reinforcement of controls carried out in the last two months, 151 VMP were inspected in May. The Local Police proceeded to identify three people and made 54 reports through the Municipal Traffic Bulletin. The reports to the Provincial Traffic Headquarters amounted to six and the vehicles impounded were ten.

In June, the number of personal mobility vehicles inspected was 114. During these controls, one person was identified, 54 reports were filed through the Municipal Traffic Bulletin and another five reports were made to the Provincial Traffic Headquarters, with 18 vehicles impounded.

This campaign of controls and inspections of VMP will be in force throughout the summer season, as explained by the councillor "with the aim of continuing to inform and control the use of these vehicles with the main mission of raising awareness among VMP drivers."

Carrobles recalled that the Neighbourhood Council had already expressed its concern in recent meetings about the proliferation of these vehicles, which often travelled through pedestrian areas where they are prohibited. “They had asked us to take measures to improve this problem and, in addition to the campaigns and controls, we are also working on placing signs in various areas, but it is a process that takes time if it is to be done properly” Carrobles specified.

Terra Natura recreate the Jurassic period with an experience starring dinosaurs

At Terra Natura Benidorm will recreate the Jurassic period with a unique experience, starring large animated dinosaurs. The Jurassic Experience party will take place on June 29 and will take the visiting public to the Jurassic era, where dinosaurs dominated the Earth.

New this year, a replica of the off-road vehicle that appeared in the original 'Jurassic Park' film will be on display thanks to the collaboration of the Finestrat Motor Museum, which in addition to this cinematic vehicle also houses other iconic vehicles of the 20th century and will give as a gift to children on the children's menu with free admission to the museum. The entertainment that will greet visitors upon arrival will be carried out by the Valencian Napoleonic Association, as well as a great batucada. 

The public will be able to see and interact with two huge animated T-Rex figures, which are about two metres high and four metres long and appear from the great volcano in the Pangea area. These animatronic figures make sounds and will interact with the visitors. There will also be another animatronic figure of a velociraptor. Blue, the name of this velociraptor, will move around the park's facilities. 

The aim of this action is to promote learning about dinosaurs and the Jurassic era in a fun way. The aim is to offer recreational and entertaining activities for people of all ages, while encouraging interaction and enjoyment among family members. In this way, the aim is to awaken interest in nature and natural history. In parallel, several reproductions of dinosaur eggs and various species of dinosaurs will be set up inside the Terra Natura Benidorm volcano. The programme will be completed with the launch of a dinosaur face painting workshop. The little ones will be able to enjoy the unique experience of feeding the three animated dinosaurs, which will be waiting for them in the multi-adventure area set in Asia.  There will also be a dinosaur egg workshop held in the Pangea area and another workshop, in which participants will learn to differentiate the characteristics between dinosaurs and crocodiles, animals that descend from these extinct animals and that retain some of their characteristics.

This last workshop will take place in the Asia area, where the crocodile installation that lives in Terra Natura Benidorm is located. Other activities, such as the School of Fairies and Elves, will be themed around dinosaurs. 

Benidorm commemorates International LGTBI+ Pride Day

• The City Council displays the rainbow flag and approves two motions in plenary session to show its support and commitment to this group
• The main events of the 'Pride' take place in the month of September, an event that has already become a national and international reference.

Yesterday, Friday, Benidorm City Council has joined the commemoration of International LGTBI+ Pride Day by hanging the rainbow flag once again from the main balcony of the Town Hall and scheduling a series of events with the aim of publicising and making the demands visible. of this group. Furthermore, coinciding with this celebration, the municipal plenary session has also approved by a large majority, with the only Vox representative voting against, two motions to show its support and commitment to this group.  

The mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, has presided over the institutional photo that the members of the Corporation have taken with the LGTBIQ+ flag, in which Santos Torres, one of the organizers of Benidorm Pride, has also participated as a representative of this group. There, the first mayor and the councilor for Equality, Ángela Zaragozí, together with other councilors, have talked with Torres about the main events that are being organized for this event, which will be held as every year in the month of September and which has already become a national and international reference, attracting thousands of visitors. 

The Equality Councillor explained that the City Council has also organised other activities related to Pride to promote and spread the word about equal rights for all people. 

In addition, next Tuesday, July 9, within the Culture for Equality cycle, the play 'No more kisses' will be performed, performed by Lara Dibildos, Míriam Vázquez, Íñigo López and Javier Pascual, in the auditorium of the Cultural Centre, for which it will be necessary to have an invitation that those interested can request from July 4 at the Jelena Social Centre or at the Cultural Centre itself. 

Motions to the plenary 
Regarding the two motions related to this group that have been approved in plenary by PP and PSOE, one of them is an institutional declaration to reiterate the “firm commitment of this institution to the defense of freedom, dignity of the human being and the respect of all people to live and live their sexual orientation as they freely wish", as well as to "remember, stand in solidarity and raise our voice for all people, from many places in the world, where homosexuality continues to be criminalised, "many countries in which people from the LGTBI community are persecuted, threatened and even executed for simply expressing their feelings." 

The second proposal aims to develop the Second Municipal Plan for Sexual, Family and Gender Diversity of Benidorm 2024-2028, a plan that is a continuation of the one approved in 2016 and which aims to "continue improving the prevention of LGTBIphobia and guarantee well-being and safety" through four lines of action, ten objectives and 23 actions to be developed in the coming years, as highlighted by the Equality Councilor. 

Nearly 40 Local Police officers will ensure the safety of Benidorm's beaches from land, sea and air this summer

The device has a reinforcement of ten personnel from other sections, in addition to vehicles with defibrillators, three drones and a boat.

Nearly 40 Local Police officers will ensure the safety of the beaches this summer and will do so from three fronts, land, sea and air, in order to guarantee that bathers' stay occurs in the best conditions of quality and safety. This was reported by the councilors of Citizen Security and Beaches,

Jesús Carrobles and Mónica Gómez, in a meeting they held together with Mayor Toni Pérez with some of these agents and with the main mayor, Luis Arévalo, to find out their impressions about the start of the summer season. 

The police force during the high season will be made up of a total of 38 personnel daily: the 26 agents and two officers assigned to the Beach Section, who will be joined by another ten assigned to other sections of the Local Police that will reinforce the service in the beaches in their free time. Regarding the means, the agents will have four patrol vehicles equipped with a defibrillator, five 'scooter' type motorcycles, three drones from the Air Unit, a quad and a semi-rigid boat, with 4 skippers, as has been done. indicated by the mayor of Citizen Security.

Jesús Carrobles has indicated that this year the number of troops remains at the same numbers as in previous summers, but “important material improvements” have been incorporated. Among them, the renewal of vehicles or the acquisition of a new drone “with more autonomy, more precision and more features”, which joins those already used by this police section. 

Likewise, the councilor has stated that the main actions of this operation will focus on the control of street vending on the beaches or on small thefts that may occur, actions that will reinforce the powers of the National Police in matters of citizen security. Likewise, it is planned that there will be a reinforcement in the night service, especially taking into account the large influx of people on the promenades during the summer months, which will be added to the information campaign 'Your best holidays in Benidorm', presented last week and that includes tips and recommendations for tourists to take into account during their stay. 

For her part, the Councilor for Beaches, Mónica Gómez, recalled that these reinforcements “are in addition to those that have also begun to operate since June 15 in services such as rescue and first aid or cleaning”, all of this to “ "Take maximum care of our beaches and offer the best services to citizens and those who visit us." Among all of them, the number of people who will work daily on the beaches is around a hundred personnel whose work is completed “with top-level technical means and materials,” the councilor added.

Schoolchildren from the province will celebrate the end of the school year with an exciting day at Aqua Natura Benidorm

Schoolchildren from the province of Alicante and their families will celebrate the arrival of the end of the educational year in a day of refreshing fun.

At Aqua Natura Benidorm have prepared a special program, full of emotions, to say goodbye to the school year in style, which will take place today, June 22 from 12:00 p.m.

Aqua Natura Benidorm will offer schoolchildren a wide variety of aquatic attractions, among which stands out the installation of a spectacular American track, slides of all kinds and attractions, such as La Cresta or Snake for the most daring. The program will include live entertainment with a DJ, raffles and a big colorful foam party. Likewise, visitors will be able to enjoy other activities such as the educational demonstration of sea lions.

If you present your school's AMPA membership card, you can enjoy a 50% discount on admission to the water park. This special offer is extendable for up to four people from the same family unit. This encourages active leisure with loved ones and welcomes the beginning of summer in a unique and special way.

Benidorm launches an information campaign with advice so that tourists have “the best vacation”

• The campaign includes, in Spanish and English, health recommendations regarding high temperatures and also regarding safety.
• The panels will be located at the 30 accesses to the beaches, at bus stops and information screens, and a thousand posters will also be distributed in the establishments.

This Wednesday, Benidorm City Council launched a very visual information campaign with a series of tips with the aim of improving tourists' stay and experience in the town. With the slogan 'Your best holiday in Benidorm', the campaign includes, in Spanish and English, different health recommendations related to heat and high temperatures and safety matters to avoid being a victim of illegal practices. The campaign has been presented by Mayor Toni Pérez on Levante beach and will continue throughout the summer, with reinforcements at specific times. Along with the first mayor, the councilors of Citizen Security and Beaches, Jesús Carrobles and Mónica Gómez, as well as other representatives of the Corporation, also participated in the presentation.

The information panels are already visible on many bus stop shelters, on posters, muppies, citizen information screens and, in general, on most of the elements of Benidorm's urban furniture. In addition, they will also be placed at the 30 accesses to the beaches of Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas; A thousand posters will be distributed in accommodations, shops and leisure and restaurant establishments; and will be enhanced with presence on social networks and other media.

All this, in order to get the message to the greatest number of tourists.  
Toni Pérez explained that this campaign aims to “inform tourists” about actions to avoid in order to get the most out of their stay in terms of health and safety. Thus, it is recommended not to do physical exercise during the middle hours of the day and warn of the danger of leaving children, elderly people or pets inside a vehicle. 

In terms of security, the campaign refers to the practice of trile and informs tourists that it is not a game and, therefore, not to be fooled by those who encourage them to participate in this illegal activity. They are also warned that the sale of drinks without health control is a danger to health and that people who may offer them drinks on the beaches should not be trusted, since such consumption lacks any guarantee or health control. Finally, visitors are advised to keep an eye on their personal belongings in crowded spaces or leave valuables as well as the original documentation at the hotel, recommending carrying a photocopy. 

The mayor has advanced that all the data with which the City Council itself and other tourist agents in the city work indicate that "we are facing a year of great activity and in which we are going to perfectly exceed the occupancy data of the best historical period." and, of course, those of 2019.” Given this, he has indicated that "we continue to implement everything that contributes to making a summer more pleasant, more comfortable and also safer for all those who visit us." 

Toni Pérez has highlighted that, in addition to the collaboration of the Departments of Citizen Security and Beaches, this campaign “we have also prepared and developed with the concessionaire company of comprehensive services in the management of our beaches” and that “it is now available from all over the world so that these tips help us to have a more peaceful vacation, which in the end is one of the objectives that every person pursues when they want to enjoy the best beaches in the world, those of Benidorm, in one of the best cities and destinations in the world such as Benidorm and with maximum tranquility.” 

For his part, councilor Jesús Carrobles recalled that the City Council has reinforced the police presence on the beaches for the summer season, "significantly increasing the number of troops assigned to surveillance" of the sandy areas. A surveillance in which, in addition to the 30 agents that make up the Beach Section of the Local Police, there will be a reinforcement of 30% of troops in each of the shifts and that will be carried out "not only on the beach and in the promenades, but also from the water and from the air thanks to the zodiac and drone service.” The Local Police forces will also be joined by reinforcements that the National Police Corps will also deploy during the summer campaign.

The person in charge of Citizen Security has concluded by pointing out that "the Local Police will continue to act and pursue unauthorised practices on the beaches and denounce and punish violators."

Benidorm already has 86 tourist companies and services recognised with the SICTED distinctive

Eleven member companies have received the distinction for the first time this year

A total of 86 tourism companies and services have the SICTED distinction in Benidorm after the celebration of the quality table that took place on May 28, in which all of them successfully passed the Distinction Committee. 11 member companies presented themselves to this table to receive the distinction for the first time, another 73 renewed it and two more are in a situation of extension.

The Comprehensive System of Spanish Tourist Quality in Destinations (SICTED) is a program developed by the Secretary of State for Tourism with the support of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) whose purpose is the comprehensive and permanent management of quality in a tourist destination, with the aim of achieving a homogeneous level of quality in the services offered to tourists within that destination, encompassing both the tourist services themselves and those others that, without being strictly so, affect the tourist's consumption itinerary.

SICTED works with tourist services from up to 37 different professions with the ultimate objective of improving the tourist experience and satisfaction. Of these trades, 18 have been represented in Benidorm, led in number of companies by hotels and tourist apartments. This year, a new job, 'Permanent scenic spaces', has been incorporated and a new municipal service has been added; the archaeological site of Tossal de La Cala.

The companies that are opting for this distinction for the first time are: Benidorm Palace, El Bodegón Aurrerá, Hotel Gold Arcos, La Brasería Aurrerá, La Tapería Aurrerá, Mara Boutique Aparments, Mountain Fitness, Pintxos Aurrerá, Port Benidorm Hotel & Spa, RA Benidorm and the aforementioned archaeological site Castellum Tossal de La Cala.

The "Tourism Quality Commitment" Distinction accredits compliance with the requirements established in the methodology and recognizes the effort and commitment to quality and continuous improvement of the participating companies, while distinguishing the company from the competition. 

Benidorm joined the SICTED project in mid-2013, through the framework agreement signed between the Visit Benidorm Foundation and the Secretary of State for Tourism regarding quality. This national project has been very well received in Benidorm, reinforcing the city's positioning as a quality tourist destination.

Among the benefits that companies obtain, it is worth highlighting the improvement of internal management, especially that of processes related to customer satisfaction; increase the qualification of the team, through a training plan; participate in the largest tourism quality project developed in Spain, together with more than 9,000 establishments; receive technical assistance that offers support for improvement; and opt for a badge that accredits the level of quality obtained.

Red Cross presents a new ambulance and extensive emergency material in Benidorm

The Plaza de SS MM Los Reyes de España in Benidorm has been the setting chosen to present this morning the new ambulance acquired by the local Red Cross association, as well as the provision of emergency material that is used according to needs and occasions.

An ambulance equipped with the necessary equipment and the latest technology, which has been explained in detail to the mayor, Toni Pérez, who attended the event accompanied by the councilors of Health and Beaches, Ana Pellicer and Mónica Gómez and together with the local president of the Red Cross, Amparo Martínez Oliván.

In addition to the new equipment, the mayor and the attendees have been able to learn the ins and outs of other vehicles and materials used by the NGO, such as the Mobile Operations Centre, whose job is to manage all Red Cross resources in any service and carry out tasks coordination.

A logistics vehicle has also been shown, the equipment of which includes an all-terrain tent, briefcase and first aid kits with medication, thermal blankets for 50 people, care material for immigrants upon arrival, clothing, first aid kits, light box, tent inflatable, heat pump, oxygen therapy, thermal camera, immobilizing collars, etc. This vehicle, as they have explained, is usually used when immigrants arrive in boats that have been at sea for a long time and the conditions of their occupants are precarious. And also on the occasion of the first attention at sporting or other events.

The mayor has also had the opportunity to learn the details of an all-terrain vehicle that is used in rescues, especially in the mountains, which is equipped with the necessary material (backpacks with medication, first aid, defibrillator, oxygen therapy...).

In the presentation, the details of the vehicles used as Alert and First Aid Points have also been explained, which are usually disused ambulances that are transferred to a second occupation. The mayor has highlighted the “good equipment in the Red Cross facilities” although he has wished them “not to have many performances because that will be a good sign.” 
 

Benidorm reinforces street cleaning with more workers and special services in neighbourhoods and tourist areas during the summer

The concessionaire increases the number of operators distributed in three shifts to 200 and intensifies the collection of waste or the emptying of bins

Benidorm City Council, through the Street Cleaning Department, will reinforce the cleaning and waste collection service starting this Saturday, June 15, with more workers and special actions in neighbourhoods and tourist areas on the occasion of the season. summer. This has been advanced by the area councilor, Luis Navarro, who has indicated that these reinforcements will continue until September 15 so that residents and tourists "have the best image of our city."  

To carry out this special operation, the service concessionaire company is going to incorporate all the permanent permanent members of the workforce, raising the total number of workers who will be in charge of cleaning and waste collection to 200. In this way, "the three daily shifts, which cover 24 hours a day, will be reinforced so that the service can be provided under better conditions at a time when the population of Benidorm is multiplying and, therefore, "Many more waste than usual," explained Luis Navarro. 

The councilor has detailed that, apart from the usual services that are provided throughout the year, in the summer months "the cleaning work will be carried out by neighbourhoods, in the afternoon shift", for which "a sweeper; a 'hydro' vehicle with pressurised water that uses degreaser, hypochlorite and deodoriser; and a blower, with the corresponding personnel for these tasks.” 

As regards areas with a greater concentration of people and a large influx of tourists, such as the beaches of Levante or Poniente, sweeping and emptying of litter bins will be increased, which, based on data from other seasons, will be It can be done up to eight times a day. Also in other areas with a high presence of the public and where there are containers to separate waste, such as Plaza de la Constitución, Hort de Colón, Pintor Lozano or Plaza de la Senyoria, an information campaign will be carried out on the proper use of underground containers. , which will be completed with greater maintenance of containers and litter bins throughout the city. 

Likewise, cleaning will be carried out at the entrances to Benidorm, on roads, ditches and outskirts and waste collection will be reinforced with a rear-loading vehicle that, in addition to emptying the sweeping containers, will attend to emergencies that may arise at any point. of the city, explained the person in charge of Street Cleaning. “Our intention is that Benidorm not only offers its best image to tourists, but also to all of us who live and work here every day of the year,” concluded Luis Navarro.

Seventeen establishments participate in the 14th edition of the Tapas and Pinchos Contest

• The event, at the halfway point of Benidorm Gastronomic 2024, will take place from June 14 to 23
• The mayor places gastronomy as “a great complement and attraction of tourist activity” 

The 14th edition of the Tapas and Pinchos Contest will have 17 participating establishments on this occasion, as was announced this afternoon during the presentation of this third event of the Benidorm Gastronomic 2024, which took place at the CDT 'Domingo Devesa' and which will be It will take place from the 14th to the 23rd of this month of June.

The mayor, Toni Pérez, was present at the presentation, accompanied by the regional secretary of Tourism, Cristina Moreno, the vice president of Abreca, Alex Frattini and members of the local corporation. An act that has served to say goodbye to Diego Salinas, manager of Abreca, who leaves his position to undertake other professional challenges, and to welcome Irene Carreño, who will replace him in the position.

The regional secretary of Tourism, Cristina Moreno, has highlighted “the very high level” of the tapas and pinchos that take place in this edition. Moreno has pointed out that these types of events are “an example of how gastronomy enhances the tourist destination and is a source of economic development.”

The mayor of Benidorm has expressed himself in similar terms, recalling that this contest was “the embryo” of what later became Benidorm Gastronomic. “Gastronomy is a complement and a great attraction of tourist activity,” he stated. Pérez also had words for the outgoing manager of Abreca “who has put in his heart and soul and who marked a turning point in the association when he arrived,” and for the new manager “who will surely also mark another turning point.”

The mayor has celebrated the number of participating establishments “which are no more because the activity we have is incessant” and has opted to “manage success, working hard to not lose the quality that has brought us here.”

The information brochures published for the Contest incorporate a Navilens code “to better guide people with reduced mobility and make it more accessible to enjoy this contest and these initiatives.”

The 17 establishments that will take part in the Tapas and Pinchos Contest are: Aboard Gastrolounge, Brasería Aurrerá, Cervecería L'Abadía, Chiringuito Beach, DNI Ibéricos, El Bodegón Aurrerá, Ellínea de Castilla, La Cava Aragonesa, La Tabernita del Sur , La Tapería Aurrerá, Mallorca, Marisquería El Puerto, Maüi Beach Gastrolounge, Pinocchio Playa, Pintxos Aurrerá, Taberna Andaluza and Zorzosa. 

Benidorm carries out cleaning and improvement work in the most visited areas for the start of the summer season

The intervention has been used to renew and replace some deteriorated elements of the street furniture

The Benidorm City Council is carrying out some work to clean up and improve the image of the most emblematic and visited areas of the city in view of the imminent arrival of the summer season. These are small interventions in public spaces that require simple actions but contribute to improving the general appearance of the place.

Thus, the Councilor for Public Space, Francis Muñoz, has pointed out that "the city is preparing for the summer by working on the most visited areas such as the Castell and its surroundings or the balustrade, which require some maintenance work."

Similarly, similar work is also being carried out in the Elche Park, such as the repainting of the planters and transit areas, as well as those near the children's games. Francis Muñoz has indicated that it is also planned to "reach the Mirador de la Música, located on Paseo de Tamarindos, where work will also be carried out to improve urban decoration and conservation by municipal technical services."

In addition to the aforementioned actions, the municipal brigade is also removing graffiti and graffiti, especially in the underpasses of various locations in order to leave these spaces in the best possible condition. Likewise, new rest benches have been installed on Adolfo Suárez and Juan Fuster Zaragoza avenues "and others have been replaced, at the request of neighbors, that were deteriorated due to use and the passage of time." In total, around twenty banks have been acted upon, according to the mayor.

All these interventions to improve public space will end before the end of this month of June.  

The Popular Party is the party with the most votes in Benidorm in the European Elections with 42.42% of the votes

Participation has fallen 9.26 points compared to 2019, when the European Parliament elections coincided with the Municipal Elections

European Elections 2024
The Popular Party has been the party with the most votes in Benidorm in the European Elections held this Sunday with 42.42% of the support and a total of 8,050 votes. Participation was 43.37%, 9.26 points below that recorded in the 2019 European Parliament elections, an event that coincided with the Municipal Elections, and 5.83 points below the state average. In total, according to the data offered tonight by the Ministry of the Interior, 19,073 people have passed through the polls in a day that passed without incident.

According to provisional data at 100% of the count, the second party with the most votes in the General Elections was the Spanish Socialist Workers Party, with 32.69% and a total of 6,204 votes; followed by Vox, which obtained 10.56% of the vote, with 2,004 ballots. The Voter Group 'The Party is Over', for its part, has achieved the support of 5.18% of voters, with 984 votes; while Compromís-Sumar has come in fifth place by obtaining 580 votes, which represent 3.05% of the total votes cast. The rest of the parties that participated in the elections have not exceeded 3% of the votes in the locality. 

0.51% of the votes cast have been null and 0.50% blank

In the previous European Elections, the PSOE was the party with the most votes with 35.45% and 8,058 votes, followed by the Popular Party with 29.53% and 6,713 votes and Ciudadanos Cs, with 14% and 3,181 votes. Podemos garnered 7.67% with 1,745 votes and Vox obtained 6.21% and 1,412 votes. The rest of the candidates did not exceed 3% of the votes.

Ametic closes the Digital Tourist with the challenge of turning Spain into a benchmark in the digitalisation of the tourism sector

• At the closing, Mayor Toni Pérez highlights the “power” of the Spanish technology industry
• The Hosbec hotel association receives the award in the 'Tourism Sustainability' category  

The VII Digital Tourist congress organized by Ametic, the association of the Spanish technology and digital industry, has lowered the curtain  with the delivery of the Digital Tourist 2024 awards and the official closing ceremony. A congress in which, over two days, the challenges of the sector for the future and the path that smart tourist destinations must follow to remain successful have been analysed. An event in which the emphasis has once again been placed on the importance of data to improve the management of destinations or the experience of tourists.

The president of Ametic, Pedro Mier, pointed out in his speech to close the event the nature of “anticipation and promotion of collaboration” that the congress has had and has exposed the challenge that the country must face in the coming years. . “Spain is a global tourism benchmark and now we have to make it so in the digitalisation of tourism,” he stated.

Toni Pérez, mayor of Benidorm, closed the congress and highlighted that "tourism and technology go hand in hand", in addition to showing his desire for the eighth edition of Digital Tourist to be held in Benidorm in 2025. “We are waiting for you here next year,” he said.

Pérez has also praised the “visionary” character of Ametic and has advanced that the consolidation of the congress “will mean that everything that comes will be a lot.” The mayor has also picked up Pedro Mier's glove and has highlighted the “power” of the Spanish technology industry to become a benchmark in tourism digitalization.

On the other hand, the hotel association Hosbec has received one of the awards presented today by Digital Tourist, specifically in the Tourism Sustainability category for its project 'Hotel Tourism Sustainability Dashboard' designed by Hosbec and Bioscore. An award that has been collected by the general secretary, Maite García, and by the CEO of Bioscore, Victori Monzón. 
 

Benidorm installs the first point on Levante beach to give a new life to tourists' beach items

• The initiative invites you to deposit mats, hammocks, umbrellas, floats or buckets that bathers will no longer need so that they can be reused by other users.
• The City Council commemorates World Environment Day tomorrow with the visit of 400 schoolchildren to the regeneration of the Racó de l'Infern Quarry

Yesterday, Tuesday, Benidorm City Council launched a pioneering initiative to promote the circular economy on the beaches, giving a new life to beach items among tourists who come and go during the high season. The mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, and the councilor for Beaches and Environment, Mónica Gómez, have presented this action in the first of the clean points that are going to be enabled in the sandy areas so that bathers can deposit mats, hammocks, floats, umbrellas, buckets, shovels, boards or other types of objects that are in good condition and will not be needed at the end of their vacation, so that other tourists can reuse them. 

Toni Pérez explained that “from the beach concessionaire company, the waste collection company or from the accommodation sector itself, they tell us that every year an infinite number of hammocks, mats, umbrellas, chairs and other elements that have had a single use but that They end up in containers or abandoned in hotels, apartments and campsites because their owners no longer need them or cannot take them” on the plane, train or other type of transport “when they return to their places of origin.” Given that, “it occurred to us that the option of giving them a second life was a perfect way to contribute to the environment.” 

The first clean point where these items can be deposited is located next to the Levante Biblioplaya, at the confluence of Madrid and Europa avenues, although the mayor of the area has already announced that the initiative will be extended to different points of the three beaches. It is signposted in Spanish, Valencian and English and indicates the articles that can be deposited for the general knowledge of users. 

Toni Pérez has indicated that it is “an initiative linked to environmental sustainability in the largest and best known and most visited natural space of our city, such as the beaches” and has trusted that “the very high influx of users to this space will to help this action have a great impact, since there are hundreds of thousands of people who only enjoy them in summer. 

For her part, Mónica Gómez has stated that this recycling point is not only sustainable in concept, but also in its own composition: “It has been made from recycled materials that were used on the beaches during the pandemic, such as pegs to which the ropes that marked the six meters of the first line and the plots that were generated in the sandy areas were anchored or the network that was used to regulate the capacities.” Likewise, he has indicated that the articles that are deposited in these spaces but that are not in good use to be reused, will be transferred by the concessionaire company for treatment and disposal at the corresponding points, so that all this action "will revolve around the philosophy of 'the three Rs': recycle, reduce and reuse."

Celebration of World Environment Day

The launch of this clean point is Benidorm's first action on the occasion of World Environment Day, which is celebrated tomorrow, June 5, and for whose commemoration the City Council has planned a series of initiatives that will be deployed from today and until Saturday and that have also been presented today. 

Specifically, today, Wednesday, an informative activity has been planned at the Racó de l'Infern Quarry in which 400 schoolchildren from ten schools in the city will participate to learn about the landscape and environmental regeneration work that is being carried out in the same. Toni Pérez recalled that "since last January, the regeneration project of this enclave has been carried out, which will allow the environmental recovery of this space of just over 60,000 square meters, located for the most part in the Park. Natural of the Serra Gelada, and for 70 years they have been a mark, a bite” in this place. The first mayor stated that "Benidorm is recovering this space, with the help of the TM company, to make it available to citizens and available to the world." 

Regarding this activity, the Councilor for Beaches and the Environment has indicated that the City Council proposed this visit to the Early Childhood and Primary educational centers “so that the students can see how the landscape and environmental regeneration project of the Racó quarry is being developed. de l'Infern, and at the same time learn about the flora and fauna that populate the Serra Gelada, as well as the Benidorm mobile ecopark service.” In short, “an activity to raise awareness and promote the environment and recycling” in which, in addition, “both the technical staff of the Department of the Environment, as well as the management company of the Benidorm Ecopark and the TM company, in charge of the quarry regeneration work.”  

Likewise, on Saturday morning, in the Parc de Foietes, in collaboration with the Department of Historical Heritage, the first edition of the 'Urban Art Day' will take place, where it is planned that amateurs and professionals can participate with drawings and proposals artistic a total of 80 litter bins that have been removed from the beaches to give them a second life. 

The day will run from ten in the morning until 2:30 p.m. and will also feature numerous parallel activities, such as urban dance performances, collective graffiti, freestyle and sneaker customization workshops. Furthermore, before returning to the beaches with a new image, the public will be able to vote for the intervened litter bins that they like the most and the work with the most votes will be the one used to illustrate the poster for this day next year. 

Finally, the mayor highlighted that all these initiatives are a reflection of “a highly motivated Department of Beaches and Environment, which practices active listening and, furthermore, has things very clear and is capable of launching wonderful projects.” to continue promoting sustainability, care and enhancement of the environment.” 

Turisme signs the collaboration agreement with Hosbec to disseminate the offer of the Valencian Community

• Turisme signs the collaboration agreement with Hosbec to disseminate the offer of the Valencian Community
• The objective is to spread the offer of the Valencian Community in national and international markets during this year 2024.
• The agreement includes promotional actions through tourism sustainability, innovation and digital transformation
• The regional secretary of Tourism, Cristina Moreno, and the president of the Hotel and Tourism Business Association of the Valencian Community (Hosbec), Fede Fuster, signed this Tuesday in Benidorm the collaboration agreement between both institutions for carrying out advertising actions , promotion and co-marketing, to disseminate the offer of the Valencian Community in national and international markets.

Through this agreement with Hosbec, the Generalitat allocates a total of 875,000 euros this year in 2024 to promote the tourist offer through three axes of action: destination promotion actions, promotion through tourism sustainability, and actions in matter of innovation and promotion through innovation and digital transformation.

In this way, and within the framework of the first axis of action, actions to promote the destination and tourism products are planned. Co-marketing campaigns will be carried out with tour operators, agencies and airlines in the national and international market; advertising campaigns; social media campaigns; press trips and media appearances; in addition to merchandising.

In the second axis of action, promotion through tourism sustainability and destination safety, two projects are contemplated. On the one hand, the project to offset the carbon footprint, which pursues the objective of positioning the Valencian Community as the first destination that is committed to voluntarily involving tourists in offsetting the carbon footprint of their trip, and for which different actions will be promoted.

The second project contemplates promotion through health security, and to this end, a computer tool has been designed to cover the needs of any tourist accommodation regardless of the number of water facilities it has or its size. Throughout 2024, the pilot project for the use of the tool will be launched, which will allow the maintenance, inspection and treatment programs to be described in a personalized way and for each of the establishment's facilities.

Likewise, through the third axis of action contemplated in this agreement, promotional actions will be carried out through innovation in the sector, promoting Big Data. Thus, work will be done on the implementation of data visualization systems and on expanding products that promote digital transformation.  

In this way, different actions will be carried out such as a new phase of BionTrend , a tool for improving the commercial positioning of the hotel and tourism offer in the Valencian Community. The Destination Insight tool that monitors the supply of tourist homes displayed on marketing platforms will also be promoted, among other actions .

Benidorm reinforces cleaning, lifeguard and security services on the beaches for the start of the high season

The city increases to 44 the number of rescue and lifeguard personnel who will be distributed by sea and land along the entire coastline

Starting today, Saturday, the Benidorm City Council will expand the cleaning, lifeguard and security services on the beaches to mark the start of the high season and for which a special operation has been designed that will last until 30 September. This has been advanced by the Councilor for Beaches and the Environment, Mónica Gómez, who explained that "although our beaches are one of the few on the entire Spanish coast that maintain these services during the twelve months of the year, in the summer season they increase significantly both in staff as well as in technical and material means due to the high influx of tourists.”  

Mónica Gómez has detailed that in the case of rescue and first aid, the service will expand its hours, so that during the month of June it will be operational from 10 in the morning and seven in the afternoon, while in July, August and September it will operate between 9 in the morning and eight in the afternoon. 

According to the mayor, it will be made up of a total of 44 people per day, who are distributed as follows: nine lifeguards on Levante beach and nine on Poniente beach; two lifeguards on Mal Pas beach; as well as a lifeguard in Cala del Ti Ximo and another in l'Almadrava. They are joined by five nurses at the aid stations; a beach chief and a coordinator, who will reinforce the surveillance work on land and a rescue boat, with a skipper and a rescuer, who will do it from the sea. Likewise, there will also be four other ambulance personnel. 

In addition to all this staff, there will also be nine lifeguards to provide service at the three accessible beach points: three in Levante, three in Elche Park and another three in La Cala, spaces that will also expand. its schedule from June 1 to September 30 to facilitate bathing for people with mobility problems between 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. As far as technical and material means are concerned, in addition to everything mentioned, the number of operational aid stations increases to five, which are distributed along the entire coast, and the ambulances are also reinforced, going from two to four in service. 

As far as security is concerned, the Benidorm City Council will also reinforce the police presence on the beaches and their surroundings during the indicated dates. Not in vain, in addition to the 30 agents that make up the Beach Section of the Local Police, there will be a 30% reinforcement of troops in each of the shifts, as indicated by the mayor of Citizen Security, Jesús Carrobles. In addition, the Local Police boat will be operational, thus complementing that of the concessionaire company for the comprehensive management of the beaches, while there will always be reinforcement with patrol cars in Levante and Poniente. Added to all this will be the reinforcements that the National Police Corps also has planned during the summer campaign.

Finally, in relation to the cleaning service, the Councilor for Beaches has stated that the human resources will be increased until reaching at least 24 people. Thus, there will be two manual cleaning shifts on the three beaches: one in the morning, from 6:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and another at night, from 8:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., with a total of eight and 16 workers, respectively. Added to this device is mechanical cleaning with tractors and sieves: on the shore, between 3 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.; and in the rest of the sandy areas, between 10:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. 

Likewise, during the high season, the cleaning of the sandbanks will also be cleaned from the sea by means of the pelican boat, also equipped with its own skipper. 

Improvement works

Finally, Mónica Gómez recalled that since the beginning of the year, “taking advantage of the moments of lower influx of people to the beaches, numerous events have been held in different spaces.” Among them, she recalled that the City Council has already improved the accessible beach points and carried out an intensive cleaning of the sandbanks, as well as many other actions to improve the state and image of our coastline. 

Likewise, in recent weeks the City Council has also made improvements to the pavement of the Levante Biblioplaya, located at the confluence of Madrid and Europa avenues, where the most deteriorated parts of the platform have been replaced due to the intensive use of the facilities. The councilor recalled that these replacement works "have been carried out by municipal services and have been completed just before the start of the high season, the time of greatest influx of users." Thus, this service came into operation again yesterday, Thursday, while the two biblioplayas in Poniente will do so tomorrow, June 1. In all three cases, the service will operate from Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Benidorm improves the platform of the Levante biblioplaya, which is operational again 

The Beach Department of the Benidorm City Council has carried out improvement actions on the platform of the Levante biblioplaya, which as of yesterday, Thursday, May 30, is operational again during its usual hours. The councilor for the area, Mónica Gómez, explained that “the previous platform had some damaged areas due to the intensive use of the facilities”, and hence “the need to replace those affected sections”; a replacement that “has been carried out by municipal services and that ends just before the start of the high season, the time of greatest influx of users.” During yesterday's session, the technical services finalised the final details of the performance.

Starting yesterday, Thursday, the biblioplaya located at the confluence of Madrid and Europa avenues will operate again from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

A biblioplaya, Gómez recalled, which “has a wide catalog of books, newspapers and magazines” and where “you can also find bibliographic and press offerings in several languages, since it is the one with the largest number of users.” international”. 

The Levante beach library is operational all year round with the exception of the period from January 15 to February 15, when all beach furniture is removed for more thorough cleaning of the sandy areas. .

The councilor highlighted that “Benidorm's beaches have certificates of excellence and quality both for their environmental value and for the services they offer to users, such as the prestigious Q for Quality; services among which are our biblioplayas.”

Benidorm improves the platform of the Levante biblioplaya, which is operational again

The Beach Department of the Benidorm City Council has carried out improvement actions on the platform of the Levante biblioplaya, which as of today, Thursday, May 30, is operational again during its usual hours. The councilor for the area, Mónica Gómez, explained that “the previous platform had some damaged areas due to the intensive use of the facilities”, and hence “the need to replace those affected sections”; a replacement that “has been carried out by municipal services and that ends just before the start of the high season, the time of greatest influx of users.” During yesterday's session, the technical services finalized the final details of the performance.

Starting yesterday, Thursday, the biblioplaya located at the confluence of Madrid and Europa avenues will operate again from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

A biblioplaya, Gómez recalled, which “has a wide catalog of books, newspapers and magazines” and where “you can also find bibliographic and press offerings in several languages, since it is the one with the largest number of users.” international”.

The Levante beach library is operational all year round with the exception of the period from January 15 to February 15, when all beach furniture is removed for more thorough cleaning of the sandy areas. .

The councilor highlighted that “Benidorm's beaches have certificates of excellence and quality both for their environmental value and for the services they offer to users, such as the prestigious Q for Quality; services among which are our biblioplayas.”

Benidorm improves the platform of the Levante biblioplaya, which is operational again

The Beach Department of the Benidorm City Council has carried out improvement actions on the platform of the Levante biblioplaya, which as of today, Thursday, May 30, is operational again during its usual hours. The councilor for the area, Mónica Gómez, explained that “the previous platform had some damaged areas due to the intensive use of the facilities”, and hence “the need to replace those affected sections”; a replacement that “has been carried out by municipal services and that ends just before the start of the high season, the time of greatest influx of users.” During yesterday's session, the technical services finalized the final details of the performance.

Starting yesterday, Thursday, the biblioplaya located at the confluence of Madrid and Europa avenues will operate again from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

A biblioplaya, Gómez recalled, which “has a wide catalog of books, newspapers and magazines” and where “you can also find bibliographic and press offerings in several languages, since it is the one with the largest number of users.” international”.

The Levante beach library is operational all year round with the exception of the period from January 15 to February 15, when all beach furniture is removed for more thorough cleaning of the sandy areas. .

The councilor highlighted that “Benidorm's beaches have certificates of excellence and quality both for their environmental value and for the services they offer to users, such as the prestigious Q for Quality; services among which are our biblioplayas.”

Terra Natura veterinarians and caregivers reinforce their training in an ambitious behavioral management and animal welfare program

The team of veterinarians and caregivers at Terra Natura Benidorm are currently attending a new behavioral management and animal welfare training program to reinforce their knowledge of animal care. During the training, key aspects related to the care and treatment of birds, rhinos, elephants, gibbons, tigers, clouded leopards and macaws, among other animals that live in the park, have been taught.

Participation in these animal welfare and behavioral management programs is essential, since the relationship established between animals and caregivers is very strong. The implementation of these programs affects the safety protocols between people and animals. 

Training programs also improve the quality of life of the animals and the efficiency of the work carried out by the people who care for them. The training provided by the Yolcati Consultant is aimed at improving the level of well-being of the animals at Terra Natura Benidorm. The training taught is carried out through positive reinforcement.

Among the responsibilities of veterinarians and caregivers is to ensure the veterinary care of the animal. To this end, the animal is specifically trained so that they voluntarily participate in routine veterinary procedures or any possible intervention that may be necessary to ensure their well-being and hygienic-sanitary condition.  On this occasion, the course was taught by the zootechnical veterinary doctor, Ana Alejandra Arroyo. This veterinarian specialises in ethology and wildlife welfare and is the founder of Yolcati (veterinary ethology and animal welfare consultancy).

An arrest for an alleged crime against public health in a joint action by the Local and National Police in two cannabis clubs

In the search, in which the canine unit of the local Benidorm Police participated, 2.5 kilos of substances derived from marijuana, 1,400 euros and a simulated gun were seized.

A joint operation between the Local and National Police of Benidorm has ended with the arrest of a person and the seizure of 2.5 kilos of narcotic substances derived from marijuana, 1,400 euros in cash and a simulated gun. The operation was carried out last Saturday the 25th simultaneously and jointly in two premises registered as cannabis clubs.

The police intervention occurred within the framework of establishment inspections carried out by the Benidorm Local Police. None of the establishments had the relevant administrative license nor did the conditions required to carry out said activity exist.

As a result of the search, one of the employees was arrested for an alleged crime against public health when around 2.5 kilos of substances derived from marijuana, cash and the simulated gun were found inside the premises.

After the operation, the Local Police have requested the closure of the establishment, while the detainee is already in court. The search was carried out with the specialized dogs of the K9 unit of the Benidorm Local Police.

Local and National Police agents had been observing unusual activity in these establishments for several days, which raised suspicions that the premises were presumably drug sales points.

Terra Natura promote the protection of honey bees and other pollinators in the province of Alicante

AIZA zoos and aquariums are committed to the conservation of threatened species.

The Cenre for the Survival of Macaronesian Species (CSSM) of Loro Parque Fundación has organised the Spanish satellite event of the World Species Congress (WSC). During the meeting, the head of Animals at Terra Natura Benidorm, Enrique Sánchez, explained the commitment that the park maintains with the protection of honey bees and other pollinators in the province of Alicante.

Specifically, the conservation action, which Sánchez explained, is part of the RUMES project, together with the Association at the Service of Forest Pollination (ASAF). This project aims to promote the conservation of biodiversity to consolidate the migratory routes of wild swarms in the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park.

The RUMES project manages 63 pollinator stations spread throughout the Valencian Community and other autonomous communities. They are made up of NIP (Nest for Pollinating Insects) hives, which have been specifically created in order to house wild swarms of non-beekeeping exploitation. These pollinator stations are the starting point for wild swarm routes, where bees develop strategies against their predators without leaving their foraging areas and water sources.

These strategies and the lack of pressure related to hive exploitation facilitate selective behavior and, as a result, the proliferation of multifloral plant masses and balanced and healthy ecosystems. Bees are strategic bioindicators that play a crucial role in the pollination of a wide variety of plant species. Their presence and activity contribute to biodiversity, by maintaining the genetic diversity of plants and promoting the survival of other species.

Among the actions contemplated by the RUMES project, the foundation of new pollinator stations in regeneration areas after the passage of fires, a sustainable production apiary for educational workshops, periodic visits to the pollinator stations to record regenerative progress and correct possible deviations, NIP manufacturing workshops, as well as environmental beekeeping, honey extraction and production of direct wax products, as well as awareness talks with schoolchildren.

During his conference, the head of Animals at Terra Natura Benidorm recalled that “the future of bees is in our hands” and “the future not only of the human species, but of the health of the entire planet, depends on pollinators. ”.

According to the FAO and the European Union, the pollinator value of bees is 20 to 30 times higher than the commercial value of honey and its derivatives. In the province of Alicante there are several educational pollinator stations, such as Terra Natura Benidorm. Its hive is visited by thousands of visitors a year, to whom the functioning of wild colonies and other pollinators is explained through awareness talks.

The Spanish satellite event of the World Species Congress has had the collaboration of the Barcelona Aquarium, the Barcelona Zoo, Cabárceno Park, Córdoba Zoo Conservation Centre, Loro Parque, Oasys Mini Hollywood, the San Sebastián Aquarium, Terra Natura Bendiorm, the Zaragoza Aquarium for Biodiversity foundation, Poema del Mar and the Seville Aquarium, which are part of the Iberian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AIZA).

During this day, other commitments with endangered species present in Spain have been made official, within the framework of the WSC organised by the Reverse the Red movement of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Thanks to these public commitments, zoological institutions will carry out actions at different levels to fight for the conservation of a significant number of threatened species, some of them unique in the world.

Terra Natura promote the protection of honey bees and other pollinators in the province of Alicante

AIZA zoos and aquariums are committed to the conservation of threatened species.

The Center for the Survival of Macaronesian Species (CSSM) of Loro Parque Fundación has organised today the Spanish satellite event of the World Species Congress (WSC), coinciding with the celebration of World Biodiversity Day. During the meeting, the head of Animals at Terra Natura Benidorm, Enrique Sánchez, explained the commitment that the park maintains with the protection of honey bees and other pollinators in the province of Alicante.

Specifically, the conservation action, which Sánchez explained, is part of the RUMES project, together with the Association at the Service of Forest Pollination (ASAF). This project aims to promote the conservation of biodiversity to consolidate the migratory routes of wild swarms in the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park.

The RUMES project manages 63 pollinator stations spread throughout the Valencian Community and other autonomous communities. They are made up of NIP (Nest for Pollinating Insects) hives, which have been specifically created in order to house wild swarms of non-beekeeping exploitation. These pollinator stations are the starting point for wild swarm routes, where bees develop strategies against their predators without leaving their foraging areas and water sources.

These strategies and the lack of pressure related to hive exploitation facilitate selective behavior and, as a result, the proliferation of multifloral plant masses and balanced and healthy ecosystems. Bees are strategic bioindicators that play a crucial role in the pollination of a wide variety of plant species. Their presence and activity contribute to biodiversity, by maintaining the genetic diversity of plants and promoting the survival of other species.

Among the actions contemplated by the RUMES project, the foundation of new pollinator stations in regeneration areas after the passage of fires, a sustainable production apiary for educational workshops, periodic visits to the pollinator stations to record regenerative progress and correct possible deviations, NIP manufacturing workshops, as well as environmental beekeeping, honey extraction and production of direct wax products, as well as awareness talks with schoolchildren.

During his conference, the head of Animals at Terra Natura Benidorm recalled that “the future of bees is in our hands” and “the future not only of the human species, but of the health of the entire planet, depends on pollinators. ”.

According to the FAO and the European Union, the pollinator value of bees is 20 to 30 times higher than the commercial value of honey and its derivatives. In the province of Alicante there are several educational pollinator stations, such as Terra Natura Benidorm. Its hive is visited by thousands of visitors a year, to whom the functioning of wild colonies and other pollinators is explained through awareness talks.

The Spanish satellite event of the World Species Congress has had the collaboration of the Barcelona Aquarium, the Barcelona Zoo, Cabárceno Park, Córdoba Zoo Conservation Center, Loro Parque, Oasys Mini Hollywood, the San Sebastián Aquarium, Terra Natura Bendiorm, the Zaragoza Aquarium for Biodiversity foundation, Poema del Mar and the Seville Aquarium, which are part of the Iberian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AIZA).

During this day, other commitments with endangered species present in Spain have been made official, within the framework of the WSC organized by the Reverse the Red movement of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Thanks to these public commitments, zoological institutions will carry out actions at different levels to fight for the conservation of a significant number of threatened species, some of them unique in the world.

The City Council meets with the residents of Poniente to clarify the doubts raised about the arrival of the Low Emissions Zone

Citizen Participation encourages residents to submit proposals for participatory budgets, whose deadline is open until May 30

Benidorm City Council held a meeting with residents of the Poniente area in which they expressed some demands and which also served to resolve existing doubts about the future entry into force of the Low Emissions Zone (ZBE). which includes the area of ​​Armada Española Avenue.

This event took place at the request of the residents themselves within the weekly campaign 'At the foot of the street' and was attended by the councilors of Citizen Participation, Ana Pellicer; Mobility and Public Space, Francis Muñoz; and that of Parks and Gardens, José Ramón González de Zárate. In addition to the neighbors, the vice presidents of the Neighbourhood Council, Antonio Zamora and Francisco Martínez, attended. 

Regarding the ZBE, residents have expressed their complaints about the fact that some vehicles do not respect the established speed limits. In that sense, Francis Muñoz has explained that this situation is “only temporary” and that once the ZBE is operational “only authorized vehicles will be able to enter, for which cameras will have already been installed to record the license plates.” Regarding speeding, the mayor recalled that "there are speedometers installed and anyone who speeds may receive a penalty."

Francis Muñoz has also specified that in October or November everything will be installed and in operation "and what we want now is for the neighbours to have as much information as possible and to convey the message that the ZBE is something positive for everyone."

Some neighbors have also requested that improvements be undertaken in some garden areas of the Elche Park and the Poniente promenade. At that point, the mayor of Parks and Gardens has advanced that “we already have the project completed and we are just waiting for the inspection to execute it.”

González de Zárate has indicated that the action will be “similar to what already exists in the entire area, but with improvements, in addition to improving the drip irrigation system that has some deficiencies among other interventions.”

For her part, the Councilor for Citizen Participation, Ana Pellicer, took advantage of the visit to encourage residents to present proposals for participatory budgets. “The deadline is open until May 30 and is a very useful tool to achieve the Benidorm model that we all want. We have indicated to them the possibilities that exist and, above all, that they know that all proposals and suggestions are welcome and that we will see them come true in a short time,” stated Pellicer. The councilor recalled that the City Council allocates at least 5% of the municipal investment budget each year for this chapter, which in this year amounts to 600,000 euros.
 

Benidorm presents a pioneering plan for accessible tourist transport to consolidate itself as a 100% inclusive destination

• A hundred public and private tourist establishments receive the 'Tur4All' distinction for adapting their facilities under accessibility criteria

• The mayor defends the works carried out in all neighbourhoods in this area and announces new actions to “continue putting people at the centre of the action”

Benidorm City Council has presented a pioneering plan for accessible tourist transport to continue improving in this area and consolidate itself as a 100% inclusive tourist destination. The presentation of this plan, of which the first touches were already given in the last edition of the International Tourism Fair, Fitur 2024, took place in the municipal Assembly Hall, in an event in which a hundred of public and private tourist establishments in the city for the work carried out to improve the accessibility of their facilities and services.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, has participated in the presentation of this document along with numerous members of the municipal Corporation; the president of Impulsa Igualdad in the Valencian Community and Defender of People with Disabilities of the Valencia City Council; and representatives of the Impulsa Igualdad platform, as well as local companies and entities related to tourism and care for people with physical, sensory and intellectual diversity. 

The Benidorm Accessible Tourist Transport Development Plan has been prepared in collaboration with Impulsa Igualdad, the representative platform of the disability sector in our country and which in the last edition of Fitur already recognised Benidorm as the most inclusive national destination in the first edition of the 'Fitur 4all Awards', an award created to recognise the efforts of destinations, companies and institutions in the development and promotion of accessibility in the tourism sector. 

During his speech, Toni Pérez applauded “the people, the hours of work, the business and work commitment, the public and private effort behind” the recognitions that have been granted during the event and thanked Impulsa Igualdad for “the help and commitment to this city and for helping us make it more and more accessible.” 

The first mayor recalled that "the DTI is that inspiration that has made Benidorm an even greater reference than it was in some aspects, including accessibility." In this sense, Pérez has indicated that in Spain there are 4.3 million people with disabilities recognized, 325,000 in the Valencian Community and just over 75,000 in the province of Alicante, to whom "we try to adapt our city to improve their tourist experience or your life on a day-to-day basis.” 

“There are still those who wonder what the DTI is for and there are also others who talk about how we do a lot of work and spend money on unnecessary work,” Pérez lamented, going on to defend some of the urban actions that he has carried out. Benidorm City Council in recent years to improve accessibility, such as ramps in the main tourist enclaves, single platform roads or lowered sidewalks in all neighborhoods, the elimination of part of the balustrade to replace it with glass windows in El Castell or Tossal de La Cala or the development of braille maps or audio guides to adapt tourist services to all people, regardless of their abilities. 

Finally, the mayor thanked all the people involved in the Universal Accessibility area of ​​the City Council, as well as in the private sector, for their efforts, and announced that “we are going to promote a review of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan and develop new actions to continue putting people at the center of everything.” 

For her part, the president of Impulsa Igualdad in the Valencian Community has highlighted that the group of people with disabilities is a very active group, who "likes to travel very much and live their daily lives very intensely" and who, in addition, represent “a very faithful tourism” with those destinations where it hardly encounters barriers. Teresa Navarro recalled her particular case to explain that twenty years ago she was the victim of an accident and suffered a spinal cord injury and that she came to think that she would never be able to travel again. “Fortunately we have improved a lot in all these years and I can say that Benidorm is a national and international benchmark in accessible tourism.”

Navarro thanked the work carried out in the city in favor of “accessibility and making a more equal world” and claimed the “right of people with disabilities to enjoy leisure and tourism like anyone else.” 

For her part, the Accessible Tourism, Universal Accessibility and Inclusive Culture technician of Impulsa Igualdad, Luz Marina Gil, explained that to prepare the Development Plan for Benidorm's Accessible Tourist Transport, the complete chain of accessibility has been studied; that is, the relationship between the different stages that make up the trip from its beginning, with the search for truthful information about the destination and its tourist characteristics, until arrival, roaming within the destination, enjoyment and, finally, return to the habitual residence. 

And, in addition, other documents or previous work already carried out by the City Council have been taken into account, such as the projects developed within the framework of the EDUSI and others such as the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUS), the Universal Accessibility Plan, the Strategic Tourism Plan 2018-2021 or the Benidorm Accessible Tourism Plan, within which the latter is part.

Recognitions

During this event, the 'Tur4All' badges were awarded to 62 hotels and 38 other entities related to leisure, restaurants, theme parks or public services for their promotion of universal accessibility. 

Among the winners are the Benidorm City Council itself; the municipal beach libraries of Levante, Poniente and La Cala; the House Museum of l´Hort de Colón; the Benidorm Cultural Center; the Tourist Bus; the Municipal Market; the Mirador de El Castell; Boca del Calvari Museum; the parks of Elche, Foietes and l'Aigüera; the Municipal Library; the beaches of Levante and Poniente; the route to Punta del Cavall and Torre Morales; the Cruz de Benidorm and Serra Gelada route; the Tossal de La Cala archaeological site; the public toilets of Benidorm; and the Rincón de Loix Tourist Office and the SATE. 

The Local Police Maritime Unit locates a backpack with 20 kilos of cocaine in the bay of Benidorm

The discovery occurred within the framework of the maritime surveillance patrol of the Serra Gelada Natural Park

The Maritime Unit of the Benidorm Local Police located this morning in the bay of Poniente beach a diving backpack that contained 20 kilos of pressed white powder, presumably cocaine, distributed in packages. 

The discovery occurred around 10:15 a.m., during maritime surveillance work in the Serra Gelada Natural Park, when police officers spotted the backpack floating in the sea. After extracting it from the water, the agents verified that inside it contained 20 packages covered with the logo of a sports brand. Each package contained about a kilo of pressed white substance.

The seized merchandise will be delivered to the Fiscal and Border Patrol of the Civil Guard of Calpe for analysis and subsequent instruction of the corresponding procedures. 

Elche Park is transformed into a historical craft market with medieval shows

The initiative will be part of the 699th anniversary of the founding of Benidorm and will remain open until Sunday night

Laia Zamora cuts the opening ribbon of the Medieval Market.

One more year, and framed within the celebration of the 699th anniversary of the granting of its Population Charter to Benidorm by Admiral Bernat de Sarrià, the traditional medieval market returns to the city at Elche Park, an initiative promoted by the Independent Association of Merchants (AICO), the Departments of Festivals and Commerce and the specialized company Legend.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez; the councilors of Festivals and Commerce, Mariló Cebreros and Javier Jordá and other members of the corporation; the senator of the Kingdom of Spain, Agustín Almodóbar; The regional deputy, José Ramón González de Zárate accompanied the general secretary of the trade association Juanjo Camarasa, at the inauguration of the venue, led by the queens of the Festes Majors Patronals 2024, Valentina Almodóbar and Laia Zamora.

The first representatives of the local festivals attended the event accompanied by the president of the Commission, Mª Dolores Cano, the president of the Penyes Association 'Verge del Sofratge', Jaume Cortés, and a large group of Mayorales.

The venue, nestled in the Elche Park, is made up of dozens of stalls run by artisans with a long history in this type of events, which form wide streets that facilitate the flow of people. There is also a specific play area and other specific areas for shows and all of this decorated with the colourful atmosphere typical of this type of event.

In addition to quality products, the Medieval Market has organized music, dance, theatre and juggling shows, in addition to the classic tournaments in which knights will fight with their swords to obtain the favor of their ladies. On the sidelines, activities have been scheduled in which the public can participate, such as craft workshops or traditional games.

The Medieval Market will remain open throughout the weekend and will close its doors at 10:30 p.m. tonight, Sunday, when it will say goodbye until next year.

Benidorm and the Valencian Community, in Malmö to support Nebulossa and promote both destinations

Last night the Benidorm Fest Euroclub was held, where Miss Caffeína, Varry Brava and Sharonne performed, and which was attended by tour operators from several Nordic countries

Representatives of the City Council and Visit Benidorm and the Tourism Department have traveled to Malmö to support Nebulossa in its appointment with Eurovision and also promote both destinations in the Nordic market. Last night, just 24 hours before Nebulossa premieres at Eurovision, the Inkonst hall in Malmö hosted the Benidorm Fest Euroclub, a musical gala attended by 300 people including the media, tour operators and Eurofans.

The Councilor for Events, Jesús Carrobles, has indicated that with this action “we project the image of the Benidorm Fest among the delegations from all countries and thousands of Eurofans who have traveled to Malmö these days to experience the event live and in first person. Eurovision. And the best way to do it was, without a doubt, with music.” Thus, contestants from the three editions of the Benidorm Fest passed through the Euroclub stage: Miss Caffeína, Varry Brava and Sharonne.  

In addition to the screening of the Benidorm Fest, this trip has served to “make known the destination and tourist offer of Benidorm and the Valencian Community in an event in which around 60 tour operators from Nordic countries such as Finland and Sweden itself also participated. ”. 

Carrobles has pointed out that “hopefully this action will culminate in the victory of Nebulossa”, who performs tonight in the second semi-final of Eurovision at the Malmö Arena. 

In parallel, in Benidorm the assembly of the venue that will house the Euroclub scheduled for this Saturday, coinciding with the final, is being finalised. It will be at the Julio Iglesias auditorium in Parque de l'Aigüera starting at 4:00 p.m., with free entry and will feature Blanca Paloma, Sofía Martín, José Otero, Noan, Mantra, Sharonne, Sofía Coll, Carlos Higues and the Benidorms Locos de Tie. There will also be a performance by DJ Miguel Romá and giant screens to follow the performances and the Eurovision Song Contest itself.

Benidorm celerbrates 699th anniversary of the its founding

At night, the Castell and the Paseo de Levante have shown off the colours of the city: blue and white

Today 'Benidorm Medieval' is inaugurated and on Saturday the representation of the granting of the 'Population Charter' will take place

As part of the commemorative events of the celebration of the six hundred and ninety-ninth anniversary of the founding of Benidorm, the City Hall Assembly Hall has hosted a tribute concert to the city by the Chamber Group of the Benidorm Musical Union (UMB), organised by the Grup Carta de Poblament of the Penyes Association 'Verge del Sofratge' with the support of the Departments of Culture and Festivals.

With the room packed, at 8:00 p.m. the recital began, attended by the first deputy mayor, Ana Pellicer, the councilor for Festivals, Mariló Cebreros, and other councilors. Also present were the Senior and Children's queens of the Festes Majors Patronals 2024, Valentina Almodóbar and Laia Zamora; the presidents of the Commission, the Penyes Association and the Carta de Poblament Group, Maria Dolores Cano, Jaume Cortés and Mari Luz Navarro; and the one who will maintain the representation of the Population Charter in 2024, Esperanza Rostoll.

Under the baton of its director, Rafa Gómez Parra, the instrumental ensemble began the performance with 'Concerto for bassoon number 35 in B flat', by Antonio Vivaldi and in which Mari Carmen López García acted as soloist. Next, she has performed the 'Nocturne in B flat major,' by Antonin Dvorak; and 'Meditation for Thaïs. Adaptation for cello' by Jules Massenet, with Ximo García Sivera as soloist.

The third piece that was played in the municipal hall was the 'Serenade number 13 for strings' by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the audition came to an end with the 'Concerto for two cellos in G minor, RV535' by Antonio Vivaldi. Ximo García Sivera and Jacobo Navarro Palomares have participated as soloists.

Of blue and white

Continuing with the celebration of the day, the City Council has illuminated the emblematic Castell and the Paseo de Levante in blue and white, the colours of Benidorm.

The commemorative events of the anniversary will continue today, Thursday, at 6:00 p.m., in the Elche Park, where the Independent Association of Merchants of Benidorm (AICO), with the collaboration of the Departments of Commerce and Festivals, will install the now traditional market ' Benidorm Medieval' which will remain open until Sunday.

Already on Saturday, the Grup Carta de Poblament at 9:00 p.m. will perform in the Plaça de Sant Jaume the 'Atorgament de la Carta de Poblament', based on a text by Pasqual Almiñana, which stages the moment in which Admiral Bernat de Sarrià granted the Carta Pobla to this unique enclave that, 699 years later, is the Benidorm that we all know today.
  

Benidorm advances in the implementation of the Low Emissions Zone and safe bicycle modules

• The civil works in the area that will improve the municipality's air quality are already in their final phase.
• The City Council has also acquired 10 secure bicycle parking modules for the project, 8 of which are already operational

In a continued effort to promote a healthier and more sustainable environment, the city of Benidorm is advancing in the implementation of its Low Emissions Zone (ZBE), whose civil works are already in their final phase. This project, key to the city's environmental strategy, is designed to significantly improve air quality and promote a shift towards more sustainable, clean and efficient modes of transport.

To date, the necessary infrastructure for the ZBE is practically completed, including the installation of advanced air quality measurement equipment, which is already operational in several key points of the city. These devices are equipped with cutting-edge technology capable of monitoring multiple pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, ozone gas, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and PM10 and PM2.5 particles (the latter can enter the lungs and pose significant risks for health), providing accurate data that helps evaluate and manage urban air quality.

With regard to access controls, most of the planned cameras have already been installed at these points, which will serve to monitor and control the surroundings of these areas, as well as evaluate existing traffic conditions.

The ZBEnidorm project has also seen great progress in its telecommunications infrastructure, with the completion of the installation of communications nodes. These ramifications are crucial for information management and coordination between the various technological systems integrated in the ZBE, from traffic management to environmental monitoring.

Installation of safe bicycle modules

As part of Benidorm's commitment to sustainable mobility, 10 covered secure bicycle modules have been installed, equipped with a video surveillance system and an anti-theft device, and which can only be accessed through a mobile application. Eight of these modules are already powered and fully functional, providing citizens with an alternative and ecological transportation option. This initiative not only helps reduce congestion and pollution but also promotes a more active and healthy lifestyle.

These modules are located in Elche Park, Adolfo Suárez avenue, Foietes avenue, Palau d'Esports, Barca del Bou street, City Hall, Europa avenue, Francisco Llorca Antón street, Inglés street (Plaza de Toros) and Benissa street (CDT) . All of them are added to the two that have existed for months on Armada Española Avenue and Villajoyosa Avenue. The first two are those that are not operational, although they will be in the coming days.

The Councilor for Mobility, Francis Muñoz, stated that these actions “are very important” and highlighted the City Council's commitment “to develop actions that encourage the use of bicycles and minimize CO2 emissions.” Muñoz has indicated that in addition to this smart parking system, bike counters, environmental monitoring systems, urban public transport information systems and reinforcements of access controls have also been installed.

In order to report on air quality episodes, as well as other information of interest to citizens, variable message panels have been installed, and are in the testing phase for fine-tuning. Benidorm City Council invites all citizens to actively participate in this change, using the new infrastructure and adapting to the innovations that the ZBE brings with it. For more information, citizens can contact the citizen service office or consult the City Council website.

The Mobility Councilor has pointed out in this regard that with all these actions “the City Council's commitment and commitment to sustainability is evident, as we have been demonstrating in recent years, with the clear objective of improving the quality of life of our citizens and having a friendly, comfortable city that meets the sustainability objectives to be a model in the fight against climate change.”

The Benidorm Low Emissions Zone is an initiative promoted by Benidorm City Council that has funding from the European Union within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda.

The dance schools of Benidorm will hold the 'Flashmob' Today, Monday, for the International Dance Day that was suspended due to the rain

The initiative, coordinated by the Association of Dance Professionals, has the participation of 12 municipalities in the Community.

The dance schools of Benidorm will hold the 'Flashmob' on Monday for the International Dance Day that was suspended due to the rain

Today, Monday 6th May, the Benidorm dance schools and academies will hold the original 'Flashmob' that was suspended last Monday due to the rain. This performance is done to commemorate the International Dance Day and for that reason the Association of Dance Professionals of the Valencian Community, in collaboration with the Department of Culture of the Benidorm City Council and the participation of local schools, have organized this 'Flashmob' expressly created for this day, but has been moved to next Monday.

The performance, to which everyone who wants to attend is invited, will take place at 6 p.m. in the Plaza de   SS. MM. The Kings of Spain from Benidorm. The dancers from the associated schools will participate, which are the Paqui Mora Dance School, the Pilar Segura Dance Academy, the María José Moya Dance Studio and the Lope de Vega Dance School, with its manager Daniela Arnoldo a head.

The purpose of International Dance Day is to promote dance as an art form, raise awareness about the importance of dance in society and encourage governments, organizations and individuals to support the art of dance.

The event takes place in twelve municipalities of the Community, specifically in Valencia, Ontinyent, Foios, Mutxamel, Tavernes de la Valldigna, L'Alfàs del Pi, Alcoi, Vall d'Uixó, Guardamar del Segura, San Vicente del Raspeig, Elx and Benidorm.

Around half a thousand people celebrate 'Bicycle Day for all' in Benidorm

At the end of the day, eleven bicycles were raffled among all the participants

On Sunday, Benidorm celebrated the traditional 'Bicycle Day for all', organised by the Department of Sports, in a day marked once again by the high participation and pleasant temperature to get on two wheels and enjoy the views and the car-free ride along many of the city's main roads.

Nearly half a thousand people gathered for this event, which started at 9:30 in the morning with the gathering in the Foietes Park auditorium. All the participants were there to start the march at ten o'clock. The only condition to take part was to come with a pedal vehicle and a helmet. Before that, upon arrival at Foietes Park, cyclists received a number that gave them the right to participate in the bicycle raffle at the end of the day. 

At 10:00 in the morning, Mayor Toni Pérez gave the start to the platoon, whose members included the Councilor for Sports, Javier Jordá and several members of the local corporation. A journey of just over seven kilometers that began in the park itself, from where the caravan headed towards Jaime I and from there it traveled through Armada Española, Vicente Llorca Alós and Paseo de Tamarindos, ending after a slight rest. to regroup, later returning to the starting point where a refreshment and gift raffle awaited.

The Drought Monitoring Committee certifies that Benidorm will not have drinking water supply problems this summer

The City Council demands before the Hydrographic Confederation the dredging of the Guadalest and Amadorio reservoirs

The Benidorm Drought Monitoring Committee held its first meeting today after the plenary approval of the creation of this body. In it, after the act of constitution and acceptance of the positions of the designated persons, it has been certified that it will not be necessary to adopt any measure provided for in the Emergency Plan due to the current alert scenario.

The Councilor for the Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, has once again sent “a message of tranquility” to citizens “because there will not be any problem with the supply of drinking water and, therefore, no additional measures are contemplated.” ”. González de Zárate has stated that the supply in high season “is absolutely assured” and that any subsequent measure would only be taken “when we have some indication from the Water Consortium in that regard.”

What has been advanced in the meeting is the start of an awareness campaign by Hidraqua, “which will be reflected in the receipts for the water that reaches all citizens.” Furthermore, the councilor has stressed that the concessionaire company is working on some water wells located in Polop de la Marina to find out the capacity they have and their possible use. “They are wells owned by the City Council that have not been used for almost 50 years. "Surveys are going to be carried out to determine its capacity and to know if that water can be used," detailed the councillor, who recalled that the rest of the wells that Benidorm had - those in Beniardá - were transferred to the Water Consortium.

On the other hand, González de Zárate has once again launched a request to the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation and the Government of the nation “to make a special effort and carry out works in the Guadalest and Amadorio reservoirs so as not to have to waste water and to carry out dredging actions in the two reservoirs to increase their capacity.” “We must take advantage of these moments of low capacity to make these investments,” the councilor added.

Today's meeting also addressed the possibility that private communities can use reused water for their irrigation "in the same way as is done with street washing or irrigation of public parks and gardens." In this sense, González de Zárate explained that "a large investment has been made in being able to use water with less salinity for irrigation and Hidraqua is working on actions aimed at allowing communities to use that water." Meanwhile at the City Council, the councilor continued, "we are working on the rate to be applied to this reused water, which would be cheaper for users and, therefore, would also represent great savings."

Benidorm creates a map with more than 60 cardio-protected buildings to facilitate a rapid response in the event of an emergency

• This resource includes public and private spaces and will be made available to security and emergency services and citizens in general.
• Defibrillator in a municipal building.

Councilor Ana Pellicer states that it is a “very simple” action but it can help save many lives.

Benidorm City Council is preparing a map with the more than 60 cardio-protected public and private buildings in the city to facilitate a rapid response in an emergency case. The Councilor for Health, Ana Pellicer, has indicated that this initiative, which can be consulted quickly digitally, will allow “to publicize all the places that have a mobile semi-automatic defibrillator that can be used to assist a person who has suffered cardiorespiratory failure in the shortest possible time and while the health services arrive", an action that the councilor has described as "very simple, but which at the same time can help save many lives." 

Ana Pellicer has pointed out that since 2015, within the measures promoted by the City Council in terms of health promotion and protection of citizens, “many municipal facilities and other spaces have been equipped with AED devices where we thought it was interesting and "It is useful to have these devices." More specifically, Benidorm currently has twelve public buildings equipped with mobile defibrillators, in addition to those in some Local Police vehicles. 

"But, fortunately, our city has other cardio-protected spaces beyond the municipal ones, since there are many private establishments and resources that have incorporated these devices into their facilities and they are the ones that we now want to include on a map to make them within reach. of security, emergency services and citizens in general,” said Pellicer. Furthermore, she highlighted: “Having this information quickly and clearly can be as valuable as being able to save a life or not.” 

To include in this map the greatest number of defibrillators possible, the person in charge of Health has indicated that the City Council has requested the collaboration of the different business associations of Benidorm, so that hotels, shops, bars, restaurants, banks or offices, etc. , who have one of these AED devices, please communicate it by email to sanidad@benidorm.org to be included in this digital resource. “We have already begun to receive a response from some of them and incorporated this information to create this digital map, which will be updated as new points arrive,” according to Pellicer.

“Our intention is for this map to be as broad, operational and effective as possible and for us to be able to collaborate to continue saving lives,” the councilor added.

Location of AEDs and training to use them
Ana Pellicer recalled that the mobile defibrillators that the City Council currently has are located in the following offices: City Hall (Local Police checkpoint and entrance hall); entrance hall to the Palau d'Esports l'Illa de Benidorm; offices of the Guillermo Amor Sports City; changing rooms at the Antonio López soccer fields; Municipal market; lobby of the Local Police headquarters; La Torreta Social Centre; José Llorca Linares Social Centre; Tanit Social Centre; Cultural centre; and Permanent Adult School, the last one that has been incorporated. 

In addition, there are those installed in the new vehicles acquired for the Local Police and, also, in public schools, gyms, hotels, campsites and other private spaces. All of them, “with the ultimate objective of guaranteeing the best and faster care in cases of heart failure, both in these facilities and nearby,” according to Pellicer.

Finally, the councilor has stated that, although these are devices that are very intuitive to use, the Department of Health is going to provide new training courses on their use to municipal staff to complement the rest of the actions. 
 

Benidorm hosts the Imserso tourism program for deaf people for the first time

• The mayor of Social Welfare shares with some of the travelers her impressions about the city and the inclusive and accessible offer 

During these weeks, the city of Benidorm will be the epicenter of accessible tourism in Spain, thanks to the program called 'Imserso-CNSE Tourism and Thermalism', in which 200 deaf people from all over the national territory will participate until May 11 and which arrives in the town for the first time. The Councilor for Social Welfare, Ángela Zaragozí, has visited the first travelers of this program and has shared with them her impressions about the inclusive and accessible offer that exists in the city, after which she has thanked “the trust placed in Benidorm by the organizing entities and their commitment to bringing this program here.”
 

Ángela Zaragozí explained that it is “an inclusive leisure experience” promoted by the State Confederation of Deaf People (CNSE) and the Federation of Deaf People of the Valencian Community (Fesord CV), which also has funding from Imserso, from the ONCE Foundation and the Generalitat Valenciana. During her visit to the participants, the councilor was accompanied by the president of this confederation, Roberto Suárez; the president of the autonomous federation, Carolina Galiana; and the director of Fesord-CV, Amparo Minguet, as well as numerous users of the program and the sign language interpreters who also participate in it. 

At this meeting, the promoters explained that the actions of 'Imserso-CNSE Tourism and Thermalism' make available to their participants a complete program of activities accessible in sign language, with the aim of "increasing the scarce offer of tourism adapted to the available to the deaf population.” Thus, deaf tourists who participate in the program will have the opportunity to visit several places near Benidorm, such as the Toy Museum and the Sea Museum in Dénia, the Chocolate Museum of La Vila Joiosa, or the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències de València, as well as enjoying the sunset aboard a catamaran or exploring L'Albufera by boat.

Likewise, brotherhood dinners are being held at the Valencian Association of Deaf People, and several institutional meetings throughout the two shifts in which the program takes place: the first, from April 21 to 27, and the second , from May 5 to 11.

Among these institutional meetings is the visit made by the councilor of Social Welfare. Ángela Zaragozí recalled that Benidorm is “one of the first tourist destinations that has been clear about the importance of being welcoming and accessible to any tourist who visits us, regardless of their abilities” and that, as a result of this conviction, it is a pioneer in the development of different plans to promote inclusive tourism. Among them, the Benidorm Tourist Accessibility Plan or the Universal Accessibility Plan.

Likewise, the councilor also recalled that this 2024, in the latest edition of the International Tourism Fair (Fitur), the city was awarded as the most inclusive national destination in the first edition of the 'Fitur 4all Awards'. 

“It has been a very interesting meeting to learn about their impressions and establish contacts that can bring us new lines of collaboration to continue advancing in our commitment to being a city and a 100% inclusive destination,” the councilor concluded.

Benidorm awards the 'Europe 2024 Distinction' to Laura Navarro, director of the Alicante-Elche airport

• The Board of Spokespersons, at the proposal of Mayor Toni Pérez, recognizes its “contribution” to the growth of tourism and the “strengthening of connections with European cities”

The delivery will take place at the institutional event for Europe Day to be held at City Hall on the 9th May. 

Laura Navarro Villanueva, director of the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport, will receive the 'Europe 2024 Distinction' awarded by the Benidorm City Council to outstanding people, institutions or organisations for their contribution to the cohesion of the continent, coinciding with the celebration of Europe Day , which is commemorated on May 9.  

This has been unanimously agreed by the Board of Spokespersons, which has adopted the proposal of the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez. An agreement that will materialise in a motion that will be endorsed next Monday in the ordinary municipal plenary session corresponding to the month of April. 

Born in Valencia in 1973, Laura Navarro graduated as an Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and has a postgraduate degree in Aviation Management (airport management) from Cranfield University, Bedfordshire. She began her career at AENA in 2006 and, since then, has held various positions of responsibility. Among them, she led the works of the Levante Plan, was part of the maintenance team, held a position in the airport director's office for five years and, since November 1, 2019, has been in charge as director of the Alicante Airport. Elche Miguel Hernández, classified as fifth most important in the Spanish airport network and currently among the 50 busiest in Europe.

With this 'Europe Distinction', Benidorm recognizes that “at key moments in recent history, with direct impacts on tourism such as Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the recovery process, the director of the Alicante airport “Elche has been an example of professionalism in managing the terminal.” 

Likewise, the Board of Spokespersons has also taken into account that, “under her leadership, the airport has obtained outstanding distinctions in management.” Among them, in March 2021 it received a 5-star safety rating and recognition for its excellent hygiene measures from the International Airport Council; In May 2021, it obtained Covid Safe Airport accreditation from Airport Health Accreditation (AHA); In June 2023, it was awarded the CERMI Universal Accessibility award as the Most Accessible Airport in Europe at the Accessible Airport Awards; In September 2023, it was honored with the ACI Award for Best Airport in Europe in the 15 to 25 million passengers category, for its excellent customer experience according to ACI Customer Experience. 

In 2023, Alicante Airport registered a total of 15,747,678 passengers, exceeding the record figure of 2019 by 4.6%, which was 15,047,840 passengers. This achievement confirms its success and recovery, in addition to having achieved seasonal adjustment of its operations by exceeding one million passengers in twelve of the last thirteen months.

Through its boarding gates, the airport channels almost 6% of all air visitors in the country, resulting in the creation of more than 300 direct jobs and more than 6,000 indirect jobs. And, likewise, serving as the main gateway to the province, the airport has the presence of 38 airlines that operate flights to 129 destinations in 26 countries, including 24 European destinations.

All in all, the City Council has considered Laura Navarro deserving of this 'Europe 2024 Distinction, for “her outstanding performance leading high-quality infrastructures that have contributed to the continuous growth of our tourism industry, for her constant attention to the needs of Benidorm and for having strengthened connections with the main European cities and towns, strengthening the ties that unite us all.” 

The presentation of this recognition will take place at the institutional event on the occasion of Europe Day that will be held in the Plenary Hall of the Benidorm City Council on the 9th May, at 12 noon. 

Terra Natura join forces with La ONCE to promote inclusive and accessible leisure

The director of ONCE in Benidorm, Vicente José Vázquez González, and the general director of Terra Natura Benidorm, Luis Perea, held a meeting to look for new formulas for collaboration and promote the development of measures that promote inclusive and accessible leisure .

During the meeting, they toured Terra Natura Benidorm and the Aqua Natura Benidorm water park. The main purpose of this visit has been to establish collaboration guidelines that allow us to work together in order to improve the accessibility of the parks and thus promote the inclusion of people with various needs, including those with disabilities, both visual and other. 

Among the measures presented during the meeting is possible advice on accessibility, the guidelines to follow that enrich the visit experience of ONCE users, as well as any person with disabilities.

On the other hand, in terms of employment, the recruitment of people with disabilities for hiring through the employment exchanges of the ONCE Social Group in Terra Natura Benidorm has been proposed.

As a result of this first meeting, it has been agreed to launch a special offer aimed at ONCE staff in the coming days.

The representatives of ONCE and from Terra Natura Benidorm have agreed in pointing out the importance of joining forces to increase leisure that is inclusive and accessible, in order to improve the experience of all users during their visit to the parks, regardless of abilities. each.

The collaboration between both entities represents another step towards the creation of truly inclusive leisure spaces, where all people can fully enjoy the activities and experiences offered.

Benidorm expands the recreational offer on Poniente beach with the installation of a zip line

• With a length of 20 meters of cable, it is aimed at an audience between 6 and 14 years old

The Benidorm City Council, through the Department of Beaches, has completed the installation of a zip line on Poniente beach, which will expand the varied recreational offering that is already offered on this beach. The new attraction is located in the sand between Alfaz del Pi and Vigo streets and is aimed at users between 6 and 14 years of age.

The installation of the zip line was completed last Friday, so it is now operational, although maximum use will be recorded during the summer when there is a greater number of users on the beach.

The zip line, with an animal and marine theme, has a cable length of 20 meters and allows users to slide from the highest end taking advantage of the action of gravity. Made with a hot-dip galvanized steel structure, it has smooth braking thanks to a cushioned stop at the end of the travel. In addition, the cable tension is adjustable with an anti-vandal system.

The Councilor for Beaches, Mónica Gómez, has indicated that “the new zip line adds to the extensive leisure services that the beach already offers such as aquatic activities, floating platforms, the eight children's play areas, the twelve recreational play areas -sports, biblioplayas, skates, kayaks and jet skis.”

Poniente beach, with a length of 3,1000 meters and a maximum width of 105, has 44 accesses with walkways, six public toilet modules with 20 toilets, of which four are adapted, 70 Lavapiés modules with 122 pipes in total, 137 bins for collecting municipal solid waste, 32 for selective collection (paper and packaging), two accessible beach points and a rental service for hammocks, floating platforms and leisure activities, among others.

The councilor has specified that due to its location in a coastal environment "maintenance will be extreme to avoid oxidation of the metal parts which, however, are already treated to prolong their life." 

“We want to offer the best services to our visitors and users of the beaches and for them to have the best image and the best possible offer and that is why we do not stop investing not only in their maintenance but in the constant improvement of the sandy areas” concluded Gómez. .  

Benidorm expands the recreational offer on Poniente beach with the installation of a zip line

• With a length of 20 meters of cable, it is aimed at an audience between 6 and 14 years old

The Benidorm City Council, through the Department of Beaches, has completed the installation of a zip line on Poniente beach, which will expand the varied recreational offering that is already offered on this beach. The new attraction is located in the sand between Alfaz del Pi and Vigo streets and is aimed at users between 6 and 14 years of age.

The installation of the zip line was completed last Friday, so it is now operational, although maximum use will be recorded during the summer when there is a greater number of users on the beach.

The zip line, with an animal and marine theme, has a cable length of 20 meters and allows users to slide from the highest end taking advantage of the action of gravity. Made with a hot-dip galvanized steel structure, it has smooth braking thanks to a cushioned stop at the end of the travel. In addition, the cable tension is adjustable with an anti-vandal system.

The Councilor for Beaches, Mónica Gómez, has indicated that “the new zip line adds to the extensive leisure services that the beach already offers such as aquatic activities, floating platforms, the eight children's play areas, the twelve recreational play areas -sports, biblioplayas, skates, kayaks and jet skis.”

Poniente beach, with a length of 3,1000 meters and a maximum width of 105, has 44 accesses with walkways, six public toilet modules with 20 toilets, of which four are adapted, 70 Lavapiés modules with 122 pipes in total, 137 bins for collecting municipal solid waste, 32 for selective collection (paper and packaging), two accessible beach points and a rental service for hammocks, floating platforms and leisure activities, among others.

The councilor has specified that due to its location in a coastal environment "maintenance will be extreme to avoid oxidation of the metal parts which, however, are already treated to prolong their life." 

“We want to offer the best services to our visitors and users of the beaches and for them to have the best image and the best possible offer and that is why we do not stop investing not only in their maintenance but in the constant improvement of the sandy areas” concluded Gómez. .  

Nebulossa says goodbye to Benidorm before leaving for Malmö to represent Spain in Eurovision

• The mayor receives María Bas and Mark Dasousa “convinced” th at on May 11 they will repeat the success of the Benidorm Fest

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, received María Bas and Mark Dasousa, members of the Nebulossa group, at the city's Town Hall this Tuesday, in what will be one of their last stops before their departure to the Swedish city of Malmö to represent Spain in the Eurovision final. During this visit, the first mayor has been “convinced” that on May 11, María and Mark will repeat the success obtained last February at the Benidorm Fest, when they won the 'Bronze Microphone' and with “the affection and the support of the entire public.” 

The reception took place in the Mayor's office and the Councilor for Festivals and Events, Jesús Carrobles, as well as the Director of Communication and Participation of Spanish Radio Television, María Eizaguirre, also participated, who were later joined by the Minister of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Generalitat Valenciana, Nuria Montes. 

“I am convinced of their success,” stated the mayor, who also pointed out that, “no matter what happens, they already have first place because they have already conquered not only the Spanish public but also a large part of the Eurovision audience. Furthermore, Toni Pérez has stressed that "this is a complete success: for them especially in their professional career, but also for us because it is the winning song of the Benidorm Fest and that fills us with pride." 

The first mayor has informed María and Mark that Benidorm, “within the extraordinary alliance that represents the Benidorm Fest, together with RTVE and the Generalitat Valenciana, we have programmed a lot of activity around that celebration of May 11 both there, in Malmö , as for those of us who stay here.” Likewise, he highlighted that, thanks to all these acts, “we will have the opportunity to share many moments with them, even if it is from a distance.” 

For their part, the members of Nebulossa have reported the “good feelings” they are receiving from the public in the first national and international performances prior to Eurovision. Among them, those from the European tour that began last weekend in Amsterdam and Stockholm, where hundreds of people chanted the lyrics of 'Zorra'. 

"What is happening to us is something very big," acknowledged María Bas, who acknowledged that "it was clear that here, in Spain, there was a multitude of people who supported us and followed us and now we have found that in Europe The same thing has continued to happen: the song is understood perfectly and the message has reached people because they feel identified, so we cannot ask for more. 

Finally, the members of Nebulossa have thanked “the support of Benidorm Fest and RTVE, since they participated in this contest and throughout their journey towards the final Eurovision gala. 
 

Benidorm brings together more than 700 agents from all over Spain at the I National Congress of Local Police

• The mayor welcomes all participants and highlights that security is one of the most valued aspects in the city
   

It featured a presentations by Supreme Court judges, police officers and experts, with the demand for a national Local Police law as a prominent topic. On Saturday there will be exhibitions open to the public.

More than 700 Local Police officers from twenty cities in Spain have gathered in Benidorm to participate in the I National Congress of Local Police, which started this Friday and in which numerous activities will take place over two days. The mayor of Benidorm and president of the Provincial Council, Toni Pérez, welcomed all the participants during the opening ceremony of this congress, which is being held in Terra Mítica, and thanked the National Union of Police Chiefs and Commanders Local (Unijempol) the trust placed in the city to host the first edition of it. 

Along with Toni Pérez, the general secretary of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), Luis Martínez-Sicluna, also attended the opening ceremony; the judges of the Supreme Court Vicente Magro, Antonio del Moral, Susana Polo or the also former attorney general of the State Julián Sánchez Melgar; the senior judge of Benidorm, Joan Francesc Vives; the general secretary of the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, Miguel Baiach; Senator Agustín Almodóbar; the regional deputy, José Ramón González de Zárate; and numerous members of the municipal Corporation. Likewise, they have also supported the Local Police, headed by its chief mayor, Luis Arévalo, the commissioner of the National Police in Benidorm, Ceferino Serrano; and the lieutenant colonel of the Civil Guard of Calp, Jerónimo Pacheco, along with other police officers from different parts of the country. 

During his appearance, the first mayor explained to those present that "in any of the surveys and samplings that we do to satisfy tourists in our city, with a sun like the one that shines today, such a benign climate or unique beaches that are among the best in the world in urban beaches, the highest level of satisfaction shown by those who visit us is in the perception of safety, many points above the rest", an issue that has largely been attributed to the role played by the Local Police officers. 

“The perception of security is fundamental, because it is what makes people feel free and see our rights and freedom guaranteed, which is talked about so little because some insist on talking very little about it,” Toni explained. Pérez, who has also defended that “universal accessibility, efficient mobility, the digital transformation of society, sustainability in the triple dimension – axes in which Benidorm has been working for a long time – make little sense if when we leave home or when We are in it, we do not feel safe.”

Pérez also recalled that this congress “was born from a triple alliance in which we participate, together with Unijempol and the Police Union at the Valencian Community level”, after the two meetings of officers that Benidorm already hosted in previous years. Finally, he expressed his satisfaction that this event “has aroused so much interest” and has been convinced that it will serve to “train, know, learn and come out better than we all arrived.” 

Throughout this Friday and throughout the day tomorrow, within the framework of this congress, different presentations, activities and exhibitions will take place. The more than 700 participants coming from more than twenty cities throughout the country will debate current issues of the Local Police such as the future of the force, the connection with citizens to improve security and the locality, the detection of cases of sexual trafficking, the Local Police as judicial police or the use of weapons and their consequences, among others. Likewise, the need to develop a national Local Police law to unify criteria will be addressed. 

Among the speakers who will participate these days in the different round tables are judges of the Supreme Court, police officers, representatives of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) or experts in different fields, such as communication or computer crimes, among others. 

In addition to the presentations, the congress has also organised a series of activities for companions, such as a visit to the city by open-top bus, a visit to the beach and the Mundomar animal park.

In addition, today, Saturday, starting at 10 a.m., there will be an exhibition day of police and military units open to the general public at Terra Mítica. The Canine Unit of the Benidorm Local Police will participate in it; the Reserve and Security Group (GRS) of the Civil Guard; the Parachute Brigade (BRIPAC) of the Army and the TASER electronic control device. It will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Circus Maximus in Terra Mí

Benidorm completes the 1st phase of implementation of 'Phygital', the project to boost sales in the local economy

• All the sensors have already been deployed and now the registration phase of establishments and users begins, who will receive personalised recommendations
• The project is valued at nearly 300,000 euros and has a subsidy from the Ministry of Industry

The City Council has completed the first phase of implementation of the 'Phygital' project, aimed at boosting sales and promoting shopping tourism in the main commercial areas of Benidorm. The Councilor for Innovation and European Funds, Aida García Mayor, explained that this first phase has consisted of “the deployment of the technology and sensors that support the project, as well as the initial anonymised collection of data on flows of pedestrians in the different areas included in the project.” A project in which the Department of Commerce directed by Javier Jordá also participates. 

According to García Mayor, the 67 sensors that collect in an anonymised manner the mobile signals from which tourist flows are detected have already been installed. These nodes are located in a wide area that includes Tomás Ortuño, Ruzafa, Apolo XI, Gambo, Gerona and Esperanto streets; the Almendros and Martínez Alejos avenues; the Paseo de la Carretera and the first line of the Levante and Poniente beaches, as well as several surrounding roads.  

The councilor has indicated that "once this first phase is completed, we now begin the second, which is the implementation and launch of the digital marketing platform." This platform is key since through it personalised messages will be sent to registered users with promotions and offers in nearby establishments or information of interest such as, for example, cultural events. These messages will depend on the user's tastes, preferences or interests. 

Likewise, he has clarified that "the user will only receive these messages, which will be periodic, when he is in the area of ​​influence, not when he is outside that radius, so we are talking about a project that is not invasive and that seeks not to saturate ”. 

This second phase also includes the registration of participating establishments and users. 

To date, there is already the collaboration of 469 commercial, leisure, restaurant, etc. establishments, a figure that is expected to increase in the coming weeks. Regarding user registration, this can be carried out through the QRs displayed on the project's posters, which in the near future will begin to be placed in participating establishments, as well as in different centers and public spaces. 

The person in charge of Innovation and European Funds has stressed that Phygital “contributes to the digitalisation of our productive fabric” and brings “many advantages at a commercial level since it will favour an increase in sales and customer loyalty.” But interesting data can also be extracted for commercial and municipal management, such as the hours of highest traffic on each of the streets or the possible variations at different times of the year, which will favour decision-making when scheduling activities or actions.  

For the implementation and development of Phygital, the City Council has obtained a subsidy of 165,326.52 euros from the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce from Next Generation funds. This contribution of European funds represents 55% of the cost of the project; while the City Council assumes the remaining 45% with its own resources.

Benidorm marks its historical maximum population with nearly 74,600 inhabitants

The city of Benidorm has marked its historical maximum population recognised by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) with nearly 74,600 inhabitants. This was stated by the mayor, Toni Pérez, who explained that “the proposal sent by the INE sets for Benidorm a population registered on January 1 of this year of 74,588 inhabitants, almost 2,250 more people than in 2023 and 820 more than in 2013, the date on which Benidorm had marked its previous population ceiling.” 

The mayor highlighted that "these figures confirm that there is growing interest not only in residing in Benidorm, but also in registering in our city, something to which the progressive improvement of public services, economic opportunities and in general have undoubtedly contributed. terms of employment offered by a leading tourist destination, as well as different measures implemented in recent years at the municipal level that have functioned as incentives.” This is the case of the parking sticker for residents, the Citizen Card or different public price discounts.

“As a city, Benidorm is an engine of job creation and an economic driver and progressively that potential is reflected in the number of inhabitants. It is a slow but solid growth that is sustained over time and that has made us go from just over 66,000 inhabitants to more than 74,500 in just a few years,” he added.
Toni Pérez has specified that "this figure close to 74,600 inhabitants is not definitive and could increase, since a period is now open for the City Councils to make allegations to the population established by the INE, since the figure that the municipalities consider in their standards are usually higher than the one initially set by the INE.”

This discrepancy in figures is marked, fundamentally, by the foreign population who, depending on nationality, must renew or confirm their registration; a procedure that not all residents complete in a timely manner.

 
Toni Pérez has highlighted that “the efficient management carried out by the Statistics Bureau, which monthly sends and reports on all registry movements, has allowed the municipal figures to be adjusted more each year with those of the INE, reducing the discrepancies to 2.8 %, several points below the percentages of previous years.” 

The mayor has advanced that "from Statistics we will fight to ensure that the highest percentage of the dissident population is recognized as a legal population, in order to increase our official registry." At this point, he has stated that "the objective is still to reach 75,000 inhabitants, that threshold that would mean making the leap to 'big city' and, with this, having the possibility of accessing more financing from the State." 

Benidorm will celebrate a great Euroclub party in the Julio Iglesias auditorium on the occasion of the Eurovision Song Contest

• The Benidorm Fest will have great prominence in Malmö with a gala with 300 guests that was presented in Madrid

• This Friday the new version of 'Zorra' by Nebulossa and Gloria Trevi premieres on streaming platforms

The Julio Iglesias auditorium in Parque de l'Aigüera will host a great party by the Benidorm Fest Euroclub on May 11 to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest in the Swedish city of Malmö. An event, that of Benidorm, organised jointly by RTVE, the Benidorm City Council, the Generalitat Valenciana and Fotur. Benidorm, in this way, once again expresses its support for the event and will bring together several thousand 'Eurofans' before, during and after the broadcast of the largest European musical event.

The party, which was announced today in Madrid, will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 and will feature several already confirmed artists such as Blanca Paloma, Sofía Martín, José Otero, Noan, Mantra, Sharonne and Sofía Coll among others. There will also be the performance of several DJs and giant screens to follow the performances and the Eurovision Song Contest itself.

In addition, areas for 'FanZone', 'Food truck', merchandising and relaxation will be installed in the Parque de l'Aigüera venue itself so that attendees can enjoy the shows to the fullest.

The events scheduled for Eurovision 2024 were also presented today in the capital of Spain, in which the Benidorm Fest will have a great role, as well as the agenda of the Alicante duo that will represent Spain.

Benidorm Fest Euroclub

The first event will be on Wednesday, May 8 at the Inkonst room in Malmö, starting at 7 p.m., with three artists from the three editions of the Benidorm Fest as guests: Varry Brava, Miss Caffeina and Sharonne.

María Eizaguirre, director of Communication and Participation at RTVE, has indicated that the objective is for “the Benidorm Fest family to accompany Nebulossa” on its way to Malmö. Furthermore, “it is important for the festival to build an international story so that the work being done is recognized outside.”

For his part, Jesús Carrobles, Councilor for Events at the Benidorm City Council, has agreed with that same idea and said that “this brand that we started two years ago could not remain only at the Benidorm Fest. We have to consolidate the image and start selling ourselves outside of Spain”, which is what is sought with the Malmö Euroclub. As for the Benidorm Euroclub, he explained that it will be held in a much more comfortable venue, with free entry and giant screens to follow the final. “Hopefully we can celebrate Nebulossa's triumph,” he added.

Mery Bas and Mark Dasousa, members of Nebulossa, have detailed the emotion they feel about the path they have traveled so far, with their trips to Miami and New York and their collaboration with Gloria Trevi. “We are infinitely grateful for all this” they indicated. “Having arrived at Benidorm Fest was already a gift. And at Eurovision we hope to be in a good position, because there are many people behind all this," they stressed. 

For her part, the singer Blanca Paloma has expressed her “very much looking forward to experiencing it from the other side and being able to support them from Benidorm.” Regarding the experience and advice that she can pass on to Nebulossa, she highlighted the importance of “resting to arrive at Malmö with energy. This path will nourish you a lot.” 

For her part, Sofía Coll said she was “delighted to return to Benidorm, support Nebulossa and live it with all the intensity.” Sofía Martín agreed with the desire to “reconnect with all the people in Benidorm.” And finally, José Otero believed that it is “a great proposal to celebrate Eurovision, to present our projects and continue promoting our music.” 

Premiere of 'Zorra' with Nebulossa and Gloria Trevi

Several Eurovision milestones will mark the month of April before the start of the Festival. The first of them will be this Friday, April 5, the date of the premiere on streaming platforms of the version of 'Zorra' that Nebulossa and Gloria Trevi recorded in Miami in February. 

The duo and the Mexican artist already offered a preview, live before 6,000 people, on the stage of the famous Radio City Music Hall in New York on March 15, a milestone in the promotion of a Spanish candidacy for Eurovision, which by It has crossed the Atlantic for the first time to become known among the Latin American public.

Upcoming European events

After the PrePartyES held this past weekend in Madrid and in which Nebulossa was the host of the international Eurovision delegations, the duo presses the accelerator in the final stretch of their road to Malmö. Thus, their next performances will be this Saturday, April 6, at the Barcelona Eurovision Party, and on Sunday the 7th, at the London Eurovision Party. They will also perform at the Eurovision in Concert in Amsterdam on April 13 and in Stockholm on April 14 at the first edition of the Nordic Eurovision Party. And on April 26, they will close the European tour in Rome.

Nebulossa Farewell Party

Before the last stop in Italy and a few days before the Spanish delegation travels to Malmö, RTVE will offer a free concert in Madrid on April 22 to say goodbye to Nebulossa in style. It will be in the Albéniz theater, where the Alicante residents will be supported on stage by St. Pedro, Angy Fernández, Jorge González, Almácor and Sofía Coll and will receive the support of the fans and followers of the Festival

The 'Souvenir of Benidorm' postcard exhibition welcomes tourists from the seven Espais d'Art Urbà

• The exhibition is made up of 77 postcards, many of them with images captured by local photographers and from the collections of the Municipal Archive

The Department of Historical and Cultural Heritage is launching an exhibition these days with which “we welcome the thousands of tourists who visit us during Holy Week, through a story that begins and ends with them, because the holidays, our city and the tourists themselves are the protagonists of the postcards that make up this exhibition, which can already be seen in the seven Espais d'Art Urbà.”

It was launched by the councilor for the area, Ana Pellicer, who explained that 'Memory of Benidorm' is “an exciting journey of several decades through the transformation of the city and how it was promoted, claimed and shown to the world through of a communication tool as effective and direct as the postcard.”

Pellicer has delved into the fact that “long ago and for many decades, vacations were marked by sending postcards to family and friends and they used to get a card from the place where they had been happy those days.” “This gesture allowed Benidorm to be taken to many points in Spain and abroad; a Benidorm captured on many occasions by local photographers such as Quico Pérez Bayona, Simeón Nogueroles or Marvelli and transformed into a postcard by distribution companies such as Hermanos Galiana or Escudo de Oro”, he added.  

The 77 postcards that make up 'Memory of Benidorm' come from the collections of the Municipal Archive and "for the first time they are exhibited together." Among the selection of postcards, a clear predominance of color "although there is also a small sample of black and white cards, with more folkloric elements." 

Pellicer has highlighted that "despite the passage of decades, there are meeting points between that Benidorm and the current one, since the places and points selected for those postcards continue to be the most visited and photographed to this day." The Castell, the beaches, streets of the old town such as Carreró dels Gats or panoramic views from La Creu "were once a postal resource as they are now for the social media publications of those who visit us."

To the postcards with views of Benidorm "are added those published by the tourist accommodations, in which testimony was given of the facilities and services they offered to tourists, and which undoubtedly make up one of the curiosities of this exhibition."

'Memory of Benidorm' will be on display until after the summer in the Espais d'Art Urbá Els Tolls, Carrascos, Pont, Hispanitat, El Campo, Ponent and Castell. 

The TSJ agrees with the City Council and reduces the amount to compensate the ORA company for the effects of the pandemic

• The company initially claimed 794,888.12 euros for the economic imbalance, but the court established the compensation at 77,628.61 euros

Benidorm will approve in plenary session a budget modification to allocate said amount and avoid possible late payment interest in the event of an appeal by the concessionaire to the Supreme Court.

The Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV) has ruled in favour of the Benidorm City Council and has determined that the compensation that must be paid to the ORA concessionaire company is much lower than the company's initial claims. Thus, said compensation has been set at 77,628.61 euros, instead of the 794,888.12 that the company initially claimed. 

The high court, in its ruling 188/2024 of March 13, has partially upheld the appeal presented by the Benidorm City Council and has substantially reduced the amount with which the ORA concessionaire company will be compensated for the effects of the pandemic. 

In view of the ruling, the City Council will present to the plenary session today a proposal from the mayor to approve a budget modification worth 77,628.81 euros charged to the Contingency Fund in order to allocate said amount and reduce possible interest to the maximum. of delay that the plaintiff is likely to claim later.

The UTE concessionaire of the regulated parking service claimed 794,888.12 euros from the City Council as a consequence of the economic imbalance caused by the effects of the pandemic and was protected by Royal Decree 8/2020 on extraordinary urgent measures to address the economic and social impact of the Covid-19.

A claim that was partially addressed by the Administrative Litigation Court number 1 of Alicante, which initially condemned the City Council to pay the ORA company 459,198.48 euros plus the corresponding legal interest as an economic rebalancing of the contract for the period between March 14, 2020 and May 9, 2021.

In that case, the court reduced the compensation requested by the company by taking into account the savings obtained by the company for concepts such as personnel expenses, office closure or lower fuel consumption.

The City Council, however, appealed to the TSJ, which has now partially upheld said appeal. The court understands that the contract “was not suspended nor did its execution become impossible, but rather it was executed with less intensity.” In addition, it points out “an error in the assessment of the evidence” by the administrative litigation department for not having taken into account the reports of six municipal technicians who quantified the savings of the concessionaire UTE at 711,470 euros.

Thus, the ruling specifies that "there is no doubt that a basic part of the contract could not be put into practice during the first months of restriction of population mobility, but this was not the case throughout the claimed period." In this sense, the mayor has specified that "the ruling indicates that the time frame that should be claimed by the UTE is between March 14 and June 21."

After notification of the ruling, a period of 30 days is opened for the parties to appeal to the Supreme Court, although the City Council will not do so because "the ruling is favourable to municipal interests given that the amount to be paid is significantly lower than that initially claimed by the plaintiff,” said Toni Pérez.

Hundreds of neighbours and tourists celebrate the traditional 'Palm Blessing' in Benidorm as the start of Holy Week

This Palm Sunday, several hundred people celebrated the traditional blessing of palms and olive branches in the church of San Jaime and Santa Ana. The procession of palms through the streets near the church, which began at eleven o'clock the morning, preceded the Holy Mass celebrated at its end.

Likewise, several hundred residents and tourists have walked the streets of the old town with their palms and many more have witnessed the procession during a route that began from the church itself and ran along Santa Faz Street, Paseo de la Carretera, Alameda and Calle Mayor, ending again at the door of the parish church.

The mayor of Benidorm Toni Pérez, the regional deputy, Manuel Pérez Fenoll, the parish priest Juan Antonio González Magaña, several members of the municipal corporation, along with a large representation of children, participated in the procession. There has also been municipal representation in the rest of the parishes in which a procession has been held.

The festival, which marks the beginning of Holy Week, has had as its main protagonists the children, who, according to tradition, are presented by their godmother with a palm to be blessed that day. A blessing carried out by the parish priest of the church of San Jaime in the moments prior to the procession. Afterwards, mass was celebrated in a church completely packed with faithful.

The Terra Natura veterinary team successfully treats female flying fox in advanced stage of pregnancy

A 7 year old female flying fox (Pteropus lylei) is recovering satisfactorily after being treated for an injury to her right limb by the animal veterinary team. The experts discovered the pregnancy during an x-ray as a result of the injury, from which the animal had lost the muscles in its thumb.

Due to the birth,  veterinarians have been especially prudent in the care and change of bandage to cause as little stress as possible to the flying fox during the lactation of the baby, which was born just a few days ago.

The musculature and skin of the forelimbs of this species is very  thin in order to reduce their weight as much as possible, as well as to keep the maximum wing area in order to fly properly. Therefore, any injury to their  wings can cause problems that affect their ability to fly and, therefore, extreme care and attention must be given to their health.

Our veterinary team believes that the injury may have been caused by getting caught on one of the trees in the facility while flying. Firstly, the vets cleaned the affected area with serum and betadine. Next, they applied tissue regenerating and epithelialising ointments to help repair the subcutaneous tissue of the thumb muscles and the epithelial tissue covering it.

As a last step of the treatment, the affected area is bandaged with sterile gauze. The dressing is changed periodically to keep the area clean and to check the regenerative progress of the thumb. During these check-ups, the flying fox has been observed to evolve slowly but favourably. The animal is kept close, but separated from the group to avoid stress during its recovery. The evolution of the little baby is good and the mother is very attentive to its care despite its injury.

The conservation status of this species is considered vulnerable according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), and it has registered a 30% decline in its population in the wild in recent years.

Benidorm offers a weekend full of music as a prelude to Holy Week

• Music lovers will be able to attend concerts by SM La Nova, the Benidorm Choir and the Youth Band of the Musical Union

Music lovers have before them in Benidorm a wide and varied offer for this weekend in the form of concerts by different entities and as a prelude to the dates of Holy Week. 

The first event will be tonight starting at 8 p.m. in the church of San Jaime with the XII Organ Festival, which on this occasion brings Miguel Bernal (organ) and soprano Julia Ruiz. Bernal, a native of Alicante, is a senior professor of organ and principal organist of the Cavaille-Coll organ of the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande in Madrid. Julia Ruiz debuted in José Tamayo's company and has been a professor of Vocal Technique at the Higher School of Dramatic Art in Madrid. She is currently a singing teacher at the 'Teresa Berganza' Professional Conservatory in Madrid.

The program they will perform includes works by composers such as Hugo Wolf, Franz Lilszt, Gioacchino Rossini, Eduardo Torres, Eduard Toldrá and Joaquín Turina.

The rest of the concerts will take place tomorrow, Saturday. The first will be at 7 p.m. at the Cultural Center by SM La Nova with the title 'Disney Musical Fantasy'. Directed by Francisco José Rovira Peretó, the program includes works from Disney films such as 'A Disneyland celebration', 'Avengers: Endgame', 'Colors of the wind', 'Pirates of the Caribbean', 'Selections from ' Charm'', 'Little Mermaid Medley', 'Remember me, Coco' and 'Jungle book'. 

At 8 pm in the church of San Jaime the Sacred Music concert will begin by the Benidorm Choir with a program composed of 'Miserere Dei' by Allegri, 'Matthäus Passion' by JS Bach, 'Tantum ergo' by Bruckner, 'Notre Père' by Duruflé, 'Ave María' by Strawinsky, 'Pater noster' by Sarasola and 'Missa brevis' by J. de Haan.

Finally, the Youth Band of the Benidorm Musical Union will offer a concert of processional marches at 8:30 p.m. in the Buen Pastor church under the direction of Rafa Gómez Parra. Compositions such as 'La madrugá' by Abel Moreno, 'Miracle of Holy Tuesday' by José Fuentes, 'Gethsemaní' by Ricardo Dorado, 'Bread and wine' by Ambrosio Baldó, 'Patio blanco' by Miguel Sánchez, 'Renacer' by Rafa Gómez Parra, 'Camino del sepulcro' by David Rivas and 'My bitterness' by Víctor M. Ferrer. 
 

BEnIDORM'S don pancho hotel, voted one of the 100 best hotels in the world by tui

The TUI Group, currently the largest group in the tourism sector worldwide, announces the “tui global hotel award 2024”, and the hotel don pancho once again manages to be among the 100 best hotels in the world.

These awards are the highest honor awarded by the TUI Tour Operator and are based on the scores obtained from the extensive and detailed satisfaction surveys that are given to all customers to evaluate the quality of the service and facilities of the different establishments. Once again, the Hotel Don Pancho receives this precious award, considered the most important in the vacation tourism industry. 

It becomes one of only five hotels in all of peninsular Spain and the only hotel in the Valencian Community to achieve the distinction.

Benidorm will fully approve the final version of the 'Ensanche Levante' Partial Plan next week

• The sector, of 575,371 square meters, is the most important in terms of surface area in the municipality and will be developed following the sustainable vertical city model.

The plenary session of Benidorm will approve next Wednesday, and definitively, the final version of the Partial Plan 1/1 'Ensanche Levante', a proposal by the Councilor for Urban Planning, Lourdes Caselles, which will previously be ruled on today, Friday, in the information commission of Internal Regime.

Once the proposal is approved, the land owners will be able to begin the procedures for drafting the urbanization and reparcelling project for the sector, which occupies an area of ​​575,371.20 square meters of land. “This is the most important urban sector in the municipality in terms of surface area included in the 1990 General Plan,” recalled the mayor, Toni Pérez.

The plenary approval proceeds once the City Council has been notified of the Strategic Environmental and Territorial Declaration (DATE) and once the determinations and recommendations contained therein have been completed, which have given way to the final version of the Partial Plan formulated by the Group. of Urban Interest (AIU) that promotes its development.

The final approval proposal that will go to full approval includes a non-technical summary of the final version, the urban planning regulations that will govern, as well as different studies and reports. Among them, an environmental and strategic study, demand for water resources, landscape integration, flood risk, sustainable traffic and mobility, and acoustics. Also a report on economic viability, economic sustainability, a gender impact evaluation report and a public participation plan. It also includes an annex on the reserve of school land and another on the archaeological heritage impact.

In this sense, the mayor has highlighted that the project foresees an area of ​​13,917 square meters in two plots for educational uses. These plots are included in the more than 95,000 square meters planned for equipment. The partial plan also includes a large central park of 61,629 m2, almost 13,000 m2 of gardens and more than 23,000 of free pedestrian spaces.

The partial plan will allocate a total of 65% of the land for public facilities and green areas and 35% for the construction of residential, tourist homes and hotels. “The properties will have a minimum height of 20 floors, so the vertical city model characteristic of Benidorm will be followed, which has made us a benchmark in terms of sustainability,” stated Pérez.

According to the project, the number of tourist homes that will be created will be 1,564, while the number of residential apartments will be around 780. The number of hotel establishments planned is around twenty.

The plenary agreement also includes requiring the AIU to prepare monitoring reports on the effects on the environment and the territory derived from the application of the plan that verify compliance with its forecasts and objectives every two years, in accordance with the indicators included therein, and submit it to the environmental body, accrediting it in the municipal file.

Partial Plan 3/1

On the other hand, the mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, met yesterday with the owners of the land, the technicians and the urban development agent of the Partial Plan 3/1 Industrial to offer details of the new projects and the reassessment that the company must present in the coming months. At this meeting, the reports from the Ministry of Development and the Department of the Environment on the modification of the layout of the affected livestock routes were also discussed.

The 'Nit de la Cremà' says goodbye to the Benidorm Fallas until next year

• Municipal cleaning services left the city clean shortly after the fire consumed the monuments
•  

The fire consumed last night, as tradition dictates, the Fallas monuments of Benidorm on a night marked by the absence of incidents. The commissions of Els Tolls, Rincón de Loix and Benidorm Centro, coordinated by the Local Fallera Board, have filled the streets of the city throughout the week with music, colour and the unmistakable aroma of gunpowder, typical of these Josephine festivities.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, and the Festival councilor, Mariló Cebreros, together with members of the government team, accompanied the president of the Local Fallera Board, Esther García, and the senior and child falleras of the three commissions of the city, in a 'Nit de la Cremà' that, in the case of children's fallaes, began at 10:30 p.m. in Rincón and at 11:00 p.m. in Benidorm Centro and Els Tolls.

At 11:30 p.m. it was the turn of the great monuments and the first to burn was the Rincón de Loix Falla, at midnight it was the Benidorm Centro Falla's turn and, at 12:30 a.m., Els Tolls. All the 'cremàs' were followed by hundreds of tourists and residents who did not want to miss the occasion.

The security device of the Local Police, Civil Protection, Red Cross and firefighters was attentive at all times to the normal development of the events and when the fire consumed them it was the turn of the cleaning services that in record time left the city ready for a new work day.

Benidorm and the Navy strengthen ties with the transfer of the propeller of a corvette that will be displayed in a Poniente roundabout

The Benidorm City Council and the Spanish Navy are going to further strengthen the historic ties that link both institutions with the transfer of a propeller from the corvette 'Hunter' (F-35) to the city of Benidorm. The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, has explained that the installation work on this propeller is being finalised in a recently built roundabout in the Poniente area, ahead of the event that will be held this Thursday, March 21, and where will make the transfer official. 

The mayor has indicated that it will take place at the confluence between the avenues of the Spanish Armada and Xixo, where the propeller will now shine after having been subjected to an exhaustive cleaning and polishing process. . A descriptive plaque will also be installed on the promenade with some of the most relevant data about this ship.

The event will begin with the raising of the Spanish flag on a mast installed next to the propeller, to then unveil the commemorative plaque of the transfer of the Navy to the city of Benidorm, indicated Toni Pérez, who has also invited the citizens to actively participate in this official event, “as a sign of the great connection and relationship of affection and admiration of our city with the Navy and with everything related to the sea.” 

In this sense, he recalled that this relationship "is reflected and palpable in different facets, from the numerous Benidorm residents who have served, worked or commanded on commercial or war ships, such as Vicente Roig, José Pérez Llorca or the Constable Francisco Zaragoza and Such, to monuments such as the one dedicated to those who fell at sea", inaugurated in 1965. He also recalled that, as a result of the links with this armed force, "we have already experienced other events that are also part of the history of Benidorm ”, among which he cited the granting of the Cross of Naval Merit to our patron saint, the Virgin of Suffrage in 2001; the awarding of the city's Gold Medal to the Navy in 2017; or the delivery of their battle flags to several ships held in our municipality.” 

After the official transfer of the propeller of the corvette 'Hunter', the Assembly Hall of the Benidorm City Council will also host on Thursday, at 8:15 p.m., the opening ceremony of the 'Days of the Sea 2024', which they jointly organize the Benidorm City Council and the Frax Foundation of the Valencian Community, the Naval Museum and the Naval Museum Foundation. 

Vice-Admiral Enrique Torres Piñeyro, director of the Institute of Naval History and Culture of the Navy, and captain Juan Escrigas Rodríguez, director of the Naval Museum of Madrid, will participate in it, who will give a conference titled 'The endowments of the Cervera squadron after the combat of Santiago de Cuba'. 

About the “Hunter” corvette
The “Hunter” corvette (F-35) was the fifth ship of the “Discovered” class that, along with five others, formed the 21st Navy Escort Squadron. She was built by the national company Bazán in the Ferrol shipyards and launched on October 17, 1978, with the godmother being Mrs. Amparo Illana de Suárez, wife of the then president of the government Adolfo Suárez. 

It was delivered to the Navy on July 20, 1981, establishing its base in Cartagena. In 2004, it was converted into a high-altitude patrol vessel, adopting the number P-78, moving its base to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and returning again to Cartagena in 2012. Finally, it was decommissioned on April 26, 2018 at the Arsenal. from Cartagena, after having sailed during its 37 years of service more than 566,000 miles in 3,507 days at sea and having called at a total of 83 national and international ports and visited 25 countries.

He participated in the embargo operations in Iraq, EUROMARFOR, Active Endeavor, Noble Centinela, UNIFIL, Indalo, Gulf of Guinea and numerous maritime surveillance and security operations. Since its conversion into a patrol vessel and until it was discharged from the Navy, it was part of the Maritime Action Force (FAM) which, within the Fleet, is made up of the set of units whose main task is to prepare to protect maritime interests. national rights and the control of maritime spaces of sovereignty and national interest, being responsible, with a comprehensive approach, for ensuring permanent cooperation with the various Administration bodies with powers in the maritime field, which constitutes the contribution of the Navy to the State action at sea.

230 travel agents participate in Benidorm in the XVI Team Group Convention

• Toni Pérez highlights sustainability as one of the axes that has allowed Benidorm to be a leader and the first certified Smart Tourist Destination in the world
• Toni Pérez addresses those attending the Team Group convention.

The sixteenth edition of the Team Group Convention is being held this weekend at the facilities of the Meliá Villaitana hotel in Benidorm. 230 tourism organizations and agencies gather at this important annual event that brings together professionals from all over the country.

The general director of Team Group, Ana Sánchez, has received the mayor, Toni Pérez, who has been invited to inaugurate the day, accompanied by the manager of the Visit Benidorm Foundation, Leire Bilbao.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, welcomed those present to “a leading destination for Europe and the world” that “more than 65 years ago” opted for a word that is repeated many times today “which is sustainability.” .

Toni Pérez has detailed that of its 38 km2 of municipal area “more than 60% of the land is protected” and that, thanks to the fact that “we decided to occupy very little land and some sky.” The mayor has emphasized that "you are in a city in which the city is the tourist destination itself."

The first mayor has broken down the statistics for 2023 in which Benidorm “exceeded 15 million overnight stays in regulated accommodation” which represents 3.10% of the national total and highlighted the 90,000 beds available. Despite this, "when you visit it for the first time," he stressed, "you don't expect to find a free city with some of the best clean air in Europe."  

Regarding the urban fabric, Toni Pérez recalled that in Benidorm “more than 70% of the traffic is pedestrian” and has elaborated on the “sustainable mobility” of a city that has “more than 130 km of bike lanes and cycle paths, where we have , next to our urban beaches and its Bay, a great city of services and a huge green belt.”

Delving into the sustainability of the destination, Toni Pérez specified that "in the last 25 years we have reduced water consumption by 18%, taking into account that we have grown in resident population by 40% and in tourist activity by 26%." A city in which he waters his gardens “with regenerated water.” 

Toni Pérez has gone even deeper into the importance of sustainability, which “is part” of the axes with which “Benidorm drew up its Strategic Plan in 2015” along with innovation, technology and accessibility and with which it managed to be the first destination certified smart tourist in the world.

The mayor has also not left aside the hospitality of Benidorm that “makes millions of people happy every year.” That goes from its 72,000 registered inhabitants "to more than 450,000" in high season and has reiterated that "we are convinced" that "we will only be the best destination to come to if we are the best city to live in."

For all these incentives, Toni Pérez has encouraged the operators present to recommend the destination to their clients and get to know it for themselves by participating in the parallel activities that Team Group, in collaboration with the Visit Benidorm Foundation, has organized this weekend. 

Following the words of the mayor, Antonio Sánchez, from Visit Benidorm, made a presentation on the work carried out by the foundation to promote tourism in the destination and the convention continued with its program of activities with the presentation of new services and business proposals for the sector.

The convention will end today, Sunday, with a visit to a theme park and a tour of some of the city's tourist attractions.

Benidorm turns to local urban artists to decorate and illustrate municipal public spaces

• The first experience is taking place in the new park on Marina Alta Avenue with graffiti by Cristian Cortés

Benidorm City Council will use local artists to improve the image of some municipal public spaces through illustration, painting or decoration. In fact, this initiative has already been carried out before and now it has been decided to resume it in certain places by going to the census of local artists that the council has.

Thus, in the new playground that has been launched on Marina Alta Avenue, you can already see the work being carried out by the artist Cristian Cortés Martín, who is in charge of creating artistic graffiti along the wall. perimeter that surrounds the entire campus and borders a school centre.

The 'At street level' campaign was in the park this morning to check the progress of this work which, according to the artist himself, will be completed in approximately a little over a month. The Councilor for Citizen Participation, Ana Pellicer, has been accompanied by the councilors of Parks and Gardens and Public Space, José Ramón González de Zárate and Francis Muñoz, as well as the vice president of the Neighbourhood Council, Antonio Zamora, the counselor Teresa Garrido, and Some neighbours.

The artist Cristian Cortés has also been on the visit and has detailed some aspects of the work he is doing, whose theme varies depending on the space that is closest. “I give importance to color, repeating a series of colors to unify the entire wall. "I try to recreate a child's world, between the figurative and the abstract and leaving a free space for the imagination."

The technique used is aerosol and along the wall "some elements are repeated." However, in the area closest to the dog park, illustrations based on the animal world predominate, in the school part more importance is given to children and games, and in the park area there are many images of nature and children, with aspects inclusive too. 

Cortés was the winner in 2015 of the first graffiti contest held in Benidorm and his work was captured in the transformation centre located next to the Domingo Devesa Tourist Development Centre.

Ana Pellicer has positively valued this initiative and has vpointed out that “there are surely more surfaces in our urban scene for local urban artists to fill with colour and interesting and attractive images for the users of those areas.”

In 2023, Benidorm will contribute one million caps to the solidarity campaign 'Caps for a new life'

• Citizens support the action of the SEUR Foundation, with which the City Council collaborates, and which allocates the amount of recycling to help minors with medical needs
• In 2023, Benidorm will contribute one million caps to the solidarity campaign 'Caps for a new life'
• There are six heart-shaped collection containers in La Cala, Rincón de Loix, Els Tolls, Colonia Madrid and Centro

The citizens of Benidorm continue to show their solidarity, in this case with their involvement with the 'Caps for a new life' campaign of the SEUR Foundation, with which the City Council collaborates. According to data provided by the Foundation and made public today by the Councilor for the Environment, Mónica Gómez, in 2023, 1,020,000 caps were collected in the containers installed in public life. 

Gómez recalled that "the amount obtained from recycling these caps is intended to help minors with medical needs not covered by ordinary health systems, thus contributing to improving their quality of life." 

Specifically, the SEUR Foundation is responsible for collecting and delivering these caps to a recycling company that makes a payment per ton at market price.

In the case of Benidorm, the amount collected in the six heart-shaped containers installed by the City Council in different parts of the city has translated into just over 400 euros.

The mayor of the Environment explained that “we currently have six containers installed in La Cala (Secretariat Juan Baldoví street), Rincón de Loix (Juan Fuster Zaragoza street), Els Tolls (Belgian Avenue), Colonia Madrid (Llorca Linares Social Center), and Center (Maravall street with Plaza Neptuno and Avenida de l'Aigüera).

Currently, the SEUR Foundation is allocating all the money obtained from recycling caps to help Julia, a seven-year-old girl from Valladolid suffering from spinal muscular atrophy and who needs a motorized wheelchair. To meet this need, 29 tons of caps are needed. 

Earlier in the campaign, help reached Leo, a small resident of Benidorm, who received 3,200 euros to ensure his aquatic therapy sessions as a treatment for Hirschsprung's Disease, linked to Down syndrome. Since 2011, when the 'Earplugs for a new life' project began, almost 200 minors from all over Spain have benefited from help to finance their medical or orthopedic treatments thanks to a collection that has exceeded 1.3 million euros. 

Gómez thanked “the involvement of the citizens of Benidorm who, from the first moment, have dedicated themselves to this campaign that seeks to improve the quality of life of the little ones” and that “in addition to this solidarity purpose, it also has an impact on the environment, by promoting plastic recycling, thereby reducing CO2 emissions.” 

According to data from the SEUR Foundation, in this time the emission of more than 8,300 tons of CO2, the main gas causing climate change, has been avoided. 

Benidorm begins its summer street cleaning efforts on Sunday with more workers and special services in neighbourhoods and tourist areas.

The concessionaire increases the number of workers to 200, who will be distributed in three shifts, and intensifies waste collection and emptying of waste bins.

Benidorm City Council, through its Department of Street Cleaning, will strengthen its cleaning and waste collection service starting this Sunday, June 15th, with additional staff and special actions in neighbourhoods and tourist areas for the summer season. The councilor for the area, Luis Navarro, stated that these reinforcements will continue until September 15th to ensure that residents and tourists "have the best possible image of our city."  

For this special operation, the company that is contracting the service will incorporate all of its permanent, temporary staff, bringing the total number of workers responsible for cleaning and waste collection to 200. This way, "the three daily shifts, which cover 24 hours a day, will be reinforced so that the service can be provided under better conditions at a time when Benidorm's population is multiplying and, therefore, much more waste is being generated than usual," explained Luis Navarro. 

In this regard, the councilor explained that it has been detected that at the beginning of the summer season, there is a greater number of garbage bags outside the containers, as well as a greater amount of unfolded cardboard. For this reason, he indicated that "there is a door-to-door collection service for the entire city for cardboard collection, with established schedules to alleviate the excess cardboard on public streets and provide a perfect recycling service." Navarro indicated, however, that "if this is not possible, it is best to put it properly folded next to the container." Furthermore, there is a telephone number for all information: 96-5855184.

The councilor explained that, in addition to the usual services provided throughout the year, in the summer "cleaning work will be carried out again by neighborhood, in the afternoon shift," for which "a sweeper will be used; a hydro vehicle with pressurized water that uses degreaser, hypochlorite, and deodorizer; and a blower, with the appropriate personnel for these tasks." 

In areas with high concentrations of people and high tourist influx, such as Levante and Poniente beaches, sweeping and emptying of waste bins will be increased. According to previous seasons, the number of sweeping and emptying of waste bins is up to eight times a day. Also, in other areas with high public presence and where there are containers for separating waste, such as Plaza de la Constitución, Hort de Colón, Pintor Lozano, and Plaza de la Senyoria, an information campaign will be carried out on the proper use of underground waste bins, which will be complemented by increased maintenance of containers and waste bins throughout the city. 

Likewise, the councilor reminded businesses and hospitality establishments that "they must have containers appropriate for their waste production" and place them on public roads "at night, starting at 9 p.m., and collect them before 9 a.m.," as established in the municipal ordinance.

Finally, he emphasised that cleaning will also be carried out at the entrances to Benidorm, along paths, roadsides, outskirts, and park-and-ride parking areas. Waste collection will be reinforced with a rear-loading vehicle that, in addition to emptying street sweeping containers, will respond to any emergencies that may arise anywhere in the city. "Our intention is for Benidorm to offer its best image not only to tourists, but also to all of us who live and work here every day of the year," concluded Luis Navarro.

BeCiTi begins its journey: Benidorm's tourism innovation hub

• Based in El Torrejó, it will be a space open to startups, companies, institutions and citizens and will be aligned with the state PID and PIA
• The initial phase will focus on presenting the project to potential participants and signing the first agreements with companies.
• Among the objectives is that the technological solutions can be tested in the city.

The Benidorm Innovation Hub, a pioneering smart tourism innovation center created with the aim of driving the sector's transformation through sustainability, technology, and collaborative intelligence, has begun its journey. This was announced today by Mayor Toni Pérez at a press conference, where he also presented the graphic image of BeCiTi, the hub's name, which stands for Benidorm Smart Tourism Innovation Center. 

Toni Pérez recalled that "when Benidorm set the goal of becoming the world's first certified smart tourism destination," a milestone achieved at the end of 2018, "a roadmap was designed for each of the pillars on which this model pivots," with the creation of this hub being key in the innovation department. A center that "is already taking its first steps and is fully aligned with the national Smart Destination Platform (PID) project, promoted by Segittur and which will be headquartered in Benidorm, and also with the Open Innovation Platform (PIA), proposed by this same state agency and which will also be housed in our city."  

The BeCiTi project is part of the Benidorm DTI + Seguro Sustainable Tourism Plan and was developed in collaboration with Bosonit, a technology consultancy specializing in data and advanced analytics and one of the leading companies in implementing solutions based on generative artificial intelligence.

According to the mayor, the hub will be located in the El Torrejó municipal center, whose facilities will be adapted to accommodate this innovation center.

In fact, "last week, the Local Government Board approved the adaptation works, which will be phased to minimize disruption to the activities of the services and organizations it houses." The project has a budget of nearly €300,000, which also includes assistance in defining and implementing the hub and a year of service. 

Toni Pérez explained that BeCiTi is "a hub for attracting talent, development, innovation, and competitiveness." Broadly speaking, it's a space open to startups, companies, institutions, and citizens, which champions open innovation as a driver of change, generating ideas, validating technological solutions, and building a more competitive and resilient tourism industry. In short, it's "a meeting place for debate and collaborative work for all stakeholders who have something to say and, above all, something to contribute, making Benidorm the epicenter of tourism innovation in the Mediterranean." 

The mayor stated that "the goal we set for the project is to accelerate the transition toward sustainability in its three dimensions—environmental, economic, and social—by connecting talent, technology, and the region, through the promotion of open innovation to transform local challenges into global solutions."

He added that "obviously, the goal is for the technological solutions and developments" that emerge from BeCiTi, or "at least as many of them as possible, to be tested and implemented in the city."

BeCiTi Operation

BeCiTi organizes its activities around a multi-sector innovation network comprised of public and private stakeholders, from leading corporations and administrations to universities and technology centers. Its methodology is based on innovation cycles focused on five strategic challenges: energy sustainability, water sustainability, sustainable mobility, hotel processes, and tourism data management.

Each cycle promotes the co-creation of solutions through working groups, ideation sessions, and open calls for technology startups and SMEs, culminating in proofs of concept in real-world environments with the support of mentors and experts.

BeCiTi will provide collaborative spaces, training programs, strategic events, and access to funding. This is not a conventional accelerator: BeCiTi is a dynamic engine that offers visibility, networking, and direct validation of solutions, but with real scaling potential.

BeCiTi is not only an innovation hub, but also "a brand that represents Benidorm's commitment to a smarter, more sustainable, and collaborative tourism model," Pérez stated. It's a platform for building partnerships (SDG 17), fostering talent, and addressing the major challenges of the tourism sector from a shared perspective. 

With this initiative, Benidorm consolidates its position as a national and international benchmark in tourism innovation, opening the doors to a new future where tourism and innovation go hand in hand.

Path to reach the hub

As the mayor explained during his appearance, Benidorm did not arrive at this Innovation Hub "by chance or accident, but rather its implementation is the logical consequence of a tourism management policy based on intelligence and data sharing." "For years," he continued, "in Benidorm we have known the benefits that data sharing brings to planning and management. We have been doing this for some time with the hotel association Hosbec, the water concessionaire Hidraqua, and other companies and organizations." 

During this time, "Benidorm has been and continues to be a great laboratory where major innovation-related projects have been developed, such as the project for airspace management for the use of drones; to ensure accessibility for people with visual impairments; to understand beach flows and influxes; to organize sandy areas during the health crisis imposed by Covid; or the one that has allowed us to obtain environmental indicators. And the private sector, the hotel sector for example, has also invested in innovation to grow in quality and efficiency with projects like the Technology Room." 

"And now this hub, BeCiTi, is here to reorganize and drive new challenges." Pérez concluded by stating that, with its launch, "we are once again becoming the epicenter of tourism innovation for the entire Mediterranean and Europe."

About Bosonit

Bosonit is a technology consulting firm specialising in data and advanced analytics, and one of the leading companies in the implementation of solutions based on generative artificial intelligence. It helps companies and institutions transform and innovate with disruptive methodologies, tools, and technology. Bosonit focuses on R&D, collaboration, and innovation as the driving forces behind all its projects, generating impact and maintaining a focus on the user. At BeCiTi, Bosonit will contribute its extensive experience in project management, energizing open innovation ecosystems, and fostering collaboration around key technological challenges.

Benidorm and the Generalitat (Catalan Government) sign a cooperation agreement to invest 14.5 million euros in the water treatment and reuse network.

The regional government will fund 90% of the planned work, which will address deficiencies and meet strategic infrastructure needs for the city.

The mayor states that this is a "historic investment" for the region, compared to the mere €120,000 that the WWTP received during the eight years of the PSOE and Compromís government. 

Benidorm City Council and the Valencian Regional Government signed this Monday the Cooperation Agreement for the Financing of Improvements and Replacement of the Sanitation and Wastewater Treatment Facilities of the Municipality of Benidorm. This agreement will result in an investment of €14,520,000 to resolve deficiencies and address outstanding needs for strategic infrastructure for water treatment and reuse in the city, such as wastewater pumping stations (WPSs) and the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The investment will be made through EPSAR, the Public Wastewater Treatment Company of the Valencian Community, which reports to the Ministry of Environment, Infrastructure, and Territory. 

The agreement was signed this Monday at the Benidorm wastewater treatment plant by the city's mayor, Toni Pérez; the president of the Valencian Regional Government, Carlos Mazón; and the regional minister for the Environment, Infrastructure, and Territory, Vicente Martínez Mus, in front of a large group of public representatives. Among them were members of the local government; mayors and councilors from other municipalities in the Marina Baixa region; the regional delegate for the Consell in Alicante, Agustina Esteve, along with other regional representatives; the regional deputies José Ramón González de Zárate and Manuel Pérez Fenoll; and the vice president of the Provincial Council, Ana Serna. 

The signing of this agreement, following its unanimous approval at the municipal plenary session last March and subsequent authorization by the Generalitat, includes a package of actions aimed at resolving the deficiencies in the electrical and structural installations of the wastewater pumping stations (EWPS) and addressing the renovation needs of the current Benidorm WWTP, particularly its old line (Line B) and the sludge line, deficiencies caused by the passage of time (the plant began operating in 1984) as well as by "the paralysis and lack of investment" by the regional government of PSOE and Compromís, which between 2015 and 2023 only invested €120,000 in this treatment plant, despite the fact that the residents pay a sanitation fee that was never reinvested," as noted by Minister Martínez Mus and Mayor Toni Pérez. 

Specifically, the works to be carried out as a result of this agreement include the renovation of the electrical installations at the Benidorm wastewater pumping stations (WPS), budgeted at €2,420,000; the renovation and repair of the Parque de Elche WPS, with a budget of €1,210,000; the improvement of the old water treatment line (Plant No. 2) at the WWTP, a project valued at €2,420,000; the improvement of the sludge treatment line at the WWTP, the largest project, with a budget of €7,260,000; and the renovation of the personnel, control, and workshop buildings at this wastewater treatment plant, with a further €1,210,000.

Mayor Toni Pérez expressed his gratitude to the Consell and stated that "since 2023, it has been fulfilling its commitments to Benidorm, a city that is finally receiving the support of a Consell committed to its land." In this regard, he recalled that "Carlos Mazón is the first president of the Generalitat (Catalan regional government) to visit this place in the ten years I have been mayor," despite it being a strategic infrastructure for the region, where 100% of Benidorm's wastewater is treated, 100% of the wastewater from l'Alfàs del Pi, and, to varying degrees, that of La Nucía and Finestrat, as well as that of other municipalities in the Marina Baixa in cases of need. 

He also stated that, given the lack of investment from the previous regional government of the PSOE and Compromís parties, Benidorm City Council has invested €7.5 million in municipal funds in this plant. He therefore argued that the agreement signed with the Generalitat represents "a historic investment and one of those that will contribute most to the sustainability of our population and our region of all those made in the last 25 years." 

Finally, Toni Pérez recalled that this wastewater treatment plant, designed in 1978 and which had been requested since 1963, "was born from the generosity of the irrigators of Benidorm and the Canal Bajo del Algar, who agreed to give up their clean water flows to Benidorm in exchange for irrigating their fields with treated water" and maintained that this new investment "is an example of that well-understood solidarity, especially in an episode of extreme drought like the current one." 

For his part, the President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Carlos Mazón, insisted on describing the planned investment in Benidorm's sewage, treatment, and water reuse network as "historic," with which "the Generalitat (Catalan Government) settles a very important debt to this city." He also announced that the Generalitat (Catalan Government) will soon add another €15.5 million investment through an agreement to be signed with the Alicante Provincial Council to carry out 27 additional projects in the province. 

"We said it from the beginning, and today we insist that this will be the legislature of water, because without water we have no present or future," stated the head of the Consell. He also criticized the cuts implemented by Pedro Sánchez's government to the Tajo-Segura water transfer, in contrast to the water reuse practiced in the Valencian Community: "We are the autonomous community that reuses the most water in Spain, generating 40% of all reused water, and by the end of the legislature we will reach 45%," he asserted. 

He also noted that during the current term, €204 million will be invested in water treatment, of which more than €100 million has already been committed. He stated that, with these initiatives, "we will reach zero discharge by the end of the term." 

More information about the projects.
The investment to be made by the Generalitat (Catalan Government) in the city's wastewater treatment, purification, and reuse system, which will be implemented through the Public Wastewater Treatment Entity (EPSAR), will total €14,520,000, including VAT, and will encompass various projects over a four-year period. 

The purpose of all these works is to address the deficiencies in the electrical and structural installations of the wastewater pumping stations, as well as to address the renovation needs of the current Benidorm WWTP, particularly its old line, known as 'Line B'. 

In all cases, EPSAR will cover 90% of the cost of the works—that is, €13,068,000 million—while Benidorm City Council, as the owner of all existing infrastructure and that to be implemented in each of these projects, will commit to paying the remaining 10%—€1,452,000—from 2025 to 2028.  

The blue flags will fly this summer on the beaches of Levante and Poniente.

Councillor Mónica Gómez has gone to Xàbia to collect both badges, which will soon be raised on these two beaches.

The Blue Flags will fly this summer on Benidorm's Levante and Poniente beaches, joining the other awards certifying the excellent quality of the city's waters and beaches. Benidorm City Council's Councilor for Beaches, Mónica Gómez, traveled to La Grava beach in Xàbia on Monday, where the presentation ceremony for these flags, awarded by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC), was held. The ceremony was presided over by Vicente Martínez Mus, Minister of Environment, Infrastructure, and Territory of the Generalitat Valenciana. 

The councillor recalled that "Levante beach renews its Blue Flag award this year, while Poniente beach will once again receive it once the work to relocate the footbaths and bury pipes at greater depths has been completed. This work was carried out last year to secure these infrastructures and reduce the risk of damage or breakage in potential storms." "Once these works are completed," Mónica Gómez explained, "and as in the case of Levante beach, for 2025 we have once again submitted the candidacy for Poniente beach and, as expected, both beaches have once again received this Blue Flag for having sand and bathing waters in excellent condition, as well as the rest of the information, environmental education, safety, and facilities services provided." 

Gómez explained that "in the coming weeks, as the summer season begins, the official raising of these blue flags will take place, along with the other awards that Benidorm's beaches receive year after year, such as the Ecoplayas flags awarded this year in Levante, Poniente, and Mal Pas," as well as the blue flag obtained once again by the Benidorm Yacht Club. 
The councilor also pointed out that all these awards are "the result of the daily efforts made by the City Council, the beach management body, and the concessionaire company to continue the path we began many years ago of never lowering the quality and services of our beaches, our most precious asset."  

Finally, the municipal head of Beaches explained that, in the case of Mal Pas beach, the City Council has not submitted a Blue Flag application this year due to the pending works to relocate the footbaths, "thus following the criteria of the Environmental and Consumer Education Association itself not to award Blue Flags to beaches where work is being carried out." The councillor recalled that this criterion "has been applied by the ADEAC in Benidorm in recent years, although not in other coastal municipalities" and indicated that, "although we still do not have a date to start these works, knowing that it was very likely that we would not be granted it for this reason, we have directly preferred not to opt for the blue flag in Mal Pas because there are already many other distinctions that certify that the quality of the water and its sand are excellent, as also certified by the analyses we carry out throughout the year in them", being one of the few municipalities in the entire country that examines its beaches so exhaustively.

More than 5,000 people in Aigüera Park support Melody at the Eurovision final.

María Jesús and her Accordion star in the moments before the connection with Basel to the delight of thousands of attendees

If the outcome of the Spanish song contest at Eurovision depended on Benidorm, Melody would undoubtedly sweep the competition. Once again, the city rallied behind the Spanish representative, with more than 5,000 people in Aigüera Park to support the author of "Esa diva," a song that was unveiled at the Benidorm Fest and has been played ever since.

There wasn't a soul in the venue who wasn't singing the song when the Spaniard took the stage in Basel. A devoted audience made their presence felt with shouts of encouragement, waving flags, and singing along to every verse of the piece that represented our country.

The afternoon started early in L'Aigüera Park with the Benieuro Bingo and music by DJ Dennis Moore, with the stands and courtyard filling up with more Eurofans by the minute. The queue to enter the venue, in fact, stretched down the park's central promenade and almost reached City Hall. Just before connecting with Basilea, a surprise came with the appearance of the famous María Jesús y su Acordeón, who sang songs by artists such as Alaska, Karina, and others, and closed with her well-known "El baile de los pajaritos" (The Dance of the Little Birds), to the delight of the audience, and Quique González "Torito" (Torito), who acted as the host and enjoyed himself like a child on a stage where designer Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada also came out to greet him.

At 9 p.m., the big screen installed in L'Aigüera Park switched to RTVE, which, in turn, began broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest. Meanwhile, no one moved, waiting for Melody to make her appearance. When the moment arrived, the thousands of spectators burst into applause and chanted "Esa diva" as the Sevillian singer delighted the viewers. The party, however, continued until the end of Eurovision because no one wanted to miss the final results. Elsewhere in the city, on Poniente Beach, fellow Eurovision contestant Chanel Terreros was in charge of announcing the scores for our country. 

For the third year in a row, the UK has crashed out at Eurovision, taking 19th place out of a possible 26.

Benidorm launches an information campaign to address the regulations that prevent personal mobility vehicles from delivering goods.  

The Local Police maintain daily controls to verify that electric scooter users have liability insurance and comply with the speed limit and helmet use.

The Benidorm City Council's Mobility and Citizen Safety Departments, through the Local Police, will launch an information campaign to highlight the regulations that prohibit ordinary personal mobility vehicles (PMVs), such as electric scooters, from delivering goods. This was stated today by the Councilor for Mobility, Francis Muñoz, who noted that "in general terms, both national regulations and the municipal Mobility ordinance prohibit the transport of goods in vehicles not specifically designed for this purpose." 

Muñoz explained that "it was deemed essential to launch this information campaign, since, despite the regulations, it has been detected that personal mobility vehicles are being used to transport goods in our city without permission, and this is increasingly the case." 

Thus, "over the next few weeks, electric scooter users will be informed that, as a general rule, they cannot transport goods, except for vehicles specifically designed for this purpose, which do not include the most commonly used scooters." Once the information phase is over, "those who fail to comply with the regulations and persist in delivering goods using unauthorized vehicles will be fined." For these cases, the municipal ordinance establishes fines of 100 euros. 

"Our priority is road safety," the councilor emphasised, adding that "this information campaign will be carried out in parallel with the daily checks carried out by the Local Police to ensure that personal mobility vehicles comply with municipal ordinances and traffic regulations." 

According to data provided by the Local Police, "approximately 20 vehicles" are inspected daily during these checkpoints, in addition to "those intercepted outside the checkpoints committing violations." During these inspections, officers focus on "various aspects related to road safety." Specifically, they review the vehicle's approval status to ensure that its manufacturing specifications have not been modified; compulsory civil liability insurance is required for driving; the use of helmets and a reflective vest between sunset and sunrise, as well as the scooter's maximum speed, are monitored; and they are also monitored to ensure that they do not circulate in pedestrian areas. 

The Local Police have reminded everyone that "the fines offenders face range from 80 to 500 euros and may also result in the immobilisation of the vehicle." 

Benidorm approves the renovation project for the 'Andrea' columns on Paseo de Levante for 665,784 euros.

The project is part of the 'Verde Benidorm' Sustainable Tourism Plan and will allow the renovation of this ornamental lighting from the 1990s and improve energy efficiency.

The mayor emphasises that "in a very short time, we will almost completely renovate one of the most emblematic and recognizable spaces in our urban fabric."

The Local Government Board of Benidorm City Council approved this Monday the project for the "Rehabilitation of the ornamental lighting of the Andrea columns on the Paseo de Levante," as part of Action 5 of the 2023 Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan, known as "Verde Benidorm," with a budget of €665,784.41, VAT included. This was communicated by the city's mayor, Toni Pérez, who noted that, in this way, "we continue to advance in the development of projects that will allow us not only to renew, improve, and modernize the image of one of the busiest spots in our city, such as this promenade, but also to reduce consumption and improve energy efficiency."

The project, drafted by Gener Proyectos De Ingeniería SL and submitted to the City Council on May 8, proposes the restoration of the structures that support the inner cylinder that makes up the "Andrea" luminaire, which date back to the 1990s, as well as the replacement of the luminaire and the interior projectors that illuminate it. In addition to equipping them with a new electrical and control system for supply and intelligent management, explained the Councilor for Public Space, Francis Muñoz.

The total number of "Andreas" currently existing is 22 units, of which 18 are distributed mainly along Paseo de Levante and the remaining four are located in the central axis of the final section of Avenida de Europa, between Avenida del Mediterráneo and the Paseo. The project proposes the permanent removal of the four units from Avenida Europa, "in order to create an area free of elements in the final section of this road." 

In terms of lighting, the draft project includes replacing the internal diffuser of the columns and installing new RGB LED spotlights for internal lighting, which can be connected to the existing centralized control system on Paseo de Levante. This reduces the installed power by approximately 40%, bringing the installation in line with current energy efficiency requirements.

The councilor also explained that the various components that make up the structure of the "Andrea" "are currently in an advanced state of oxidation," and therefore "the dismantling of all the columns is planned for their complete restoration, as well as the cleaning of their components, such as the anchor bolts, for their reinstallation once they have been restored and treated to the necessary characteristics to withstand the marine environment." To restore these structures, mechanical abrasive means will be used to remove all parts with rust, laminations, and other defects caused by the presence of moisture. After all this, the entire structure will be provided with a protective layer until a protection level of C5-I is achieved according to the UNE-EN ISO 12944-2:2018 standard, "in order to guarantee a life expectancy of more than 15 years in areas subject to high humidity and/or aggressive conditions," added Muñoz.

Finally, the project also includes the renewal of the existing pipeline cabling, using a vacuum cleaning system or equivalent to reuse the sections for the new cabling to be installed. In addition, a new fiber optic circuit and control nodes will be installed for the intelligent management of the lighting scenes generated by the "Andreas," allowing the lighting color to be changed, just as is the case with the overhead lines on this same promenade. 

The Councilor for Public Space explained that the next step will be to "request the relevant authorizations from the Provincial Coastal Service to carry out the works," as well as to initiate the bidding process. The project will be completed within eight months from the signing of the staking out certificate. 

For his part, Mayor Toni Pérez insisted that "this government's work on the streets to improve our city is constant and unremitting, as demonstrated by the number of projects we have underway in virtually every neighbourhood." In the specific case of Levante, the mayor noted that this project to rehabilitate the 'Andrea' columns "complements the project we have already carried out to renew the lighting and ornamental catenary of Paseo de Levante from Torrejó to Avenida de Europa, with an investment of €1,972,119.41, financed entirely with municipal resources, and the project we recently awarded to Elecnor to renovate the second phase, between Avenida de Europa and Calle Metge Miguel Martorell, with a budget of €854,885.07." 

Thus, Toni Pérez stated that "in a very short time, we will almost completely renovate one of the most emblematic and recognizable spaces in our urban fabric, because contrary to what others would have us believe, Benidorm concerns us and occupies us, every day and at all hours."

Finally, the mayor lamented that, "as has already happened with many other infrastructure projects, this project should be financed and executed by the State, but what we have found is yet another failure to fulfill its responsibility in what is probably the only municipality in Spain with a seafront promenade where the Ministry fails to fulfill its authority and responsibility." Therefore, he expressed his confidence that, "at the very least, the authorizations for the project will be processed diligently and not delayed. That is all we are currently aspiring to." 

About 'Verde Benidorm'
The Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan 'Verde Benidorm 2024-2026' has 5,500,000 euros in funding from the European Union's Next Generation funds, which will be used to carry out 16 actions to achieve a more sustainable and digital Benidorm, which advances in energy efficiency and combats climate change and which continues to invest in protecting the territory.

Thus, with this PSTD, the Benidorm City Council carries out the certification and recognition of the destination's sustainability, within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed with funds from the European Union - Next Generation EU, including the Territorial Sustainability Plan of the Valencian Community and coordinated by Turisme Comunitat Valenciana.
 

Elche Park is transformed into a medieval market for the celebration of the Carta de Poblament

It will remain open until Sunday evening with stalls selling crafts, food, and traditional games.

For yet another year, coinciding with the celebrations of the granting of the Carta de Poblament (Town Charter) by Bernat de Sarrià in 1325, which marks seven centuries this year, Benidorm's Elche Park has once again been transformed into a medieval market, with numerous stalls selling crafts, food, and traditional games.

The initiative, promoted by the Independent Association of Merchants (AICO) in collaboration with the Departments of Festivals and Commerce, was officially inaugurated today by the councilors of both areas, Mariló Cebreros and Javier Jordá; the president of AICO, Raúl Parra; the queens of the Festes Majors Patronals (Major Patronal Festivals), Paula Pascual Sánchez and Aitana Pérez Gutiérrez, and their courts of honor; and the presidents of the Festival Commission and the Association of Patronal Festivals, Susana Martínez and Jonathan López de las Huertas.

The medieval market, nestled in Elche Park and on Mayor José Such Ortega Street, is made up of dozens of stalls run by artisans with long experience in this type of event, offering jewelry, spices, essences and essential oils, toys, leather goods, and other items present at these fairs. There is also a dedicated play area and a food and drink area, which will be complemented over the weekend with entertainment and street performances. 

It will remain open throughout the weekend and close its doors on Sunday afternoon/evening, when it will close until next year.
 

Benidorm hosts the 3rd Meteorology, Tourism and Media Conference

It will take place on May 16 and 17 at El Torrejó and can be streamed.

Benidorm will host the 3rd Meteorology, Tourism, and Media Conference on May 16 and 17. This event, in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, headed by Mónica Gómez, will feature professionals from all over Spain who will share studies, reflections, and conclusions of general interest. These conferences, with free access, will take place at the El Torrejó municipal center and can be streamed on the 8 Mediterráneo YouTube channel. 

Among the professionals participating in the conference are meteorologists from various television stations, such as Castilla-La Mancha Media, EiTB, Aragón TV, Àpunt, and RTPA, who will record their news and weekend specials in Benidorm.

The 3rd La 8 Mediterráneo Meteorology, Tourism, and Media Conference will begin on Friday, May 16, in the afternoon, with presentations by Jorge Olcina, Professor of Regional Geographic Analysis at the University of Alicante, and Luis Guanter, Professor of Applied Physics at the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Following the presentations, there will be a roundtable discussion, "The water that falls from the sky, where does it go?", followed by a guided tour of the Dinapsis centre.

On Saturday, May 17, Ángel Rivera, former spokesperson for AEMET, will open the conference with a talk on the phenomena that occurred in the province of Valencia on the fateful day of October 29. Subsequently, two roundtable discussions will address topics such as misinformation and hoaxes in meteorology and the media, and the concept of degrowth. 

The City Council asks people to avoid unnecessary travel, avoid using elevators, and limit the use of 112 to situations of vital necessity.

Benidorm City Council activates the Emergency Plan and convenes the CECOPAL (Centre for Emergency Response) to coordinate services in response to the nationwide blackout.

Benidorm City Council has asked residents to avoid unnecessary traffic and the use of elevators and lifts. Likewise, the public has been asked to limit their use of the 112 emergency service to life-saving situations.

The City Council has activated its Emergency Plan and convened the CECOPAL (National Emergency Plan) to coordinate the management of public services while the widespread power outage that has occurred nationwide since 12:30 p.m. today continues. The CECOPAL (National Emergency Plan) and the activation of the Emergency Plan were convened immediately after the Territorial Emergency Plan established by the Valencian Government for the entire region became Situation 1.

In the city, Local Police officers have been on duty since the outage, regulating traffic from the very beginning, due to the absence of traffic lights. The City Council emphasises the need to avoid unnecessary traffic, avoid using elevators or lifts, and limit the use of the 112 service to essential situations. 

A book-shaped bench on Paseo de Colón joins the efforts to promote Benidorm's 700th anniversary.

The City Council is looking for new locations to implement these benches and bring art to other neighborhoods in the city.

Benidorm City Council, through the Department of Historical and Cultural Heritage, has added a new element to promote the commemoration of the 700th anniversary of the municipality's founding. In this case, with a bench in the shape of an open book featuring the official logo of this anniversary on a reproduction of the text of the Carta de Poblament signed by Admiral Bernat de Sarrià on May 8, 1325, it has been placed at the end of Paseo de Colón, in the square that pays tribute to sailors and tuna fishermen. 

The Councilor for Historical and Cultural Heritage, Ana Pellicer, has stated that "we continue to incorporate artistic and charming elements into our urban fabric, and in this case, we are doing so to increase the awareness of these '700 Anys' of Benidorm among the hundreds of people, residents and tourists, who pass through this busy space every day to use the Port, the Yacht Club, or Mal Pas beach." 

The bench is made of concrete and vinyl, so it also offers the option of changing its theme after the anniversary commemoration, to promote and publicize other events or dates of special interest, explained Ana Pellicer. In this regard, the councilor stated that, in addition to new themes, "at City Hall, we are also exploring new locations for these benches in other neighborhoods of the city in the coming years, with the goal of bringing urban art and culture to as many spaces as possible."

ONCE issues a special coupon to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the founding of Benidorm.

• It will be raffled off on May 6th and features a panoramic view of the city taken from the Serra Gelada mountain range with the official anniversary logo.
• The coupon has been presented in El Castell and will reach more than 5 million people through the organization's 20,000 vendors.
   

Mayor Toni Pérez receives from ONCE the first Braille copy of the Carta de Poblament and one of the first tickets, which are on sale from today.

The Spanish National Organisation for the Blind, ONCE, has joined in the celebration of the 700th anniversary of the founding of Benidorm with the special issuance of a commemorative coupon. The ticket, whose drawing will be held on Tuesday, May 6, two days before the commemoration of the signing of the founding charter, was presented this Thursday in El Castell Square by the city's mayor, Toni Pérez; the provincial director of ONCE in Alicante, Estela Medina; and the director of ONCE in Benidorm, Vicente Vázquez. 

The ONCE (National Council of the Basque Country) has presented the mayor with the first copy of the Carta de Poblament (Population Charter), translated into Braille so that it can also be read by people with visual impairments. It also presented one of the first "700th Anniversary" coupons, which went on sale today. The event was also attended by numerous representatives of the municipal government; Senator Agustín Almodóbar; the Director General of Family and Children of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Angélica Such; regional representatives Manuel Pérez Fenoll and Mario Villar; representatives of the "700th Anniversary Commission"; and members of business and civic associations; ONCE vendors; and residents of Benidorm. 

The city's mayor began his speech by emphasising that "Benidorm has had a long-standing partnership with ONCE, focusing on what's important: making the city as accessible as possible, pursuing universal accessibility throughout the city and all the services we provide." Therefore, Toni Pérez thanked ONCE for issuing this coupon, which he defined as "a partnership to promote the city," since "it will allow Benidorm and its 700th anniversary to be, from today until May 6th, in the pockets of five million people through this wonderful coupon." 

“We are writing another small page in this great history that Benidorm treasures, which began on May 8, 1325 when Admiral Bernat de Sarrià gave its charter with the founding of Benidorm,” said the mayor, who also explained that, “surely anyone who never visited us, and certainly missed having this image of the Castell – in allusion to the admiral of the Crown of Aragon – could not have imagined for a moment that they were laying the foundations of a city that lives, far from its profession as a military, from bringing happiness to the world, as the ONCE also does.” 

Toni Pérez stated that "from today we already have the coupon on the street. We are very proud of this edition, because in addition to having the '700 Anys de Benidorm' logo clearly visible, it also offers a precise image of Benidorm, which will ensure that this coupon, whether it has a prize or not, will be kept in many homes, in our region and among those who come to buy it."  

For her part, the provincial director of ONCE in Alicante, Estela Medina, stated that the issuance of this commemorative coupon is "a way of thanking Benidorm and its City Council for the great work they have always done alongside people with some type of disability and in favor of inclusion, accessibility, and collaboration" with the various disability groups.  

“Benidorm is one of the world's leading tourist cities, and you give people a great sense of security when they come, especially because they know they're going to find an inclusive destination,” said Medina, who also thanked “the solidarity of the buyers of ONCE products, who make our daily work possible” through training and job creation. 

The ONCE Daily Coupon offers 5 million coupons and a prize of €500,000 for each number plus the series, as well as 49 prizes of €35,000 for the five digits of the winning number. In addition, there are 450 prizes of €250 for the first four digits and another 450 prizes for the last four; 9,000 prizes of €25 for the last three or first three digits; and the same for the first and last two digits (€6), and a €2 refund for the first or last digit of the winning number. 

The 700th Anniversary Commission is finalising the events commemorating the founding of Benidorm, which will run until May 18.

• The commemorative coupon and stamp will also be presented. 
• The mayor highlights the involvement of the groups and individuals who make up the committee, as well as "other entities that have made contributions to enhance this celebration."

The committee responsible for organising the celebration of Benidorm's 700th Anniversary has already outlined the schedule of commemorative events that will take place from tomorrow, Wednesday, April 23rd, until May 18th. Mayor Toni Pérez explained that "the weeks leading up to and following the anniversary will focus on a large part of the events commemorating the founding of Benidorm on May 8th, 1325." 

Toni Pérez explained that "when scheduling these events, we have gathered the suggestions and contributions of various organizations and individuals who have submitted their proposals to the '700th Anniversary Committee'; these proposals have been analyzed by the President, the committee's coordinators, and the technical secretariat at various meetings." These events, he specified, "are in addition to the work carried out by the City Council to raise awareness of the 700th anniversary nationwide, which has resulted in the issuance of a commemorative ONCE coupon and a postal stamp." The first will be presented this week at El Castell, and the second will be presented on May 8th.  

This calendar, presented yesterday, includes, among other activities, theatrical performances, an exhibition, several concerts, workshops, and talks open to the public, as well as various outreach activities. Specifically, this Wednesday, an outreach campaign will be launched on municipal media: tecnohito, digital muppis, and screens in public buildings. The ONCE coupon will be presented on Thursday; and over the weekend, a social media campaign will be held to coincide with the 'Acampada de les Penyes' celebrations. 

The first musical event will be on May 3rd at 7:00 PM, with the Unión Musical performing a concert at the Cultural Center. On May 5th, at 4:30 pm, the conference, talks, performances, and informative and educational workshops on the founding of Benidorm will begin. These workshops, promoted by the Teacher Training Service (Cefire), also include various activities on May 6th and 9th. Also on May 5th, an exhibition of documents related to the Charter of the Town will open and be open until October 9th at the Boca del Calvari Museum. On 

May 6th and 7th, students from the Ausiàs March Primary School will perform a theatrical performance about the Charter of the Town for students from various schools in the city, both in the Assembly Hall of the City Hall and at the Bernat de Sarrià Secondary School. 

On May 8th, the day Benidorm was founded, the commemorative event will include the presentation of the official stamp issued by the Post Office and the institutional ceremony commemorating Benidorm Day, at 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., both in the Municipal Plenary Hall. In addition, at 8:30 p.m., the farce "Pudo sucede" (It Could Happen) will be performed in the Assembly Hall of the Diego Cano Enguera Festival Hall. 

On Saturday, May 10th, Plaça de Sant Jaume will host a performance of the Carta Pobla (Pobla Charter) by the Carta de Poblament Group of the Verge del Sofratge Association of Penyes. The performance will take place at 9:30 p.m., and on this occasion, the performance will also include musical accompaniment by a group of antique musical instruments. 

The following day, on Sunday, May 11, a concert by the Societat Musical l'Illa de Benidorm will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Cultural Center Auditorium. Finally, on Sunday, May 18, at 8:00 p.m., the Church of Sant Jaume i Santa Anna will host another concert; this time, featuring the Capella de Ministrers. 

During yesterday's Commission meeting in the Plenary Hall, the Mayor thanked the groups and individuals comprising this body for "their involvement" and "the proposals they have put forward to enhance this celebration." He also extended this recognition to other entities outside the commission that "along the same lines have also contributed their part to this commemoration, so significant for Benidorm." 

Benidorm Local Police incorporates two new quads to monitor beaches and rural areas.

Both vehicles are equipped with the latest technology and the highest specifications.
Toni Pérez emphasises that these resources "are in addition to the maritime and land resources we have available for greater peace and safety on the beaches." 

The Benidorm Local Police have added two new All Terrain Vehicles (ATMs) to their fleet to improve surveillance on the beaches and, when necessary, in rural recreational areas. The two new quads were presented this morning on Levante Beach in the presence of Mayor Toni Pérez and the Councilors for Citizen Security and Beaches, Jesús Carrobles and Mónica Gómez.

The two new vehicles are already operational and will perform their first tasks during the upcoming camping trip for the city's club groups next week, and now with the arrival of Easter.

The vehicles purchased by the City Council are Loncin brand and the Xwolf 700 model, with 4x4 capability and advanced technology and proven reliability.

The engine they use has a long reputation for reliability and performance, and both quads are equipped with the highest specifications. They feature full LED headlights, a roof rack capable of supporting up to 50 kilos, an electric winch with over 450 kilos of towing capacity, and another roof rack that can support up to 90 kilos.

Each vehicle is capable of towing up to 800 kilos. They have a 25-liter fuel tank, allowing them to reach a range of up to 300 kilometers. With a displacement of 686 cubic centimeters, they are capable of developing 47 hp at 5,500 revolutions per minute (rpm). They also feature EPS power steering and weigh 385 kilos.

Toni Pérez emphasized that the two quads are "a new tool of maximum capacity and power for supervising the city's beaches." The mayor also emphasized that the two new vehicles "join the existing maritime and land resources for the greater peace of mind of beaches that are in extraordinary health and already offer our visitors a wonderful appearance in terms of cleanliness, image, and services." Finally, the mayor added that the City Council's goal is "to ensure that the services we offer are provided with excellence, especially on the beaches, which are the jewel in the crown."

Benidorm strengthens cleaning, lifeguard, and beach security services ahead of Easter.

• The city will have three accessible beach points and lifeguard service operational until 7 p.m.
• The Local Police force will add 14 additional officers to the regular shift each day, to which must also be added the reinforcement planned by the National Police.

Benidorm's beaches are now ready for the start of Easter, the first major holiday season of the year, which, starting this weekend, will bring thousands of tourists to the city to enjoy the festive season. The Councilor for Beaches, Mónica Gómez, announced today that the City Council and the beach management body have designed a special cleaning, lifeguard, and beach safety program for this important tourist event. She announced that, "as usual, all these services will be reinforced to accommodate the expected occupancy of our beaches during these holidays." 

Mónica Gómez noted that "Benidorm's beaches are among the few on the Spanish coast that offer lifeguard and cleaning services twelve months a year; these services are increased or reinforced during Easter and summer to meet the high demand that always occurs during these two peak seasons." Specifically, regarding this first major tourist event of the year, the special operation will cover the dates from April 12 to 27, when school holidays and public holidays fall in the various autonomous communities of our country, and with particular emphasis on the period from April 17 to 21, when public holidays coincide in all regions. 

In the case of rescue and lifeguard services, the service will extend its hours and will operate from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with five lifeguards in Poniente, another five in Levante, and one in Mal Pas. In addition, there will be two ambulances exclusively for the beaches, one in Levante and one in Poniente, each staffed by a nurse and an emergency technician, as well as a first-aid point staffed by nursing staff. This service will be supported by a boat on the water equipped with a lifeguard and a skipper; and on land, a coordinator and a beach manager. 

Also during Easter, the city's three accessible beach areas will be open, located on Murcia Street (Levante), in Elche Park, and in La Cala, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., to facilitate swimming for people with mobility issues. There will be two lifeguards at each of these areas, as Councilor Mónica Gómez explained.

Regarding security, Benidorm City Council will also reinforce its police presence on the beaches and surrounding areas during the indicated dates, with a total of fourteen additional officers daily, distributed across different shifts, who will join the regular staff to reinforce control and surveillance. Specifically, there will be four additional officers on the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift; one officer and three officers on the 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift; and one officer and five officers on the night shift, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., who will be deployed between Thursday, April 17, and Monday, April 21. 

In addition, the Local Police boat will be operational, complementing the work also carried out by the company that holds the concession for comprehensive beach management. A patrol car will always be available in Levante and Poniente. In addition to this, the National Police Force will also be providing additional reinforcements for the same period.

Regarding the cleaning service, the human resources will be increased to 20, as will the frequency of manual collection, introducing afternoon, evening, and pelican boat shifts. Thus, there will be three manual cleaning shifts on the three beaches: morning, afternoon, and evening, with a total of eleven, two, and six workers, respectively. In addition to this, mechanical cleaning with tractors and sieves will be carried out entirely during the night, between 9:00 PM and 4:20 AM, and will involve four additional workers.  

The councilor noted that all the aforementioned additional services aim to "guarantee the safety of residents and tourists, reinforcing attention at strategic points and ensuring a rapid response to any emergency" and hoped that activity on the beaches during these days "will proceed normally, without incidents, allowing all users to enjoy our most precious asset: the beaches," according to Mónica Gómez.

Improvement works

Finally, the Councilor for Beaches noted that during the off-season, "taking advantage of the time when there are fewer people on the beaches, various maintenance and improvement projects have been carried out at numerous locations, as well as the traditional intensive cleaning of the sandbanks" and other initiatives to improve the condition and appearance of our coastline. 

Among these, she indicated, are the movement and lowering of sand in areas with heavy accumulation. In addition, the walkways have been lengthened; the Lavapiés area has been cleaned, disinfected, and painted; lifeguard huts have been painted and adapted; and maintenance pruning of oasis areas in Levante and Poniente has been carried out.

Mónica Gómez also noted that "at the City Council, we continue to expand and encourage beach-related recycling among users," a practice implemented last summer in Levante. To this end, "a new recycling point has been installed in Elche Park to facilitate the deposit and circulation of items such as umbrellas, mats, buckets, shovels, chairs, and other items that can be used by other users."

Benidorm improves the image of the city's most iconic ornamental elements

Public Space covers more than 1,400 meters of balustrade, viewpoints and access to Poniente beach
   

Benidorm City Council, through its Department of Public Space, has initiated an intervention to improve the public aesthetics of some of the city's most representative and iconic landmarks. With the arrival of Holy Week in mind, the department headed by Francis Muñoz has begun work to improve the appearance of highly visited spots and locations during this time of year.

Thus, the intervention is primarily based on removing the previous layers of paint, applying a primer, and finally applying the final coat of paint. With this in mind, work is being carried out on Plaza del Castell, Plaza de San Jaime, and the western balustrade as far as Paseo de Tamarindos. According to the Councilor for Public Space, "the painting and improvement of the balustrade's appearance covers approximately 1,400 linear meters."

In addition to these locations, work will also be done in highly visited areas such as Elche Park, Paseo de Colón, and the access points to the beach from Paseo de Poniente, "both on the thirteen staircases and the three existing ramps." Francis Muños visited some of the areas where work is being done this morning and specified that "before Holy Thursday, the work being carried out in the most visited areas, such as Plaza del Castell and Paseo de Tamarindos, will be completed." As for the rest of the project, "we will finish around mid-May because it will have less impact on residents and visitors."

The City Council's investment in these projects amounts to 39,900 euros, which includes the painting work and the materials used. The council member added, "Preliminary repairs are being carried out on some parts of the western balustrade due to small detachments caused by rust on the internal reinforcement." Once these repairs are completed, the painting work will begin.

Benidorm Gastronomic opens its fifth Tuna Days with the carving of a 320-kilo specimen

Fourteen restaurants are offering tapas, dishes, or menus featuring this fish from April 4 to 13, in homage to the city's almadraba history.

Mayor Toni Pérez applauds this initiative, which "highlights the quality of our cuisine and the high caliber of its professionals."

Benidorm's Plaza del Castell was once again the setting for the presentation of the 5th Tuna Days, the second stage of Benidorm Gastronomic 2025. For ten days, the event will pay tribute to the city's almadraba history by offering tapas and dishes featuring this fish. Those attending this presentation were also able to enjoy a new tuna ronqueo demonstration; specifically, a 320-kilogram bluefin tuna, performed by two experts whose skill amazed the large audience gathered at El Castell. 

The mayor, Toni Pérez, participated in this presentation along with other members of the municipal council and regional representatives José Ramón González de Zárate and Mario Villar, among many other guests and onlookers, who didn't want to miss the detail of the tuna cuts offered once again by the companies Nicolás y Valero and Atunes Fuentes, both from Murcia. Also present were the sponsor of Benidorm Gastronomic 2025, Licinio García, of the ConBrassa group; sponsors from previous years; the director of the Domingo Devesa CdT, Francisco Juan Martínez; as well as numerous representatives of the Association of Bars, Restaurants and Cafeterias, Abreca-Cobreca, of the participating restaurants, and other business associations in the city. 

Juan Pablo Nicolás, representing both companies, explained the entire process in detail, demonstrating how the tuna is cut in an orderly manner. Up to 24 pieces are extracted, including both the main and internal parts, using both traditional cuts and those learned from Japanese culture. He also explained each piece with precision, from the tail to the neck, the face, the rump, the loin, and the belly, as well as the typical cooking practices for each part of the tuna, "whose quality is determined by its fat."

All these explanations were also accompanied by others given by Álvaro Abad, chef of the Malaspina restaurant, who completed the talk by explaining, from his day-to-day work in the kitchen, how each of these pieces are used in this and other restaurants that work with bluefin tuna.  

"We are standing in the place where our city was founded 700 years ago," the Mayor of Benidorm emphasized during his speech, in which he also recalled the tradition and mastery of the people of Benidorm in the art of almadraba fishing and tuna handling. Toni Pérez recalled how "this sound we are hearing, the grunt, and the peculiar smell that accompanies it, was what many generations of Benidorm residents heard as a moment of joy after a 'levantá' (a 'lift')," and that "the people of Benidorm were present in all the almadrabas of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic for nearly three centuries, being the most experienced technicians and the most expert crews in this fishing art."

For this reason, and as a reminder of this historic connection, the mayor invited residents and visitors to "enjoy the Tuna Days starting tomorrow," an initiative he applauded for "highlighting the quality of our cuisine and the high standards of our restaurateurs and our kitchen and dining room professionals." 

For his part, Abreca's president, Javier del Castillo, stated that "we can feel very proud of these Tuna Days," a fish that "can be served raw, grilled, marinated, in rice dishes... because it's one of the best fish in the sea, and I'm sure the restaurateurs participating in these days will do wonders with it." 

With this event, the city has kicked off the 5th Tuna Days, which will be held from tomorrow, Friday, April 4, to Sunday, the 13th. Over these days, a total of 14 restaurants will participate: Club Náutico de Benidorm, El Mesón, Esturión, Jardín Mediterráneo, Arrocería La Mejillonera, La Cava Aragonesa, La Fava, La Pinta Beach, Tapería Aurrera, Mal Pas, Malaspina, Marisquería El Puerto Cb, Pinocchio Playa and Urban Beach Gastrobar. 

In all of them, the public will find various culinary offerings, with bluefin tuna as the basis of every dish, menu, or tapa offered for these days. Prices range from €6.95 for the cheapest tapa to €55 for the most comprehensive menu. 

Benidorm joins the regional agreement to inspect tourist accommodation and sanction illegal ones.

The plenary session unanimously approved the Cooperation Agreement with the Generalitat (Catalan Government) to invest €14.5 million in the wastewater treatment plant.

Benidorm City Council has approved its adherence to the framework agreement signed on December 13 by the Generalitat Valenciana (Generalitat Valenciana), through the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism, and the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP), to assume the delegation of powers to inspect and sanction tourist accommodation located in the city. The proposal was approved with the support of the 16 local government councilors and the Vox councilor, compared to seven abstentions from the Socialist municipal group. This will make the city one of the first in the Valencian Community, along with Valencia, to carry out this inspection task. 

With this proposal, presented to the plenary session by the city's mayor, Toni Pérez, the Benidorm City Council continues to move forward with its intention to assume these powers, a proposal formally requested from the Ministry of Tourism in September of last year, which will now begin to materialize. The Councilor for Urban Planning and local government spokesperson, Lourdes Caselles, explained that the Tourism, Leisure, and Hospitality Law approved by the regional government of PSOE and Compromís in 2018 already introduced the possibility for city councils to carry out these inspections, "with the difference that previously, city councils were entrusted with all the work except for the collection, which was collected by the Generalitat itself. Now, with the latest amendment to the law by Decree Law 9/2024, of August 2, city councils will be allowed to collect the amount of fines imposed" on unregulated tourist accommodation. 

Caselles explained that "there have already been several meetings with experts from the Regional Ministry and the city councils who have expressed interest in ensuring that this delegation is effective as quickly as possible" and that, once these powers have been assumed, the City Council will have to compile "a quarterly report on the complaints filed, the procedures initiated, their resolution and whether or not they result in disciplinary proceedings, and the fines imposed that are paid into the municipal coffers." Furthermore, to better carry out this function, the Councilor for Urban Planning explained that the Architecture Department "is working on an ordinance to regulate tourist housing and to provide security and strengthen this type of tourist accommodation, provided that the regulations are complied with." She also noted that the City Council will strengthen the Local Police force by opening 20 positions, meaning that "there will be more material and personnel resources." 

The Corporation's plenary session has also approved, in this case unanimously by all groups, the final text of the Cooperation Agreement for the Financing of Improvements and Replacement of the Sanitation and Wastewater Treatment Facilities of the Municipality of Benidorm, an agreement that will provide them with an investment of 14,520,000 euros and will allow the deficiencies in the electrical and structural installations of the wastewater pumping stations (EBARs) to be resolved and the renovation needs of the current Benidorm WWTP, particularly its old line (Line B) and the sludge line, to be resolved.

The Councilor for Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, pointed out that, thanks to this agreement, of this total investment, "only 10% will be paid by the city of Benidorm, while the remainder will be financed by EPSAR." Thus, the regional entity will assume €13,068,000, and the remaining €1,452,000 will be covered by the City Council. The councilor noted that, unlike many other treatment plants, the WWTP is a municipally owned infrastructure and that the city has "been waiting for these works for many years and demanding their execution," but lamented that the previous regional administration, formed by the PSOE and Compromis, "did not want to invest a single euro" in this treatment plant. 

Regarding the works to be carried out as a result of this agreement, González de Zárate listed the renovation of the electrical installations at the wastewater treatment plants (WBAR) in Benidorm; the renovation and repair of the WBAR at Parque de Elche; the improvement of the old water treatment line (Plant No. 2) at the WWTP; the improvement of the sludge treatment line at the WWTP; and the adaptation of the personnel building, control room, and workshop at this wastewater treatment plant. 

On the other hand, the plenary session also unanimously agreed to grant a municipal civil servant the opportunity to teach part-time at the University of Alicante, given that all reports were favorable, as explained by the Councilor for Human Resources, Ana Soliveres. 

Likewise, two economic agreements were also approved by a large majority: an out-of-court credit recognition for the payment of invoices worth €393,122.08 and the approval of other invoices totaling €687,404.63 to pay for services provided by various public concessionaires in these first months of 2025, contracts for which are pending tender. The Councilor for Finance, Aida García Mayor, emphasized that in both cases, the payment procedures are "completely legal and have been informed and thoroughly reviewed by both the various departments and the Municipal Audit Office." She also noted that "if these invoices were not paid, we would be causing harm to many municipal providers or failing to receive basic services." 

The first of these issues was passed with the PP voting in favor and the PSOE and Vox abstaining; while the second also passed with the PP voting in favor, the Socialists voting against, and Vox abstaining.

Finally, the plenary session also debated a motion presented by Vox councilor José Miguel San Martín, seeking to unify the aesthetics of shop windows and signage in newly opened businesses in the city. Javier Jordá, the Councilor for Commerce, explained that the technical and aesthetic criteria proposed by this motion already exist in various municipal regulations, including the Municipal General Urban Development Plan itself. He also indicated that tax breaks are already established and legally regulated, and that the Department of Commerce is conducting informational campaigns on the regulations and possible aid, while also working on developing a quality seal for local businesses. He explained that "everything proposed in this proposal is already being implemented," while also warning of the need to comply with Article 38 of the Spanish Constitution, which protects freedom of enterprise. The proposal received only a favorable vote from Vox, while the rest of the City Council voted against. 

The 'ONCE Foundation Gude Dogs Exhibition' in Benidorm 

The exhibition showed how these animals work to become a fundamental element in the autonomy and safety of blind people. 

Under the slogan 'Much more than a dog', the nearly  1,000 attendees , from different educational centers in Benidorm and the general public, witnessed various obedience and concentration exercises performed by these animals together with the mobility instructors  Eloy Aranda and Rafael Almansa , who were accompanied by  Tibor  (black Labrador) and  Dior  (sable-colored German Shepherd).  

Both showed on a circuit how the training process works so that the dogs can overcome obstacles, go up or down stairs, cross zebra crossings, look for doors or stay in a cafe or in any means of transport at the feet of a blind person like  María Luz Menéndez or Moisés Moreno , guide dog users from Alicante, who explained what their daily life is like with ORI and ODRI, respectively.

At HOSBEC, we wanted to be present at this exhibition to raise awareness and knowledge of the important work these animals perform, and the importance for the tourism sector of providing knowledge and awareness about the treatment of these assistance dogs in hotels. 

The Animal Welfare Act, as established in Article 29, regulates the access of companion animals to establishments open to the public. However, it is  always important to remember that  assistance dogs must be allowed  access to people with disabilities.  These dogs must be trained in specialized centers that accompany people with visual or hearing impairments, or any other disability, or they must be included in assisted therapy projects.

How to behave around a guide dog

It's important to highlight some tips shared at this exhibition on how to behave with a guide dog and how to address the user. 

The first of these is that  dogs should not be offered any type of food , as they may have a food intolerance and this could cause digestive problems that could harm their health and well-being, in addition to disrupting the daily support they provide to the blind person they are accompanying.

They also reminded everyone of the importance of  not distracting the  dog's  attention while walking alongside a blind person , an action they gladly perform, but which requires their concentration to ensure their safety.

Another piece of advice for the public is that those who have  companion dogs should not let them loose if there is a guide dog nearby , and should always keep them under control at their side.

Guide dogs also enjoy plenty of rest and recreation time, but it's important to respect their work while they're guiding, and  leave play and greetings for when they're not wearing a harness.

Also, if you want to give instructions to the blind person, remember  never to pull on the dog's leash or harness . Simply approach them, preferably from their right side, away from the dog

Benidorm will celebrate Euroclub on May 16 and 17 with many guest artists and giant screens to watch Eurovision live.

• Tickets, which are free, must be downloaded from Enterticket.es
• Chanel will announce Spain's vote in the Eurovision final from Benidorm.

Benidorm will once again celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest in style and will once again be the epicenter of national and international music on May 16 and 17. A new edition of the Euroclub Benidorm Fest was launched today in Madrid. It will take place in Parque de l'Aigüera, with free admission for all fans of the competition until the venue is full. Tickets can be downloaded free of charge from the Enterticket platform at https://www.enterticket.es/eventos/euroclub-benidorm-fest-2025-708122&n… ;

This new Euroclub Benidorm will have a wide and varied program with many artists, numerous surprises, and an atmosphere worthy of the event. Doors are scheduled to open at 6:00 PM on May 16, so that Eurofans can take their seats and get ready for the following hours. At 8:00 PM, DJ Dennis Moore will take the stage, and two hours later, performances by several artists present at the Benidorm Fest will begin. JKbello, K!ngdom, La Chispa, Daniela Blasco, Mawot, and Carla Frigo have already been confirmed.

The following day, Saturday the 17th, the Junior Euroclub will kick off at noon with performances by Carlos Higes, Sandra Valero, and Chloe de la Rosa. That day, the festival atmosphere will begin earlier, at 5:00 PM, with an afternoon party and a Benieuro-Bingo celebration in collaboration with OFEB. At 7:00 PM, DJ Dennis Moore will return, and an hour later, the duo Nebulossa, Spain's representatives at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, will perform.

The highlight will come at 9:00 PM with the live broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest on giant screens, which all attendees can follow from L'Aigüera Park. All of this will be accompanied on both days by spaces for a Food Truck, a Relaxation Zone, and a Fun Zone, among many other surprises. 

But in addition, and as in previous years, Benidorm will once again be present at the Eurovision final. Chanel Terreros, winner of the first edition of the Benidorm Fest and Spain's representative at Eurovision 2022, will be in charge of announcing the verdict of the Spanish jury in the Eurovision final. And she will announce it, as has been the case for the last three years, from Benidorm. This was announced today by RTVE's Director of Communications and Participation, María Eizaguirre, at a press conference held at the network's studios in Torrespaña, which was attended by the Councilor for Events, Jesús Carrobles. 

Carrobles stated that "we are delighted that Benidorm will once again have the powerful promotional and visibility opportunity of the Eurovision final, which last year reached 163 million viewers worldwide; and it is also a pleasure to have Chanel with us for this occasion." 

Benidorm joins 'Earth Hour' once again this year and switches off some of its most iconic venues

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The seafront promenades, Tossal, La Cruz, El Castell, and the Town Hall facade have joined this global initiative to raise awareness about the planet's environmental degradation.

Benidorm City Council joined the "Earth Hour" initiativ on Saturday evening, for another year. This initiative, promoted globally by WWF, aims to turn off the lights in the world's most iconic locations for 60 minutes as a symbol of the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Launched 18 years ago in Sydney, "Earth Hour" was held on Saturday evening, March 22, between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. 

During these 60 minutes, Benidorm City Council has turned off the lights at some of the city's most iconic and emblematic sites, including El Tossal, El Castell, the façade of the City Hall, the Serra Gelada Cross monument, the ornamental lighting on the wall of Paseo de Poniente, and the light garland on Paseo de Levante. The aim is to draw the attention of residents and tourists to the environmental degradation the planet is suffering and give it an hour of respite. 
 

'Nit de la Cremà' marks the end of the 2025 Fallas festival in Benidorm.

A safety device is in place to monitor the fire. Another, for cleanup, ensures a return to normalcy.

The 'Nit de la Cremà' (Night of the Cremà) has brought the 2025 Fallas festival to a close. Fire and gunpowder have once again marked the farewell to the Valencian Community's quintessential festival, declared an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, in Benidorm, one of the southernmost towns where they are held.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, the councilor for Fiestas, Mariló Cebreros, the councilor for Citizen Security, Jesús Carrobles, other members of the corporation and the regional deputy, José Ramón González de Zárate, accompanied the president of the Local Fallera Board, Mª Ángeles Espinosa, and the senior falleras, Teresa Peris (Els Tolls), Olaya García and Ariadna Orgilés (Rincón de Loix) and Laura Pascual and Adriana Baldó (Benidorm Centro) in the 'cream' of the major monuments.

The first fallas to be set alight are the children's fallas at Rincón de Loix, at 10:30 p.m., and half an hour later, the one in Benidorm Centro. Then, it's the turn of the older ones. The first to be set alight is the Falla del Rincón, at 11:30 p.m. At midnight, the Falla Benidorm Centro, and at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, the Els Tolls commission, which this year won first prize for best monument and best critics.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the cardboard, wood, and expanded polystyrene sculptures, protected by the security measures prepared by the City Council, which included the participation of the Local Police, Civil Protection, and the Red Cross, who monitored the progress of the spectacle at all times. 
After the show, and while the city slept, workers from the Department of Street Cleaning and the concessionaire removed the last remains of the monuments in just a few hours, and the Department of Mobility restored service to the streets closed in recent days for the festival. Benidorm bids farewell to the 2025 Fallas and will soon welcome the 2026 Fallas. 

Benidorm is putting out to tender the development of an AI-assisted chatbot to improve communication and access to services for residents and tourists.

The project is part of the 'Visión 360' Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan and has a tender budget of 327,349 euros.

The Local Government Board of Benidorm City Council has approved the launch of a tender process for a contract to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted chatbot to improve communication and access to resources and services for residents and tourists, through both a regular and harmonized open procedure. This was announced by the city's mayor, Toni Pérez, who explained that this project is one of the actions contemplated in the "Benidorm Vision 360" Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan and has a base tender budget of €327,349.58, including VAT. 

The "Benidorm Visión 360" Sustainability Plan is part of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, financed with European Next Generation-EU funds. It has a total budget of €6.1 million, which will allow the city to develop up to fourteen actions within four areas of action—green transition; improving energy efficiency; digital transition; and competitiveness—to adapt the city to a more innovative and sustainable future. 

The mayor stated that "at Benidorm City Council, we continue to make progress in developing this 'Vision 360' Sustainability Plan, which, in addition to this action, includes other important initiatives such as the second phase of the lighting catenary on our Paseo de Levante, which we also awarded yesterday."  

The development of this chatbot aims to "provide information and assistance efficiently and accessibly through a conversational virtual assistant, implementing advanced artificial intelligence technologies," explained Toni Pérez. This virtual assistant will "provide detailed and up-to-date tourist information on local attractions, events, and services; facilitate interaction with municipal services, ensuring accessibility and multilingualism; integrate with the City Council's existing digital platforms to optimize the user experience; and ensure informational consistency," while also ensuring that this solution "is scalable, allowing for its future evolution and integration with other municipal tools," as stated in the tender documents.

Among the benefits that this tool will bring to the City Council, the mayor highlighted "the improvement in information, experience, and user satisfaction," as a chatbot allows "real-time responses to queries about transportation, accommodation, tourist attractions, cultural events, municipal procedures, and environmental information, offering citizens and tourists a reliable tool accessible from any internet-connected device." 

It also allows for more accessible, inclusive, and multilingual information, which "is essential for Benidorm due to the large influx and diversity of tourists it attracts." Finally, this tool will also advance the promotion of transparency and citizen participation, while also implementing its integration with the DTI Platform and other municipal open data systems, "boosting the generation of metrics and indicators based on user interaction with this 'chatbot' and, in turn, allowing the City Council to refine its tourism, cultural, and environmental strategies, orienting them toward the real needs of the community and visitors."

The contract is due within nine months of its award and formalization. Those interested in participating in this tender have 30 calendar days following the date the notice is sent to the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). 

The Burial of the Sardine brings the Benidorm Carnival to a close.

Hundreds of residents participate in the funeral procession organized by the 'Verge del Sofratge' Penyes Association.

The Benidorm Carnival concluded last night with the traditional Burial of the Sardine, which, always on Tuesday, is organized by the Association of Carnival Groups 'Verge del Sofratge' (Verge del Sofratge) in collaboration with the Department of Festivals. This year, the celebration took place a week late due to the delay of the carnival due to adverse weather conditions. 

Since before 9:00 p.m., the group of members gathered at the Casa del Fester to head to the Plaza Mayor, where the revelers were expected to attend a solemn and solemn mourning ceremony to bid farewell to the 2025 Carnival.

The Councilor for Festivals, Mariló Cebreros, and several local councilors participated in the unusual parade. Regional Representative José Ramón González de Zárate also attended, showing his support for the city's largest festival group, led by Jonathan López de las Huertas.

This year, artist Carlos Vaya created the sardine that, carried on the shoulders of members of the club, paraded through the city's downtown streets in a resounding and heartfelt funeral procession, which also included the participation of the queens of the 2025 Festes Majors Patronals, Paula Pascual and Aitana Pérez, along with their bridesmaids and the vice president of the Commission, Rafael Doménech Donate.

The members of the community carried their colorful sardine from the Plaza Mayor and passed through Tomás Ortuño, Escuelas, and Ruzafa streets, and, after traveling along Paseo de la Carretera, arrived at Elche Park, where the fire consumed the last vestige of this year's carnival. 

Mobility reports the first diversions and traffic cuts in Benidorm due to the Fallas

The Department of Mobility of the Benidorm City Council has reported the first traffic cuts and diversions that will be operational in the city starting this week on the occasion of the Fallas celebration, and which are located in the areas close to the points where the monuments of the festive entities are planted. Specifically, the first cuts that will begin to operate are those that affect the areas where fairs, monuments and/or Fallas celebrations are set up in Els Tolls and Rincón de Loix. 

In the central area, due to the installation of the Falla Els Tolls fair, the cuts will take place starting this Thursday, March 13, at 11:30 p.m., and will last for a week, until Thursday, March 20, at 3 a.m. Specifically, the section of Calle Tomás Ortuño between Calle Marte-Venus and Calle Ondulada will be closed to traffic in the incoming direction. Both the exit of vehicles from Calle Ondulada and from Maravall towards El Cruce will be operational. 

On the other hand, in Rincón de Loix, a section of Ametlla del Mar avenue has also been closed to traffic, from Estocolmo street to Madrid avenue, for the setting up of the tent of this Fallas commission. This cut will be extended to the Mediterranean avenue starting on the night of next Wednesday, the 13th, and will last until March 21st.  

The Department of Mobility, headed by the councillor Francis Muñoz, has indicated that in addition to the closure of these roads to traffic, there will also be occasional road closures during the Josefina festivities. Specifically, from Monday, March 17, for the celebration of parades, fireworks events or the cremà of the monuments, which will be duly reported on in the coming days.  

Benidorm takes part in the Smart Cities Challenge Conference promoted in Brussels by the European Commission

• The city exhibits its knowledge in efficient water management and the importance of tourism as success stories in Brussels
• Mayor Toni Pérez will meet with other municipal officials within the Mayors and Businesses Forum that the EC also convenes to share experiences

The Smart Cities Challenge Conference (ICC) and the Mayors and Businesses Forum promoted by the European Commission, which are being held today and tomorrow in Brussels, will feature Benidorm as one of the cities that will present its knowledge on efficient water management and on the importance of tourism for local development as success stories to inspire other destinations that are making their own transition towards a smarter and more sustainable tourism model. The mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, together with the manager of the Visit Benidorm Foundation, Leire Bilbao, and the executive director of Hosbec, Mayte García, as a representative of the local industry, are participating in this international event, which brings together more than 250 leaders from the main cities and companies that are part of the ICC; experts in urban development and transition; providers of green and digital technology solutions; academics and members of the European Commission itself. 

The event, which takes place over these two days, has among its main objectives to highlight the role of European Union cities and local companies in the implementation of the European Green Deal and the new EU Clean Industrial Agreement; to inspire with success stories of Local Green Deals (LGDs) and to pave the way for future joint actions between cities and industry.

Through these meetings, the European Commission also aims to highlight the critical challenges and lessons learned by cities and local industry in their journey with Local Green Deals; to create a deep understanding of how to implement Local Green Deals on a larger scale; and finally, to contribute to shaping future EU policy by highlighting the importance of collaboration between cities and businesses in achieving sustainability and competitiveness goals.

“Benidorm has been working intensively on many of these objectives for several years and has been an example in aspects such as monitoring water management, with one of the most efficient water networks in the world and a high percentage of reuse of treated water, but also in sustainable mobility, accessibility, environmental quality, integrated growth and management of tourist data,” said Toni Pérez. For this reason, the mayor stressed that “all this accumulated experience, as a Green Pioneer destination of Smart Tourism, makes us an example for other destinations or companies that are following this same path, to be greener and to be able to better adapt to the new climatic and environmental challenges.”  

“In Benidorm we are leading innovation in the tourism sector under the strategy of sustainability and regeneration, enabling synergies between the private and public sectors to design our future,” said the mayor, who also referred to a quote from Peter Drucker: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” For this reason, he considered that “collaboration between the private and public sectors in the green commitments determined by the European Commission is the basis of future competitiveness.”

In addition to the panels in which Benidorm will take part, the mayor will also meet during these two days with other mayors of European cities who are participating in the ICC Conference and the Mayors and Businesses Forum to share experiences and knowledge that can be replicated in the daily management of the city. “Cities are potential spaces for leadership in innovation and municipalities like Benidorm have added value: here the city is the destination and, as such, we are a great centre of economic activity, generation of knowledge, innovation and change.”

For this reason, Pérez has highlighted that “sharing practices with 100 other cities in this project is an opportunity to learn and discover, but also to project our brand, Benidorm, beyond the leading destination in the tourism industry, since our city is already recognised in Europe for its land management and the sustainability of our model” to remember that “forums such as this one or the recent recognition as Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism by the European Commission prove that we are on the right track”.

Benidorm suspends classes and outdoor activities due to the emergency situation due to floods declared by the Generalitat

• The city has entered into this situation as the meteorological instability in the region has progressed.
• Traffic is also closed in fords of ravines and gullies.

Benidorm City Council has decreed the suspension of classes and outdoor activities today, Tuesday, March 4, due to the emergency situation due to floods declared by the Generalitat Valenciana. Following the recommendations, the circulation of vehicles and pedestrians in the vicinity of gullies and ravines is also suspended. 

Initially, Benidorm had been excluded from the emergency situation 0 in which other towns in the Marina Baixa region were immersed. However, throughout the afternoon, as the meteorological instability situation progressed, the Generalitat Valenciana has extended this alert for risk of flooding to Benidorm. 

Hence, based on the recommendations of the regional administration, classes, outdoor activities and movement in ravines, gullies and surrounding areas have been suspended. 

While this emergency situation lasts, the population is asked to avoid unnecessary travel and to take extreme precautions.

The City Council is seeking 9 million euros of European funds to implement the 'Benidorm Open Arena' plan, focused on the bullring

• The local Government Board has approved participation in the EDIL call and the plan has already been registered
• It proposes to rehabilitate the bullring to turn it into a cultural and sports space for the whole year, with a large youth centre and improving the connection between Els Tolls and l'Aigüera 

Benidorm City Council hopes to obtain 9 million euros from the new call for FEDER Funds: the Local Comprehensive Development Strategy (EDIL). The Local Government Board has today approved the participation in this call with the Integrated Action Plan (PAI) 'Benidorm Open Arena', which amounts to 15 million euros and which "is made up of three key actions that materialise this transformative vision", explained the mayor, Toni Pérez. The PAI, he reported, has already been registered and presented on the platform enabled for this purpose. 

On the one hand, “the project we have called 'Arena Live', which represents an investment of 10.5 million euros, involves the rehabilitation of the bullring and its conversion into a large multifunctional space for cultural, social and sporting activities”. Added to this is 'Arena Joven', with a budget of 3 million, “which proposes the creation of a youth centre, conceived as an accessible and multicultural space, integrative, inclusive and dynamic for training, leisure and active participation of the youth population”. And finally, valued at 1.5 million euros, “the 'Arena Encuentro' project, for the regeneration of the urban environment to improve connectivity between the Els Tolls-Salt de l'Aigüa neighbourhood and the city centre, as well as the northern part of the Foietes neighbourhood, through l'Aigüera, thereby also improving accessibility and the quality of public spaces”.

According to the PAI document approved and registered today, the rehabilitation of the bullring “is not limited to its architectural restoration, but rather reconfigures it as a multifunctional and adaptable space”, which will combine “sustainability, aesthetics and accessibility” and which “will consolidate a site capable of evolving and responding to changing needs”. In addition, it will become “a bioclimatic refuge within the urban fabric”, and thanks to “intelligent lighting, acoustic and environmental management technologies” light and noise pollution will be minimised “guaranteeing a balance between cultural activity and urban well-being”.

With this project, the bullring will become a cultural epicentre with a stage, a complete backstage, reconfiguration of the stands, loading area, warehouses and hospitality spaces, etc. 

The plan also details that the multipurpose youth centre of the 'Arena Joven' project will act "as a HUB for innovation, training and entrepreneurship, offering specialised programmes in digital skills, creative economy and new technologies", thereby favouring "attracting young talent" and fostering "collaborative networks between citizens, visitors and professionals".

Specifically, it will have a multipurpose hall for events and exhibitions; training rooms and workshops aimed at digital skills, entrepreneurship and career guidance; a coworking space; a leisure room that will include video games and board games; a reading and arts area with areas for reading, writing, painting and audiovisual production; and a sports area and cafeteria. 

As regards 'Arena Encuentro', it includes the installation of two high-capacity lifts that will link Avenida de l'Aigüera with Calle Austria and the bullring, also incorporating a platform connected to a pedestrian walkway. In addition, green areas and rest areas will be created, and the entire area will be equipped with LED lighting and a water management system. 

The mayor recalled that “in January 2024 we already announced that as soon as a new call for European funds was launched, the first project we were going to recover was the remodelling of the bullring that could not be completed with the EDUSI, for which Benidorm had less execution time than many other municipalities having been selected in the third call”. “Now we are taking that project and reconfiguring it with a more global and integrated vision to meet the needs of the population, especially the young population of Benidorm”, he stressed.   

Toni Pérez has indicated that “if we are granted the EDI and the European funds we requested arrive, which we hope will be provided, the City Council will use its own resources to cover the remaining 6 million euros to complete this ambitious project, with which we will meet some of the specific objectives included in the Urban Agenda approved today in plenary session and which sets out the city we want for the 2030 horizon.” 

In fact, the deadline for the execution of the 'Benidorm Open Arena' plan extends until 2029. Thus, if selected, the plan would be put out to tender in 2025. The schedule for the first action, 'Arena Live', establishes that during the years 2026 and 2027 the complete rehabilitation of the bullring would take place; and the following two years the interior part of the same would be completed. As regards 'Arena Joven', it would be addressed from 2027 once the exterior of the bullring has been rehabilitated. It is expected to be put into operation in 2029. Finally, the ramps and lifts of the last project would be executed in 2028.

Benidorm hosts the first flight in Europe of an air taxi and drones in an urban environment and U-space

• Coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, within the framework of the European U-ELCOME project, it represents a further step for unmanned aerial vehicles for passengers.
• The mayor highlights that Benidorm's airspace is "unique in Europe" due to the concentration of skyscrapers and that the city "today marks a new milestone in drone navigation"

This morning, Benidorm hosted the first simultaneous flight in Europe of an air taxi and drones in a real urban environment, with three U-Space service providers. The beaches of Poniente and Levante have become the scene of an aerial demonstration, coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, in which an EH216-S air taxi – an unmanned aerial vehicle – for passenger transport, from the company EHang, with the capacity to transport two people, has been operated simultaneously, together with 12 drones that have simulated various operations, from transporting and delivering goods to surveillance and rescue work, and with different manned aircraft. All of them, monitored and supervised by digital and automated platforms of the European unmanned airspace management system (U-space) that has guaranteed flight safety and efficiency in operations.

This major aerial demonstration, a first in Europe, is part of the European U-ELCOME project (CEF-T-2021-SIMOBGEN-SESAR-DSDU-WORKS), in which 51 partners from three countries – Spain, France and Italy – are participating, coordinated by EUROCONTROL. Its objective is to integrate and validate the first U-space services (drone air traffic management) in Europe, and to this end, several large-scale demonstrations are being carried out, in real flight conditions, in the three participating countries. 

“The first flight of the Ehang EH216-S air taxi in an urban environment in Europe, albeit without passengers, is a crucial step towards Urban Air Mobility (UAM), which will allow progress in the necessary regulation, technology and infrastructure, so that in this decade it will become a reality, with the management of the airspace for the flight of multiple drones being the key to success,” said Israel Quintanilla, director of the Official Drone Commission of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and coordinator of the project in the Valencian Community.

Benidorm has been selected as one of the first European cities in which these types of actions are being carried out and could become one of the first cities where drone applications in urban environments become a reality. “In 2016 we opted for this technology, incorporating it into the operations of the Local Police, the first in Spain to be declared a drone operator, and since then, and with the support of the UPV, we have continued to take steps to consolidate our preferred position in a future segment, making our airspace available to the European U-ELCOME project, unique in Europe due to its concentration of high-rise buildings that make it the perfect laboratory to test the different applications of unmanned aerial transport,” said Toni Pérez, Mayor of Benidorm. Now, in addition, by hosting the first flight test of an air taxi in Europe, “Benidorm is once again a pioneer, marking a new milestone in drone navigation,” he added.

The mayor also conveyed the municipal desire to "continue advancing and supporting these new navigation systems", which is why Toni Pérez himself, on behalf of Benidorm City Council, and Victoria Jing Xiang, COO of the operator EHang for Europe and LatAm, have signed a collaboration agreement to continue developing projects together in the future. 

Victoria Jing Xiang has highlighted that this first flight of an air taxi in Europe together with other unmanned aircraft represents a great step forward in the integration of unmanned aerial systems in urban environments: “The successful operation of our most emblematic aircraft, the EH216-S, in coordination with multiple drones under a U-space system, demonstrates the viability of safe, efficient and sustainable urban air mobility solutions. We are delighted to participate and contribute our technology to the U-ELCOME project, as well as to collaborate with the city of Benidorm and the Polytechnic University of Valencia to promote the future of air transport.”

“For the first time, the simultaneous operation of drones with an air taxi has been possible in a safe manner with multiple U-space Service Providers (USSP): ENAIRE, ITG and the UAB,” added Gonzalo Alonso, Head of the Commercial Division and International Business Development at ENAIRE, and leader of the Spanish U-ELCOME cluster.

The aerial demonstration held today in Benidorm, led by the Universitat Politècnica de València, has been possible thanks to the public-private collaboration and the coordinated work between the UPV, EHang, Benidorm City Council, EUROCONTROL, ENAIRE, the State Agency for Air Safety (AESA), the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, the Technological Institute of Galicia (ITG) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the National Police of Alicante, the PEGASO team of the Civil Guard, the Autonomous Police of the Valencian Community, the Customs Unit of Alicante, the Firefighters of the Valencia City Council, Telefónica, UAV Works and the Local Police of Benidorm, Cullera, Finestrat, Jávea and Valencia, and the participation of the local audiovisual company Mediterra Cinema in the aerial recording of the event with a drone.

Key to safe drone integration

The U-ELCOME project, which will conclude at the end of this year, is key to boosting the safe integration of drones through the use of U-space services and contributes to laying the foundations for a future of more connected and sustainable cities. 

To this end, all project partners have been working for three years on developing and validating drone airspace management services in urban environments to enable operations and applications in cities that would otherwise not be possible.

What is missing for us to see air taxis like today's in our cities? 

According to Israel Quintanilla, the implementation of air taxis in our cities, although it is getting closer, still has to overcome various aspects related to regulation and infrastructure, as well as social acceptance.

“Aerotaxis, as a new paradigm of air transport, require specific regulation, which is currently being developed in Europe. In addition, new physical infrastructures are needed to enable the operations of this type of aircraft, such as vertiports – areas specifically designed for landing and takeoff of these aircraft – as well as urban design and plans for cities that allow these operations, and of course, all of this under the umbrella of airspace management systems: U-space, which enables the flight of drones in a coordinated and safe manner,” said Quintanilla.

Furthermore, the UPV professor stressed that "we must continue working so that society is able to see the benefits of drones. Demonstrations such as the one carried out in Benidorm help to considerably improve the perception and assessment that citizens have of this technology."

On behalf of ENAIRE, Gonzalo Alonso has stated that the integration of passenger transport air taxis into the airspace must comply with the same safety criteria as commercial aviation, and that “we are experiencing a significant digital transformation that will allow the operation of unmanned air taxis using U-space systems alongside traditional aviation”. For this reason, ENAIRE participates in many European projects related to Innovative Air Mobility (IAM), a concept created by EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency).

The best ice cream makers in the world meet in Benidorm

• Toni Pérez underlines Benidorm's commitment to initiatives that "boost the city's projection as a first-class tourist and gastronomic destination"
• The best ice cream masters on the national and international scene have been taking part since yesterday in Benidorm, at the Melià Villaitana hotel, in the fourth edition of the Gran Premio del Helado 2025, a notable event that has consolidated the city in “four years” as “a benchmark in the promotion of gastronomy and quality tourism”. This was highlighted by the mayor, Toni Pérez, during the visit he made to learn, first-hand, the details of the exhibition that closes its doors this afternoon.

The ice cream maker and spokesperson for Abreca (Association of Bars, Restaurants and Cafeterias), Alex Fratini, from Gelateria Pinocchio, and participant in the competition, together with its director, Marco Levati, have accompanied the mayor on the tour of the different stands present.

The Benidorm Ice Cream Grand Prix is ​​a competition that combines creativity, technique and flavour, where 150 participants have competed to win the coveted title and exclusive awards, among which a Porsche Boxter stands out as first prize, a Vespa Piaggio for the second place and a Bravo machine for the third place.

The competition was attended by figures from the sector such as Paco Torreblanca, best pastry chef in the world in 2022 and Medal d'Or 9 d'Octubre of the Generalitat in 2024; 150 exhibiting companies and more than 4,500 operators from all over Europe. Among them, and representing Benidorm, Gelateria Pinocchio. Marco Levati pointed out that the total participation is around 6,000 specialists in 2025 and that, every year, the event has managed to double the number of participants.

With his presence, Toni Pérez wanted to underline Benidorm's commitment to initiatives that "boost the projection of the city as a first-class tourist and gastronomic destination." The mayor has highlighted the importance of this event for the town: "The Ice Cream Grand Prix not only highlights the talent of ice cream makers, but also reinforces the image of Benidorm as a place where excellence and innovation have a place." "An event - he has specified - that is the second most important in the world in a sector rooted and recognised in the province of Alicante.

The event has filled the Melià Villaitana hotel with aromas and flavours, with proposals that have delighted both the jury and the public. In anonymous tubs, the professionals have given the jury their chocolate and mango creations to taste. Of these, 12 have been selected who have subsequently made the typical cremino ice cream from Piedmont (Italy). The day culminated with the awards ceremony, a highly anticipated moment that will put the finishing touch to two days of intense competition. With this new edition, the 2025 Ice Cream Grand Prix reaffirms its position as one of the sweetest and most anticipated events on the calendar, contributing to the The economic and cultural dynamism of Benidorm, a city that will be joined by other ice cream awards in Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria) and Split (Croatia) throughout 2025.

On the other hand, the event organisers have already announced that next year the awards will be raised to a higher level and the winner will take home a Maser.

The European Commission awards Benidorm the distinction that recognises it as a Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism in the EU for 2025

• The event took place in the Plaza de la Hispanidad, where the EC representative presented the city as an “example and inspiration for its commitment to a more sustainable future.”
• Mayor Toni Pérez reaffirms his commitment to “continue working to increase the recognition of Benidorm as a great destination in Europe and the world”
• The placement of the sculpture and the presentation of the badge mark the beginning of a whole year of informative actions 

Benidorm now displays the sculpture in one of the areas most frequented by thousands of citizens and visitors on a daily basis, the Plaza de la Hispanidad, which certifies it as a Pioneer Green Destination for Smart Tourism in the European Union for 2025, a recognition granted by the European Commission as a leading city in smart and sustainable tourism. The mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, received this award from Andrea Staicu, head of the tourism sector at the European Commission, who travelled to the city with a delegation from this organisation to officially present the award, which “highlights our exceptional commitment to shaping the future of sustainable and innovative tourism and endorses the commitment we began in 2015 in favour of sustainability and smart tourism”, said Toni Pérez. 

The award ceremony took place today, in the Plaza de la Hispanidad itself, after being granted in Brussels on November 27, when Benidorm beat out the rest of the European cities that had been selected as finalists: Aveiro (Portugal), Jurmala (Latvia), Liepãja (Latvia), Nea Propontida (Greece), Panevézys (Lithuania) and Sliven (Bulgaria). It brought together a large institutional representation and the business and associative fabric of Benidorm. Among the attendees, in addition to Andrea Staicu herself, the European Commission also brought its head of Tourism Policies, Misa Labarile; and the representative of the Italian City Council of Grossetto, selected as Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism in 2024. Also participating alongside them were Enrique Martínez, president of Segittur; Senator Agustín Almodóbar; the delegate of the Consell, Agustina Esteve; the regional secretaries for Representation before the European Union and Tourism, Pablo Gustavo Broseta and José Manuel Camarero, as well as members of the Security Forces, the local Corporation or the managing body of the DTI, among others. 

The mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, began his speech by thanking the European Commission for this distinction and congratulating the people of Benidorm for having achieved it. “We are a town that always sets itself challenges,” he said, and then reproduced some words spoken more than 60 years ago by the then mayor Pedro Zaragoza: “The courage of the pioneers is still alive; our dream, always imagining the future and making it a reality. That is what we are working on.” 

During his speech, the mayor recalled that in 2025 “we celebrate 700 years of history as a town” and that “in the course of our own history, Benidorm once bet on tourism”. After a tour of some of the great milestones of urban management and the city's tourist trajectory, Toni Pérez focused on 27 November 2024, when “Brussels recognised Benidorm's achievements and efforts in terms of smart and sustainable tourism, as well as practices of transformation and ecological transition as a tourist destination, which we will now expand on with our imminent Urban Agenda”.

“Today we reaffirm our desire to continue working to increase the reputational recognition of our city as a great destination in Europe and the world,” he said, and then affirmed that “taking care of Benidorm, making it more resilient and sustainable, taking care of those who live here and those who come to enjoy this place of happiness, is what is not only being demanded but also recognized throughout the world right now.” 

To conclude, the mayor used the slogan that Benidorm used in its candidacy to win the award, “Why not?” and stated that this distinction as a 'Green Pioneer' “will be a further incentive in our strategy and in our way of working from today”.

For her part, the head of the tourism sector of the European Commission, has applauded in her speech that “the success of Benidorm lies in its commitment to sustainability, it is at the forefront of adaptation to climate change and stands out for its intelligent management of water and energy”. All of this “positions the city as a great example for other coastal destinations, sharing solutions with cities that face similar problems”. 

For Andrea Staicu, “in addition to being sustainable, the city can also be proud of its focus on accessibility, with an increasingly accessible and inclusive urban infrastructure, promoting ecological mobility over car use and developing bicycle and walking lanes.”

“Her appointment comes at a crucial time for EU policy-making. For the first time – the EC spokesperson added – tourism is not only recognised, but is proud to have a specialised portfolio and its own Commissioner for Sustainable Tourism and Travel”, which is why she stated that “2025 is a decisive year for the new and bold European strategy for sustainable tourism”. Finally, she stated that this EU strategy, which is being worked on “tirelessly” in order to be able to present it at the beginning of 2026, “we see Benidorm as a leader and as an inspiration for what sustainable tourism can and should be” since “its commitment to a greener and more sustainable future is a true inspiration for all of us”, concluded Staicu. 

Annual programming

The awarding of this distinction and the placement of the commemorative sculpture, which will shine throughout the year almost at the foot of the techno-milestone, is the first of the events that will be held throughout 2025 to disseminate at European level the milestones and good practices that have earned Benidorm this recognition as a Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism.

In addition, in the coming months there will be several workshops and specific events to promote the sustainability of our tourism model not only in Spain but in the rest of Europe. Benidorm is also expected to participate in the 'Spain Talks' that Turespaña organizes in various European cities, where other data confirming the sustainability of the destination will be presented.

A bootcamp will also be held with cities that have preceded Benidorm as a 'Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism' destination in previous years or that have received the 'European Capital of Smart Tourism' recognition, also awarded by the European Community. "The intention is to share success stories and see how the solutions adopted in these destinations can be replicated in others; learn from each other and work together for a tourist activity that promotes social, economic and environmental sustainability," explained Mayor Toni Pérez.

The Green Pioneer title will also be promoted in the academic field and at various national and international fairs, as well as at major congresses and professional meetings that take place in the city throughout the year. The agenda of activities also includes online training and workshops to disseminate good practices in global sustainability, as well as working hand in hand with content creators aligned with environmental protection and sustainability.

Benidorm revalidates the three Ecoplayas flags that guarantee the quality of its environmental management

The awards recognise the beaches of Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas for excellence in their design, equipment and maintenance.

The three largest beaches in Benidorm, Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas, have once again received the Ecoplayas flag awarded by the Technical Association for Waste Management, Urban Cleaning and the Environment (ATREGUS) in recognition of sustainable environmental management. This was conveyed by the Councillor for Beaches, Mónica Gómez, who pointed out that this organisation “once again recognises the highest quality of our waters, the beaches and the services” offered by the city and which have made Benidorm “a tourist destination par excellence and the European capital of sun and beach”.

The Ecoplayas flag awards aim to distinguish the quality of beaches from an environmental, tourism and sustainability point of view, with the aim of disseminating their efforts, innovations and achievements. In this way, the aim is to promote excellence in the design, equipment and maintenance of the great asset that the beaches of our country constitute, as well as their tourist development.

Mónica Gómez recalled that, in addition to these Ecoplayas flags, Benidorm's beaches "have numerous and demanding quality distinctions, which guarantee both the cleanliness and quality of the water and the sand, as well as the excellence of the services we offer", also highlighting that "these recognitions are for the City Council a reason for satisfaction for a job well done, but at the same time an incentive to continue working, to continue innovating and to continue placing our beaches among the best in the world".   

The 'la Caixa' Foundation and the City Council bring a unique exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci to Benidorm

• The exhibition takes place in two spaces: one indoors with audiovisual material and another outdoors, where four of his most famous models are reproduced at full scale.
• It is located at the intersection of Europa Avenue and Alcoy Avenue and can be visited from today, Wednesday, until March 25.

The Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, together with the Councillor for Culture, Jaime Jesús Pérez; the delegate of the 'la Caixa' Foundation in the Valencian Community, Lourdes Toribio; the Business Area Director of CaixaBank in Benidorm, Carlos Colom; and the exhibition advisor, Érika Goyarrola, have today presented 'Leonardo da Vinci. Observe. Question. Experiment', an exhibition that brings us closer to his figure beyond genius, focusing on his most essential trait: his insatiable curiosity. 

The exhibition is located at the intersection of Europa and Alcoy avenues and can be visited from today, Wednesday, until March 25, completely free of charge, although it is necessary to make a reservation in advance through the website CaixaForum.org or at the exhibition space itself. With the organization of this project, the ”la Caixa” Foundation and Benidorm City Council join in the commemoration of the fifth centenary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), through an installation that takes place in two spaces: one inside, where the visitor can see an audiovisual show that connects Leonardo's thought with our daily lives; and another outside, where there are four large models that faithfully reproduce some of Leonardo's most modern and premonitory ideas, such as the 'Aerial Screw', the 'Vitruvian Man', the 'Flying Machine' and the 'Paddle Boat'.

During the presentation, Mayor Toni Pérez stressed that the approach and content of this exhibition, together with its location “almost on the beachfront”, will encourage “many residents and tourists, and especially educational centres, to visit it”. He also stressed the “value” of this exhibition “at a time when science and research, talent, are taking on a relevance that they never stopped having but that was possibly never as recognised as it is now”. 

The mayor has praised the figure of Leonardo da Vinci, of whom he has assured that “he was misunderstood in his time, because sometimes those who are visionaries, those who express their talent in many ways, have to face that misunderstanding”, something that, in the opinion of the first mayor, “is what has happened for a long time also to Benidorm, that there are those who criticize it without knowing it, but in the end through determination, effort, work, the good ends up prevailing”. 

Toni Pérez has considered it “a real privilege” to be the only city in the province of Alicante and Murcia that will host this exhibition in 2025 and has thanked the 'la Caixa' Foundation “for always counting on Benidorm for this type of activities that generate knowledge and culture, putting people at the centre, just as Leonardo did in his day”. 

For his part, the Councillor for Culture, Jaime Jesús Pérez, thanked the 'la Caixa' Foundation for its “close and fruitful collaboration” with Benidorm City Council, which “results in the exhibition of an informative exhibition on artistic, scientific and social aspects in Benidorm every year”.

The councillor stressed that the exhibition “focuses on one of the most versatile and interesting figures in the history of humanity; a curious, brilliant and clear mind, that of Leonardo da Vinci, whose thought, five centuries later, is still relevant and arouses the interest of the general public and also of experts from very diverse disciplines” and he conveyed that “to delve further into the informative and pedagogical aspect, all educational centres in Benidorm have been offered the possibility of touring the exhibition through guided tours that will be available to the school community and also to other groups” in the city.

Both the representative of the 'la Caixa' Foundation in the Valencian Community, Lourdes Toribio, and the director of the CaixaBank Business Area in Benidorm, Carlos Colom, have also thanked the Benidorm City Council for its collaboration and have highlighted that "bringing culture closer to society is a fundamental axis for equal opportunities", hence the commitment of this organisation to promote all kinds of exhibitions "close to the street and close to the people".  

More information about the exhibition

The 'la Caixa' Foundation works to bring culture and knowledge to audiences of all ages and educational levels. Among its cultural activities, it organises numerous travelling exhibitions with the aim of contributing to raising public awareness through artistic, scientific and social content. In addition, with its Art in the Street programme, the 'la Caixa' Foundation aims to turn public spaces into open-air museums. Now, in collaboration with Benidorm City Council and the Château du Clos Lucé - Parc Leonardo da Vinci, it is presenting a project in the city that goes beyond a simple exhibition. Understood as an experience for visitors, it combines audiovisual spectacle, the display of full-scale models on the street, games and augmented reality, to connect one of the most brilliant minds in the history of humanity with our daily lives.

Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, draughtsman, engineer, architect, urban planner, naturalist, anatomist, musician, philosopher and inventor; a true polymath whose ideas remain, five hundred years later, modern and prescient. He came to knowledge in a different way than his contemporaries, as he did so through a method based on observation, experimentation and analogy that called into question immutable theories and learned ideas. Now, 'Leonardo da Vinci. Observe. Question. Experiment' aims to connect that same working methodology of Da Vinci with our daily lives, through a contemporary language that is close to the youngest audience, with the ultimate goal of stimulating creativity and fostering curiosity.

This Foundation “has worked on the project for two and a half years before its presentation to the public, with a multidisciplinary team made up of experts in Leonardo da Vinci, architects, engineers, scriptwriters, audiovisual producers and specialists in design, multimedia game programming and augmented reality”. All this to offer the viewer a “surprising experience”, in which they will find interactive games to understand Leonardo’s way of thinking, full-scale models of some of his drawings and models, built with current materials; as well as an area of ​​augmented reality through an app that allows you to scan QR codes to see what these same models would look like built with materials from the time and what their movements would have been like as Da Vinci imagined them.  

The exhibition is open from Monday to Friday from 12.30 to 2 pm and from 5 to 9 pm; and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11 am to 2 pm and from 5 to 9 pm. Guided tours can also be arranged for school groups and other groups from Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 3 pm to 5 pm, by appointment by calling 900 801 137. Guided tours are also available for the general public, lasting one hour, both in Spanish – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 7.15 pm; and Saturdays and public holidays at 12.30 pm – and in Valencian, which will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 7.15 pm and Sundays at 12.30 pm.

Likewise, the times for the general public (30 minutes) in Spanish are from Monday to Friday at 12:45, 17, 19:15 and 20:15 hours; and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 11, 12:30, 17, 19:15 and 20:15 hours. Meanwhile, the times for the general public (30 minutes) in Valencian are from Monday to Friday at 13:30, 17:45 and 18:30 hours; and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 11:45, 13:30, 17:45 and 18:30 hours. Capacity is limited and tickets can be reserved from the CaixaForum.org website as well as at the exhibition space itself. 

Benidorm's accessible beaches facilitated the bathing of more than 18,500 people with reduced mobility in 2024

The service resumes its activity at the two points of Poniente and Levante after various cleaning and maintenance tasks taking advantage of the lower influx of public

Points Accessible beaches in Benidorm
Benidorm's accessible beaches facilitated the bathing of more than 18,500 people with reduced mobility throughout the year 2024, a figure that is above the records of previous years and that places this service "as a reference service on our beaches in terms of quality and offer for users." This was conveyed by the councilor of the area, Mónica Gómez, who has announced the balance of activity of this service during the past year and has recalled that the accessible beach points resumed their activity this Saturday after the month of intensive cleaning that the City Council carries out every year on the beaches taking advantage of the period of less public influx. 

Mónica Gómez recalled that Benidorm has three accessible beach points in operation: one in Levante, at the height of Murcia Street; and two others in Poniente, which are located in the La Cala area, opposite Mont Benidorm Avenue, and next to Elche Park. These three spaces served a total of 18,563 users last year, with the Elche Park point being the one that registered the most activity, with a total of 9,811 bathers, followed by Levante –6,531 users– and La Cala, with 2,221. 

The data provided by the councillor indicate that “during the high season months, an average of more than 2,500 people passed through the accessible beach points per month”, reaching peaks of up to 2,840 and 2,836 users during the months of June and July and 2,628 in the month of August. However, Mónica Gómez explained that “although there is a significant increase during the high season, the demand for users on the accessible beaches is constant and sustained throughout the year”. In fact, in the months of January and February, when the lowest temperatures are usually recorded in Benidorm and where the service is reduced to 15 days per month, “more than 500 users were exceeded”, while “November and December registered 1,035 and 994 users, respectively”. 

The councillor pointed out that “this very high demand is a stimulus to try to improve the service more and more”. For this reason, “the City Council is constantly investing to maintain our offer of accessible beaches at the highest level”. Thus, from 15 January to 15 February, “numerous painting and maintenance works have been carried out at the three points”, explained the person in charge of Beaches, who also recalled that last July Benidorm incorporated a crane in the accessible beaches of Levante to facilitate the transfer of users from a wheelchair to the amphibious chair with greater safety and that last September three new amphibious chairs were also acquired, one of them XXL and with a load capacity of up to 220 kilograms, with an investment of 18,165 euros.

Finally, Mónica Gómez recalled that “Benidorm was a pioneer more than two decades ago in incorporating this service with the aim of making our beaches a 100% inclusive space for everyone” and pointed out that this model of accessible beaches has been “for years a benchmark in terms of global accessibility, having been awarded by numerous organisations and replicated in many other coastal municipalities”. 

Benidorm is carrying out an intensive cleaning of its beaches to prepare them for the first tourist events of the year

• The city is one of the few in the country that maintains cleaning and lifeguard services on its beaches throughout the year, with thousands of users even in the low season.
• Selective collection reaches one tonne of waste removed throughout 2024 

Benidorm City Council, through the company in charge of the integral management of the beaches, RA Benidorm, is carrying out an intensive cleaning of the city's sandbanks to prepare them for the first tourist events of this year. To do this, "and taking advantage of the moment when there are fewer people on the beaches, all the furniture, sunbeds, umbrellas and other items have been removed from Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas, to sift the surface of the beaches and thus turn over the sand", as reported by the councillor for the area, Mónica Gómez, who also explained that this turning over makes it possible that "with the ultraviolet action of the sun, a natural disinfection of the sand occurs, while the beaches are levelled and put in perfect condition".

These intensive cleaning tasks began on January 15 and have lasted for a whole month, during which time small repairs and improvements have also been made with the aim of “maintaining the excellent quality of the services offered by our beaches and which make them unique”, said the councillor. In this regard, Mónica Gómez recalled that Benidorm “is one of the few cities in Spain that keeps all beach services active, such as cleaning and lifeguard, rescue and Accessible Beaches, twelve months a year. Here we never close for the season”, after which she stressed that “it could not be any other way, if we take into account that even in the low season months the volume of users is very high”.

The municipal representative for Beaches and the Environment has taken advantage of these intensive cleaning tasks carried out on the beaches to publicise the actions related to the cleaning of our beaches that were carried out throughout 2024. Among them, that the city collected just over a tonne of separated waste last year, thanks to the selective collection implemented on the beaches to manage waste in a "more sustainable way and in line with the new times". 

The councillor has indicated that these data support "the importance that the care of our beaches and our environment has for this City Council, as well as the daily work we do to keep them in the best condition". 

Gómez explained that the total amount of packaging and paper and cardboard removed from the beaches by means of selective collection amounted to 1,160 kilograms, mostly concentrated during the months of June, July and September. “We aim to continue to raise awareness and educate all citizens on the importance of separating waste in all areas of daily life, including, of course, our time on the beach,” he said. 

As regards other types of collection related to the cleaning of the sands, the councillor explained that the beach cleaning company manually removed a total of 400,770 kilos of solid urban waste throughout the twelve months of the year in Levante, Poniente, Mal Pas and the coves. August was the month with the highest volume of waste removed – 92,610 kilograms –, followed by July and June, coinciding with what is traditionally the period of greatest tourist activity in the city. On the other hand, December was the month in which the lowest amount of MSW was collected, with a total volume of 9,160 kilos.
 

This section is one of those that best reflects the intensive use of the beaches during the twelve months of the year in Benidorm since, although during the summer season the figures obviously multiply, "the balance also shows that in the months of lower occupation, such as December, January or February, the volume of waste generated is also very high and we continue to clean both day and night with the same intensity, with an average of between thirty and twenty workers depending on the season," explained Mónica Gómez. 

Specifically, during the month of January 2023, the manual collection of urban solid waste reached 13,780 kilograms; in February, 11,860 kg.; in March the amount increased to 16,220 kg.; in April, to 19,340 kg., a figure that grew in May to 30,960 kg. In June, there was a new increase, reaching 53,840 kilograms, while in July and August the figures shot up to 72,420 and 92,610 kilograms, respectively. In September, the figures registered a decrease, with 41,920 kilograms collected. In the last quarter of the year, the figures fell again, with 22,960 kg in October; 15,700 in November and, finally, 9,160 kilograms in December. 

Another way of collecting waste on beaches is by means of screening machines, a system that also works 365 days a year and which throughout 2023 removed 166,840 kilograms of rubbish, with quantities ranging from 6,800 kilos in November – the month with the lowest volume – to 48,340 in April, the month in which the most waste was collected mechanically. 

The Councillor for Beaches and the Environment has pointed out that, in addition to the manual and mechanical work carried out on the sand, during the high season months beach cleaning is also reinforced by the sea, by means of a pelican boat to prevent plastics and other types of marine waste from ending up on the coast.

She also pointed out that, in addition to everything mentioned above, other actions are also carried out, such as treatments related to the presence of posidonia remains on the shore. In this regard, the Councillor for Beaches has recalled that in Benidorm the remains of this marine plant that are washed up on the shore are not collected, precisely because "they are the best natural protection barrier for our coastline and a sign of the good health of the water and the seabed." 

To conclude, the Councillor has stated that the data on the total collection of waste should lead us to "reflect and be aware of the enormous amount of waste we generate," after which she has made a call for awareness so that "we also take care of our coastline and try to reduce" the amount of waste that is deposited daily both in the sea and on the sand. 

Benidorm concludes a study of tourist flows that allows us to know how many people visit the city every day and where they come from

• The analysis takes as a reference the data from 2023, the first year of full recovery of tourism after the covid-19 pandemic
• He estimates the monthly average of visitors at more than 252,000, a number that shoots up to 2.1 million in August. 
• The mayor highlights that the data “reaffirms the high volume of floating population throughout the 12 months of the year and supports our historical demand for greater and better financing”
   

Benidorm City Council has completed the preparation of a study of tourist movements that will allow it to know the real number of people who visit the city every day, where they come from and whether they arrived after landing at the Alicante-Elche provincial airport or did so by another route. This study, called 'Analysis of tourist flows', is a project included in the 'Benidorm DTI + Seguro' Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan, focused on analyzing the tourist activity and mobility of Benidorm in 2023 and which has been developed in collaboration with Aquatec, with an investment of 14,950 euros. 

The mayor of the city, Toni Pérez; the councilor for Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, and other municipal technicians have been the first to learn the first results of this analysis this Thursday. This is a snapshot of a specific year and “will serve as a starting point for something that is key and that we set ourselves as a challenge for the immediate future: to measure and analyse the evolution of these flows”, as highlighted by the mayor, who also expressed his conviction that, “without a doubt, it will be a turning point in terms of smart tourism management”.    

To prepare this analysis, data from 2023 has been taken as it is the year of real tourist recovery after the pandemic caused by Covid-19. Among the tools used, telecommunications data has been used to analyse the mobility of people flows in Benidorm; telecommunications data has also been used to analyse tourist arrivals at Alicante-Elche Airport – which is the main access route to Benidorm for international tourism –; and, finally, data published by different organisations such as the INE, Turespaña, Frontur, Egatur or Hosbec. 

Toni Pérez has highlighted that, with this report, “we will have a basis from which to be able to delve into the study and knowledge of aspects of tourism and our tourists that until now we had not been able to quantify due to a lack of data. And from there, improve the management of the offer, adapting it to the typology of the tourist, and improve the sustainable management of the city itself, resulting in the quality of life of residents and visitors”.

Among them, for example, he has stated that “as a destination we have always worked with occupancy data in regulated accommodation, but we were missing out on other very relevant aspects, such as the volume of overnight stays in the unregulated offer, the floating population flows related to second homes and the scope of those who visit the city but do not stay overnight there”, who in this analysis are defined as the term 'excursionists'. 

The first data provided by those responsible for this 'Analysis of tourist flows' also highlight, for example, that the monthly average of people visiting Benidorm is more than 252,000 people or that in the month of August the figure shoots up to more than 2.1 million visitors, double the annual average. Likewise, we can know that on the busiest day of the summer, which in 2023 was August 12, the city can reach a peak of just over 365,000 people, including residents and floating population.

Toni Pérez has defined the information provided by this analysis as "very valuable", which also provides data on which areas tourists mostly move through based on their nationalities; the points in Benidorm with significant concentrations of second homes; etc. In short, "a whole range of data to plan better and to be more accurate when programming services and optimising resources," said the mayor.

Finally, the Mayor said that, “in addition to opening a new window for intelligent data analysis, this study confirms the significant volume of floating population that Benidorm has during the 12 months of the year, reinforcing our uniqueness as a tourist municipality and our historical demand for greater and better financing to be able to guarantee the quality of the services we provide to residents and tourists.” 

The Commission that will program the events for the 700th anniversary of Benidorm has been established and is advancing its first actions

A stamp from the Post Office and a coupon from ONCE will promote the event

The Commission in charge of programming the events to commemorate the 700th anniversary of Benidorm was set up this morning in the plenary hall of the Town Hall; a constitutive session in which some of the first actions to be developed on the occasion of this event were put forward. The mayor, Toni Pérez, together with the honorary president of the commission, professor Rafael Alemany, chaired this meeting in which almost all of the more than 30 members of this body, coordinated by professors Pasqual Almiñana and Barbara Alemany, participated. 

During the session, the logo for the 700th anniversary was presented, the work of local artist Miguel Bayona, who designed the image for the centenary of Pere Mª Orts i Bosch and is also responsible for the design of the monolith on Avenida 9 d'Octubre and the badges that are awarded each year on the occasion of the Distinció Cultural 'Ciutat de Benidorm'. The logo has different variants, which will be used depending on the use that will be given to the image, including one of them graphic references to the 1521 copy of the Carta de Poblament granted by Admiral Bernat de Sarrià on May 8, 1325.

The mayor has indicated that this logo will be included this year “in all digital and paper communications” carried out by the City Council, and has announced that a specific space will be set up on the municipal website for this anniversary in which all the information and activities generated by the Commission will be published.

Toni Pérez also said that, within the previous work carried out by the City Council to promote and give visibility to the 700th anniversary at a national level, contacts have been maintained with Correos and ONCE for the issue of a commemorative stamp and coupon. According to the mayor, the intention is to present both to the public next April, in coordination with both entities. 

“It is a very important moment for Benidorm and the aim is for everyone to know that we are celebrating, that we are celebrating our 700th anniversary,” said the mayor, who has advocated that the programme to commemorate the founding of the city be extended throughout 2025 in order to “reach all audiences and make people who visit us at any time of the year part of this anniversary.” 

Members of the '700th Anniversary Commission'

The creation of the 'Comissió del 700 aniversari' was unanimously approved at the plenary session on 27 January with "the intention of promoting activities and events to celebrate this anniversary and involve civil society in it". Its main function is to "propose and organise as many initiatives as are considered appropriate in order to spread this commemoration".

The Commission, formally established today, is made up of representatives of Benidorm's civil society and is presided over by Mayor Toni Pérez. The honorary president is Rafael Alemany Ferrer, PhD in Hispanic Philology and Professor of Catalan Philology; while the First Deputy Mayor of Benidorm, Ana Pellicer, is the vice-president. The coordinators of the body are Professors Bárbara Alemany Barceló and Pascual Almiñana Orozco; while the head of the Municipal Archive, María Victoria Blázquez Soldevila, and Professor María José Lozano Pérez are in charge of the technical secretariat of the Commission.

The 'Committee for the 700th Anniversary of the founding of Benidorm' also has seats occupied by the people and entities awarded the 'Ciutat de Benidorm' Cultural Distinction: ACR La Barqueta, Taula del Bon Profit, Colla de Xirimiters, Unión Musical, CEIP Ausiàs March, Societat Musical l'Illa, Club de Pilota de Benidorm, Rafael Doménech, Francisco Amillo, Francesc Xavier Llorca, Eusebi Chiner, Francisco Pérez Bayona, Benidorm Choral Group, José Albero, Jaume Ferrer and Juan Antonio Espinosa. 

Also members are the people chosen as representatives of the directors of Primary and Secondary education in public, subsidised and private educational centers in the city, as well as the directors of the municipal conservatories of Music and Dance, one person designated by the Neighborhood Council and another by the Grup Carta de Poblament de l'Associació de Pensions 'Verge del Sofratge'.

The Commission will meet periodically to outline the programming of the commemorative events that are considered. 

Benidorm becomes the capital of music and the Benidorm Fest breaks the seasonality in the month of January.  

The first month of the year comes to a close with data that positions the Valencian Community and, in particular, Benidorm as the capital of music and a showcase for all of Europe and the world in the selection of its candidate for Eurovision with the celebration of the Benidorm Fest. 

The last week of January, and with the final held on Saturday 1st February, Benidorm has reached practically the same occupancy figures as last year , although the forecasts pointed to a few points below, so the results of the week raise the average occupancy to 79% in Benidorm hotels, reaching practically 90% on the night of the final. 

“It has been a week with a great projection in the city,” said Fede Fuster, president of HOSBEC, who has highlighted the great image and impact of the Benidorm Fest for this destination. The month of January has already been consolidated with unmissable events on the calendar such as the celebration of one of the races of the Cyclo Cross World Championship, which has led to an occupancy rate of over 85% during that weekend.

These types of events increase occupancy at weekends, and maintain at least 10 points above what would be a weekend in January in Benidorm , which makes a continuous effort to maintain tourist activity all year round. In addition, they also have a positive impact on the image of the destination, since the celebration of the Benidorm Fest has achieved audience peaks during the final of 24% on television with almost 2 million viewers.

The Benidorm Fest makes the city a benchmark in hosting this type of event, which provides a perfect environment for the entire destination to be involved in celebrations in different locations such as this year's Julio Iglesias auditorium, and the different spaces where concerts have been held and where the semi-final galas and the final on Saturday could be followed, which not even the rain wanted to miss. 

The 2025 edition of 'Benidorm Fest' winner was 'Esa Diva' by Melody has won the Spanish song contest and will head to Eurovision in May.

DATA FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY

Musical, cultural and sporting events have become powerful tools to diversify the tourist offer and break with the seasonality of destinations. These events not only extend the influx of visitors beyond the months of high demand, but also attract new profiles of tourists , interested in authentic and specialized experiences.

The occupancy records for the month of January in Benidorm are a clear reflection of this, since with more than 30,000 active hotel places, its occupancy rate is 68.4% , exceeding the data for 2024 by 2.4 percentage points. Events such as the Cyclo Cross World Championship act as a magnet for new nationalities, increasing their volume, which is reflected in the second half of the month, where Belgian (6.6%) and Dutch (5.8%) tourists increase in volume of representation compared to other months.

The Costa Blanca area is also starting 2025 strongly with a monthly occupancy rate of 64.1% , which also increases the figures from the previous year by 2.5 percentage points. International tourists are gaining ground on national tourists compared to 2024 with 54.8% of the total and with the United Kingdom in the lead with 14.7%, followed by Norwegians (6%) and Belgians (5.5%).

The province of Valencia faces this month of January associated with the low season with 62.4%, practically in line with the previous year (61.8%), highlighting the push of the last fifteen days of the month that give a change of pace to the data, raising the data of the first fortnight by more than 11 points with 68.1% occupancy. 

The capital of the Turia is two points away from maintaining the figures for 2024 with a 57.3% occupancy rate . The international market continues to dominate, with Italian guests standing out with 8.4% and North Americans with 6.5%. To a lesser extent but following the behaviour of the province as a whole, the second half of the month also gains strength over the first, adding 5.6 points and standing at 60.1%.

As for HOSBEC members located in the province of Castellón , the territory most affected by hotel closures in the low season, they closed the month of January with 55.2% occupancy, increasing by 2.3 points compared to 2024. Of the total number of tourists staying in hotels, 62.4% are Spanish, followed far behind by the French with 5.5%. 

Bookings for the first fifteen days of February, which include holidays such as Valentine's Day, which are in high demand for couples' getaways, are already at or close to the levels recorded for the last few days of January in all areas and destinations.

La Taberna Andaluza and La Fava win the public and jury awards at the III Tapa Fest

A total of 21 establishments have participated, offering their culinary proposals inspired by the Benidorm Fest at special prices until Sunday.

'Flamenquín Deluxe', the tapa prepared by the Taberna Andaluza, has been the winner of the III Tapas Competition 'Tapa Fest' organised by the Association of Bars, Restaurants and Cafeterias of Benidorm and the Region (Abreca), in collaboration with the Benidorm City Council and Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, within the parallel activities that take place in the city on the occasion of the Benidorm Fest. This was decided by the vote of the public who have tried the tapas of this edition, who have considered that this culinary proposal is the most succulent of those offered by the 21 establishments of the city that participate in the contest. 

The popular vote has also recognised in second place El Linaje de Castilla with its tapa 'Las 3 Bellotas', while the 'Nuestra Diva' of DNI Ibéricos has been classified in third position. 

The 'Coca Vasco-Valenciana' presented by La Fava has won the prize awarded by the professional jury after tasting all the proposals in the competition. 

The Councillor for Events, Jesús Carrobles, was in charge of presenting the prizes for this edition, accompanied by the regional secretary and the general director of Tourism, José Manuel Camarero and Israel Martínez, and the director of the Repsol Guide, María Ritter.

Also present were representatives of the different establishments that have participated in this edition, as well as the manager of Abreca-Cobreca, Irene Carreño; and the presidents of these two groups, Javier del Castillo, from Abreca, and Pablo González, from Cobreca.

Carrobles thanked the restaurateurs "for their involvement in joining the Benidorm Fest to make everything that revolves around this event even bigger", while highlighting the "enormous level" of the tapas that have been presented in this edition, which can be tasted until Sunday in the 21 participating establishments: Taberna Andaluza, El Linaje de Castilla, DNI Ibéricos, La Fava, Arrocería La Marina, Cervecería l'Abadia, El Bodegón Aurrerá, El Mesón, El Rincón de la Ribera, Freiduría Los Peces, La Brasería Aurrerá, La Cava Aragonesa, La Pinta Beach, La Tabernita del Sur, La Tapería Aurrerá, Marisquería El Puerto, Pinocchio Playa, Pintxos Aurrerá, Shija Sabores de los Balcanes and Terraza Bahía.

Mobility reports traffic cuts and diversions due to hydraulic works in Armada Española and Parque de Elche

Changes begin this Monday, February 3

The Department of Mobility of the Benidorm City Council has reported today on the traffic cuts and diversions that will take place from next Monday, February 3, due to the works to improve the wastewater network planned on Avenida Armada Española and in Parque de Elche. 

The first of these works consists of the adaptation of the last section of the sewage collector on Avenida Armada Española at its confluence with Jaime I. This is a section of about 100 meters that will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Thus, while the works last, the traffic of authorized vehicles, delivery of goods and public transport will be diverted along Avenida Uruguay, reaching Armada Española through Avenida de Xixo.

The Mobility Department has explained that the stretch of Armada Española between Xixo and Jaime I will function as an entry and exit road for vehicles with fords in the affected area and for loading and unloading vehicles during authorised hours. The cycle lane will be closed along this entire stretch. As regards pedestrian traffic, it will be diverted according to the needs of the work.

These cuts and diversions will be in place throughout the entire project, which is expected to be completed before Easter. 

The second work that will also begin this coming Monday is the installation of a new underground pumping system in Elche Park that will improve the collection and pumping of rainwater from the entire area. The development of this work, which will last until mid-March, will force traffic to be cut off on Calle Alcalde José Such and vehicles will be diverted via San Pedro, where the bus stop will be moved. In addition, the bike lane will be closed from Calle Maravall to the junction with Los Almendros

The City Council takes the first steps towards the development of the Benidorm Urban Agenda

The City Council hires technical assistance to draft this document, which aims to promote more sustainable and integrated urban development.

Benidorm City Council has contracted technical assistance for the preparation of the Benidorm Urban Agenda, a document that aims to design a city strategy to transform its urban area in accordance with the Spanish Urban Agenda, initiating a process of strategic reflection to "define a long-term municipal model to achieve a more sustainable, fair and intelligent city by 2030". This was conveyed by the Councillor for Innovation, European Funds and Contracting of the Benidorm City Council, Aida García Mayor, who pointed out that the contract has been awarded to the company Eurovértice Consultores, SL, for a price of 33,489.97 euros and a term of execution of six months. 

The councillor explained that, as stated in the technical specifications, the process of preparing the Benidorm Urban Agenda will comprise different phases. In the first of these, phase 1 or Diagnosis, the successful tenderer must draw up a diagnosis of the current situation of the municipality within the framework of the strategic and specific objectives of the Spanish Urban Agenda, the European Urban Agenda and the New Urban Agenda of UN-HABITAT and the Local Action Plan of the Benidorm Urban Agenda for the next 20 years. Phase 2 or Definition of actions is the period during which a work plan will be drawn up with specific proposals for improvement for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the municipality and whose development will form the local Urban Agenda. 

In phase 3 or Drafting, the Action Plan of the Urban Agenda of Benidorm will be drafted, incorporating proposals that have a pilot character and can be useful to other municipalities, developing principles and objectives such as human development and social cohesion, equality between men and women and non-discrimination, sustainable development, technology, accessibility, demographic change, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, circular economy, innovation, transparency and accountability and participation. This document must contain at least a detailed study of the strategic and specific objectives that make up the plan; a file of each plan, program or project to be developed and the proposal of the possible training and advisory activities for municipal staff necessary to implement the proposed actions, which will be coordinated by the Municipal Engineering Department, with the support of the Departments of Innovation and Public Space, Works, Universal Accessibility and Mobility. 
Phases 4 and 5 will therefore be used to implement a communication plan and to evaluate, assess and monitor the actions carried out in previous phases in order to determine the degree of implementation of the Action Plan, Aida García Mayor has specified. 

Finally, the councillor stressed that the preparation of this Urban Agenda for Benidorm “is within the actions planned in SDG number 11, to ensure that cities and urban settlements are inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. She also pointed out that this technical assistance will allow “the municipal structure to be strengthened with effective technical assistance to manage and implement this Urban Agenda” as well as “strengthen a shared vision of the future and establish the criteria that will guide the development of the municipality and the projects that can act as drivers of transformation in the time horizon of the next 20 years”. 

Benidorm grows in overnight stays and tourists in 2024 thanks to the boost from international markets

• Pending the latest data on apartments and campsites, the city received more than 2.8 million travellers, almost 3% more than the previous year
• Overnight stays exceed 15.4 million, with growth above 4.5% 
• Tourist activity means that Benidorm ends the year as the municipality in the Valencian Community with the lowest unemployment rate
• Bookings for the whole of 2025 are already higher than last year at this time
   

Benidorm grew in 2024 in terms of overnight stays and tourists thanks to the boost from international markets. This is evident from the annual report of Visit Benidorm that the mayor, Toni Pérez, and the manager of the foundation, Leire Bilbao, reported this Friday during the International Tourism Fair of Madrid (Fitur), where they highlighted that “this increase is especially significant if we take into account that we had just experienced a great tourist year, 2023, in which we had already grown to recover pre-pandemic values”. “With that starting point, the fact of having improved is, without a doubt, a satisfaction but at the same time a stimulus to continue working for a sector that in our city generates wealth, generates well-being and is the industry of happiness”, said Pérez. 

According to the data contained in the report, Benidorm received 2,829,531 travellers in 2024, 2.9% more than in the previous year. However, as the mayor clarified, “the number of tourists is even higher and will be updated in the coming days, once the National Institute of Statistics (INE) publishes the December data on travellers and occupancy in apartments and campsites”. 

In the absence of the latest data, the city recorded 15,460,265 overnight stays, 4.6% more than in 2023. Of these, 11.5 million were in hotel establishments, which ended the year with 5.4% more customers than the previous year, reaching 2.3 million, and with an increase in average occupancy of 0.7%, standing at 81.1%. During 2024, the average stay in hotels was close to five days, maintaining the figures from the previous year.

Toni Pérez has highlighted that “the growth in activity has been global in all the accommodation offer in Benidorm, especially in tourist apartments, which have reached 77.7%, 4.3 points more than the previous year”. Along the same lines, campsites have grown by 2.9%, signing an average occupancy of 93.4%; while that of tourist homes has stood at 51.3%, practically identical to that of 2023. 

Toni Pérez has reported that within the international markets "an increase in travellers from Ireland has been detected, so much so that this market has overtaken Belgium and the Netherlands, thus completing a podium headed by tourists from the United Kingdom and Portugal."  

In the absence of definitive data, “the national market has registered a very slight decrease compared to the previous year, barely 0.1%”. However, “the push from international tourism has been so important that Benidorm has not only not seen a drop in tourists and overnight stays, but has closed the year improving in both”. 
These growth figures, Pérez has specified, “are the result of the intense and constant work carried out by Visit Benidorm in these international issuing markets to position the destination”. 

Continuing with the positive trend, the study shows that profitability improved during 2024, as the average REVPAR, revenue per available hotel room, increased by almost 10 euros compared to the previous year, standing at 78.3 euros. The average rate per room has also increased, standing at 100.9 euros last year, compared to 91.1 in 2023.

This trend has also been seen in the spending made by tourists in the city, with increases of over 21%.   

During the presentation, the mayor stressed that “the data collected in the report confirm the strength of the tourism sector in our city and something very important: its ability to generate employment and redistribute wealth”. Tourism activity “has been absolutely key to Benidorm closing 2024 as the municipality in the Valencian Community with the lowest unemployment rate, 10.75% for the year as a whole and below double figures during the high season months”. 

Toni Pérez has added that “the city has closed the year with 1,518 more people affiliated to Social Security than the previous year, and more than 2,700 above 2019, the last year before the pandemic”. In fact, compared to that year, Benidorm has reduced the unemployment rate by more than 7 points. 

He also reported that the number of employees at the Benidorm hotel facility has grown by 5.2% to 6,281 people.

Among the parameters analysed, the mayor also referred to the degree of overall satisfaction with the destination expressed by tourists, which remains 10 points above 2019, standing at 76.7 out of 100. The mayor emphasised “the very high rating year after year of such an important parameter for any tourist destination, security, which is valued at 95 points out of 100”. Satisfaction with the destination's products, which reach a score of 72.1, and with the climate, which obtains 90.4 points, also improved slightly. 

"Overall, overall tourist satisfaction has been increasing in different parameters over the last six years," he said.

On the other hand, he mentioned that “monitoring social networks shows us that sun and sand continue to be the product that arouses the most interest among users, followed by active tourism, culture and gastronomy.”

Toni Pérez concluded the assessment by saying that the data on reservations for 2025 already point to an increase in reservations during all months of the year compared to the same period in 2024.

Full report: CLICK HERE

Benidorm confirms its willingness to adhere to the agreement to inspect and sanction tourist apartments

The city is among the first six municipalities that have expressed their intention to collaborate with the Generalitat and the FVMP to combat intrusion in the sector

During the second day of the International Tourism Fair, Fitur, Benidorm City Council has confirmed today its willingness to adhere to the framework agreement signed by the Generalitat Valenciana and the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP) to delegate to the city councils the exercise of the power to initiate, investigate and resolve sanctioning procedures for the commission of minor, serious and very serious infractions in relation to tourist housing located within their territorial area. 

The mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, has participated in the signing of the declaration of intentions to be part of this agreement together with councillors and mayors of Valencia, Alicante, Elche, Torrevieja and Castellón de la Plana, who have also been joined by the president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, and the president of the FVPM and mayor of Benicarló, Juan Manuel Cerdá. 

In this way, and after being the first municipality in the Valencian Community to request the power to inspect and sanction tourist apartments last September, Benidorm is also among the first six municipalities that will soon assume these powers with the aim of combating the intrusion of unregulated housing in the accommodation sector. 

The Generalitat will undertake the tram extension of the section of

The Mediterranean Avenue, awarded as the best work in the province at the XVII FOPA Awards

The project, completed in 2022, involved an investment of 13.98 million and has guaranteed sustainability, accessibility and integration into the urban environment without architectural barriers.

The awards ceremony for the 17th Federation of Public and Auxiliary Works (FOPA) Awards of the province of Alicante last night distinguished the work of Reurbanization and Remodeling of the Infrastructures of the Avenida del Mediterráneo and Surroundings of Benidorm as the Best Work in the Province among those developed in the years 2022 and 2023. An event that was held at the ADDA in Alicante and was attended by the mayor, Toni Pérez, who collected the award. 

This project was promoted by the City Council and was carried out by the Temporary Union of Companies (UTE) Orthem and Emortel with an investment of 13.98 million euros. The work was completed in July 2022 and has managed to guarantee sustainability, accessibility and integration in an urban environment without architectural barriers generated with a single platform.

The work was completed with the installation of the well-known technohito, a 22-metre-high structure at the intersection of the avenue and Esperanto Street, which is wrapped in LED screens so that it becomes a large digital screen offering advertising or service information. The work on Avenida del Mediterráneo also included new lighting, green spaces and renovation of street furniture.

Another of the objectives achieved after the remodelling work is the substantial increase in shaded areas, which has led to lower temperatures in hot weather, making walking much more comfortable and pleasant, something to which the decrease in road traffic and the speed limit of 10 km/h have also contributed significantly.

The mayor stressed that the new Mediterranean Avenue “has transformed this part of the city into a public space where technology and innovation invite citizens and visitors to enjoy a friendly and accessible environment.”

In this regard, it is worth remembering that Benidorm City Council has already taken the first steps to carry out the second phase of the remodelling of this avenue in the section that goes from Avenida Europa to Calle Filipinas, for which the subsoil is being studied in order to determine the possibility of building an underground car park before proceeding to tender.

Benidorm triumphs again in the Cyclocross World Cup

• Belgian Thibau Nys and Dutch Fem van Empel, winners in the Elite Men and Elite Women categories
• The thirty-first edition of the Cyclocross World Cup, the third in Benidorm, was held today on the circuit that the International Cycling Union, in collaboration with the Department of Sports, has installed between the parks of El Moralet and Foietes.

More than 15,000 fans, many of them from outside our borders, have gathered today for a day characterized by good weather and elite athletes who have found in Benidorm an ideal place to practice this sport.

The Belgian Thibay Nys has won in the Elite Men's category, followed by his compatriot Eli Iserby and the Dutchman Lars van der Harr. The first Spaniard in the classification, in sixth position, has been the cyclist from Vila Joiosa, Felipe Orts, who has improved his result from last year.

In Elite Women's, the first position has been for the Dutch Fem van Emple; the second for Lucinde Brand, of the same nationality; and the third for the Luxembourger Maire Schreiber.

In the other categories, these have been the results. In U23 Men's, first position was for Tibor del Grosso, from the Netherlands; second for Jente Michels, from Belgium; and third, the French Aubien Sparfel. In the Junior Men's category, the Italian Mattia Agosticacchio won, followed by the Frenchman Soren Bruyère Jourmard and the Austrian Valentin Hofer. Finally, in the Junior Women's category, the French Lise Revol came first to the finish line, followed by the Canadian Rafaelle Carrier and, finally, the Dutch Mae Cabaca.

The Mayor of Benidorm and President of the Alicante Provincial Council, Toni Pérez, attended the event, together with the Councillor for Sports, Javier Jordá, and other members of the corporation. The regional deputy José Ramón González de Zárate was also present. The institutional representation was completed by the Director General of Sports of the Generalitat, Luis Cervera and the provincial deputy for Sports, Bernabé Cano. Among the sports figures who came to Benidorm this weekend, the figure of the five-time winner of the Tour de France, Miguel Induráin, stood out.

Benidorm, epicentre of national sport

Toni Pérez and the promoter of the Cyclocross World Cup, Pascual Monparler, have made a tour of the circuit together with the representatives of the institutions, especially the El Moralet Park, which a few days ago was awarded the Blue Path Flag 2025 awarded by the Association for Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC) and have valued the possibilities that this enclave can offer for the development of sporting activities at the highest level.

Toni Pérez, who, together with representatives of the UCI, the event organisers, Bernabé Cano and Miguel Induráin, cut the starting ribbon for the Elite Men's event and participated in the trophy presentation ceremonies, pointed out at the end of the event that Benidorm "will continue to support the Cyclocross World Cup" because this "is a great sport that transmits great values".

For his part, Luis Cervera has stated that the World Cup has shown how “sport and tourism go hand in hand” and has described the circuit as “perfect”, which runs partly “through a park built by the City Council”. Finally, Bernabé Cano has described the event as “spectacular” and has highlighted its importance for the Provincial Council because “sport linked to tourism” attracts more and more people and today Benidorm “is the epicentre of national sport”.

Felipe Orts has also expressed his opinion, who has clearly supported Benidorm hosting the Cyclocross World Championship in the future. 

The Bay of Benidorm hosts this Sunday the IV Regatta of the Suma Fixed Bank League with a record number of participants

The organisation has confirmed the attendance of 55 teams and more than 500 athletes

This coming Sunday, January 19, the IV Regatta of the Suma Fixed Bank League will be held in the waters of Benidorm Bay starting at 9:00 a.m., organized by the Rowing Federation of the Valencian Community and the Benidorm Nautical Club and the collaboration of the Sports Department of the City Council. 

According to the organisers, 55 teams will be attending the event, which is a record number of participants for all previous editions. More than 500 athletes will meet at the Nautical Club in categories ranging from cadets to veterans in the male and female categories, and the SCM (Overcoming Breast Cancer) teams.

In the case of the Benidorm Nautical Club, on this occasion they will row at home and will participate with four teams: veteran women and men and absolute men and women, as well as the Anémona team in the SCM category.

The weather forecast predicts a sunny day with easterly winds of around eight knots, which will make for a difficult race due to the state of the sea, although the latest forecasts point to a significant improvement in the state of the sea. The organisers, however, expect a large number of fans, both athletes and visitors, to attend. 

As for the route, for the absolute, veteran, junior and SCM teams it will be 5,000 metres, while for the cadet category races it will be 2,000 metres. The start will take place near the jetty so that all the starts from the port can be seen. From there the boats will head to Tío Ximo beach, in Rincón de Loix, to take the buoys and head back to the port. The Councillor for Sports, Javier Jordá, has hoped that “fans of the sea and regattas will come to the Nautical Club on Sunday to appreciate the beauty of this hard and exciting sport that is rowing”.

Benidorm is organising two Euroclub parties within the parallel programming of the Benidorm Fest

• Paula Vázquez, Ruth Lorenzo and Inés Hernand will present the galas of this fourth edition, to which RTVE also adds programs with Lalachus or Aitor Albizua
• Mayor Toni Pérez reaffirms the municipal commitment to this event “which generates a return of incalculable value for our city”

The Benidorm City Council has organised two Euroclub parties that will be added to the parallel activities that will take place in the city from 24 January on the occasion of the fourth edition of the Benidorm Fest, which will hold its two semi-finals on 28 and 30 January and its grand final on 1 February at the Palau d'Esports l'Illa in Benidorm. This was announced on Wednesday by the mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, after the press conference held in Madrid and where Radio Televisión Española announced the names of the presenters of the contest: Paula Vázquez, Ruth Lorenzo and Inés Hernand, who will also be joined on other programmes by other well-known faces of the channel, such as Lalachus, Aitor Albizua and Jordi Cruz. 

The two Euroclub parties organised by the Council will take place on Wednesday 29 and Friday 31 January; The first will take place in a nightclub in the city and the second will take place in the Julio Iglesias Auditorium in the Parque de l'Aigüera. Numerous artists will perform at the latter to entertain thousands of people on the night before the grand final. Among them, Nebulossa and Blanca Paloma, winners of the third and second editions of the Benidorm Fest; as well as Marta Sango, Almácor, Sofía Coll, Megara and Chloe de la Rosa, together with the contestants who did not qualify in the two semi-finals of this edition.

Toni Pérez, who participated in the press conference offered by RTVE in Madrid together with the Councillor for Events, Jesús Carrobles, has pointed out that these two Euroclub parties "complete a whole week of activities centred on the Benidorm Fest", which will start on 24 January with the inauguration of the 'village' in the Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España, where there will be 'food trucks' and other leisure activities throughout the week. The mayor also highlighted that "there will also be a space to disseminate and remember the origins of everything related to the current Benidorm Fest, such as our Benidorm Song Festival", with a retrospective exhibition on the birth of this legendary competition organised by the City Council and RTVE and which can be seen from 25 January to 2 February at the City Council's Espai d'Art. 

In addition, within this parallel programme organised by the city, the Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España will host the broadcast of the second semi-final and the final on giant screens on Thursday 30 and Saturday 1 February. 

The mayor stressed that “we are sure that Benidorm will once again be involved in the Benidorm Fest, an event that will bring thousands of people to our city to enjoy the music and the atmosphere that revolves around this phenomenal contest, which we will continue to support.” In this regard, Toni Pérez pointed out that the 'Fest' is “a top-level show that is backed by a huge and impressive technical team from RTVE and by the support of the Generalitat Valenciana,” recalling that it “generates a return of incalculable value for Benidorm,” both at a promotional and reputational level, by making it “the national and international focus for all music lovers and for something as big as Eurovision.”

News about the competition
Regarding the announcements made by RTVE about this fourth edition of the Benidorm Fest, the director of Communication and Participation of the public entity, together with Ana Bordás and César Vallejo, co-directors of the Benidorm Fest, have announced the list of finalists who will perform in each of the semi-finals. Thus, in the first gala, on January 28, the following will compete: Chica Sobresalto, Daniela Blasco, David Afonso, K!NGDOM, Kuve, Lachispa, Lucas Bun and Sonia and Selena; while in the second semi-final, on January 30, the following will compete: Carla Frigo, Celine Van Heel, DeTeresa, Henry Semler, J Kbello, Melody, Mel Ömana and Mawot.

In addition to the two semi-finals and the grand final, which will be presented by Paula Vázquez, Ruth Lorenzo and Inés Hernand, La 1 de TVE will also broadcast live from the city on 1 February a programme called 'La noche del Benidorm Fest', hosted by Lalachus and Aitor Albizua, with the first reactions to the winners of the Bronze Microphone, who will represent Spain in the Eurovision final in Basel, Switzerland, next May. 

In addition, there will also be other programmes on RTVE Play, such as 'Benidorm Calling', which will be broadcast online before the start of the three galas and will feature the participation of Jordi Cruz, Iván García and Masi. 

RTVE has stated that for the public entity the Benidorm Fest is “a great television event” and a “huge commitment by the network”, which is why in addition to broadcasting in our country and via the Internet, it will also have special programming on Radio Nacional de España and on Radio Exterior, broadcasting for the first time to Canada, the United States, Central America and Latin America. 

Mobility reports on traffic changes due to the installation and development of the Cyclocross World Cup

For the weekend, it is recommended that access to the neighbourhood be made from Estación Street and Foietes Avenue.

Benidorm is already preparing to experience the Cyclocross festival this weekend with the World Cup event for this modality, which will be held in the Foietes and El Moralet parks and for which 15,000 fans are expected to attend. While all the preparations for the circuit are being finalised on the ground, the Department of Mobility has informed of the changes and traffic impacts that will occur in the coming days due to this sporting event, since the holding of the event will force the closure of some roads and services in the area. 

This is the case, for example, of the Mercasa esplanade, which will be cleared of vehicles from 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 15, after the market is held, until the market ends on the 22nd. During this same period, the parking lot of the Ciudad Deportiva 'Guillermo Amor' will also be free of vehicles and Avenida Libertad will be closed to traffic. 

Regarding road traffic, 9 d'Octubre and Ciudad Deportiva avenues will remain closed from 8 a.m. on Friday 17th until 8 a.m. on Monday 20th. Abad de Tormes street will also be closed to traffic from early Friday morning.  

In view of the sports days scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, access from Beniardá Avenue to Alcalá and Capitán Cortés streets will be restricted. A police checkpoint will be set up at the intersection of the latter with Rejoneador Ginés Cartagena. The Department of Mobility and the Local Police recommend that on both days, especially on Sunday, access to the upper part of Colonia Madrid be via Estación Street, while access to the rest of the streets in the neighbourhood should be via Foietes Avenue. 

They also recalled that the City Council has three dissuasive car parks in the vicinity of the competition area, such as the one next to the TRAM Station, the one at the Fairgrounds and the one on Calle de Cuba, where tourist vehicles can be parked free of charge for both residents and those who come to watch the championship.

Benidorm brings to l'Aigüera the broadcast of the galas and other parallel activities of the Benidorm Fest

From January 24 to February 1, the City Council will set up a 'village' in the Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España with performances, food trucks and entertainment

This year, Benidorm City Council will move the broadcast of the three galas and other parallel activities of the fourth edition of the Benidorm Fest, the musical competition organised by Radio Televisión Española, the Generalitat Valenciana and the City Council to choose the singer or group that will represent Spain at Eurovision, to the Parque de l'Aigüera.

The Councillor for Events, Jesús Carrobles, explained that the venue chosen so that the public can follow the two semi-finals and the grand final live will be the Julio Iglesias Auditorium and that, in addition, to host all the activity related to this event "we are going to create a 'village' area in the Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España with a wide programme within the framework of the Euroclub".

According to Carrobles, this 'Benidorm Fest Village' will be operational from 24 January to 1 February, the day on which the final of the musical competition will be held, which will once again take place at the Palau d'Esports L'Illa in Benidorm. Throughout the week leading up to the festival, this village will host “performances and other musical activities, such as Eurovision karaoke, as well as a gastronomic area with food trucks”, with the aim of becoming a meeting point for music lovers and Eurofans who travel to Benidorm to experience the Benidorm Fest in the city. 

All this thematic offer “will be completed with the exhibition on the origins of our Song Festival that the City Council is organizing in collaboration with Spanish Radio and Television” to publicize and promote that historic contest that raised great figures of music, such as Raphael or Julio Iglesias, especially among the younger public. 

The transfer of the broadcast of the 'Fest' galas from the Tecnohito to l'Aigüera responds, as Jesús Carrobles explained, to “the good reception that the broadcast of the Eurovision final had in May of last year at the Julio Iglesias”. He pointed out that “this auditorium offers a space with a larger capacity and more comfort for the public, but also for the assembly of the entire infrastructure”, causing in turn “less inconvenience for the citizens because it is not necessary to close for almost a week one of the main arteries of Benidorm such as the Mediterranean Avenue and the area around the Plaza de la Hispanidad”.
 

Finally, the councillor has shown himself “convinced that this first 'village area' will attract a lot of public throughout the week to enjoy all the activities and performances that will take place in Benidorm, as well as the festival and festive atmosphere of our city”. 

About the Benidorm Fest
Following the victories of Chanel, Blanca Paloma and Nebulossa, the Benidorm Fest has now entered the final stretch, with the event taking place at the Palau d'Esports at the end of this month. The first of the semi-finals will be held on 28 January, and two days later it will be the turn of the second. The grand final will be held on Saturday 1 February, which will determine the song that will represent Spain in the Eurovision contest, which this year will take place on 17 May in the Swiss city of Basel.  

The 16 finalists of this new edition of the Benidorm Fest who will compete for the Bronze Microphone are Carla Frigo; Celine Van Heel; Chica Sobresalto; Daniela Blasco; David Alfonso; DeTeresa; Henry Semler; J Kbello; K!ngdom; Kuve; Lachispa; Lucas Bun; Mawot; Mel Ömana; Melody; and Sonia and Selena, whose songs have already accumulated thousands of views. 

The City Council renews around 70 nameplates in the streets of the old town

• The new ceramics replace the previous ones, many of which were damaged or in poor condition.
• New street signs in the old town

Benidorm City Council has renewed around 70 plaques with the names of streets in the old town to replace the previous ones, many of which were damaged or in poor condition due to the passage of time. The Councillor for Public Space, Francis Muñoz, explained that with these new plaques “we will also reinforce the information on the name of these streets in areas of the street map where it had been detected that the streets were not sufficiently identified”, so “in addition to improving the image of the streets of our old town, we also improve their signage”. 

The new tiles have been made by a workshop located in the province of Alicante, and the cost of them has been covered by the company concessionaire of the urban furniture of the city, Impursa, included in the variable investment of this concession, explained Francis Muñoz. In this way, according to the councillor, the action “will not entail any additional expense for the City Council”. 

Francis Muñoz has pointed out that the renewal of the signage on these streets is part of “a set of actions that we are carrying out to renew and improve the vertical signage in numerous points of the city” and that “it is completed with others that have already been carried out”. Among them, the placement of 25 panels with the 'Metrominuto / Biciminuto'; the installation of digital screens to inform about traffic, air quality, possible incidents or parking options, within the development of the city's ZBE project; or the new posts and signage of the Directional Signage Plan that is being implemented. 

Finally, the Councillor for Public Space has highlighted that with actions of this type “we improve and facilitate road information for both residents and visitors of our iconic old town, the places of interest in our city and those with the greatest tourist influx”. 
 

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The magic of Christmas returns to Benidorm in the Grand Parade of the Three Wise Men

• Toni Pérez asks Their Majesties to leave hope and excitement in all the homes of Benidorm
• The Three Wise Men at the Julio Iglesias.
• Their Majesties from the East also visit the Double Love and the Hermitage of Sanç.

The Three Wise Men have returned to reign on January 6 in Benidorm and have handed out thousands of gifts on the most magical night of the year. All in a day led by the little ones, the children who, excited, have discovered, with the first light of day, the gifts that Their Majesties of the East have left in their homes.

At 6:00 p.m., from the Elche Park, the Grand Parade set off, a prelude to today's big day, organized by the Department of Festivals to welcome Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar. Thousands of children and their families crowded the streets hours before to see the magicians and their entourage in person, and to collect sweets and toys.

The Grand Parade of the Three Wise Men went along Avenida de Los Almendros, Calle Marte, Calle Venus, Calle Ruzafa and Calle Herrerías, Plaza de SS. MM. The ceremony took place in the Parque de l'Aigüera, in the Julio Iglesias auditorium, where more than 3,500 people were waiting, including the mayor, Toni Pérez, the councillor for Festivals, Mariló Cebreros and other members of the corporation.

Among the public were the senator, Agustín Almodóbar; the queens of the Festes Majors Patronals, Valentina Almoóbar and Laia Zamora; and the president of the Commission, Susana Martínez.

After a warm welcome with fireworks, confetti, lights and colour, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar went to the stage where a life-size Nativity scene awaited them. There, Their Majesties gave the child their gifts: gold, incense and myrrh and, then, they were officially and briefly received by Toni Pérez who, on behalf of all of Benidorm, reminded them how the city was waiting for them.

"You have already seen," he said, "how the people have received you. Thank you very much for visiting us again”. The first mayor made it clear that during the night they would visit all the homes and asked them to leave in them “illusion and hope” and, at the same time, wished “peace, health and happiness for everyone from Benidorm”.

Next, and as a preamble to what would come throughout the night, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar gave all the children present a toy and after saying goodbye to young and old, while the stars shone in the Benidorm night, they visited the homes demonstrating, one more year, that the magic of Christmas is real, like them, Three Wise Men

Great Parade 2025

A thousand people have participated in the Great Parade of 2025. The royal entourage consisted of 700 people, the rest were five dance groups, 10 large floats and the musical groups: Unión Musical, the Societat Musical l'Illa, the Societat Musical La Nova, the Bandeta Tropical and the Colla de Xirimiters de la Marina.

The spectacular parade, as Benidorm tradition dictates, had two distinct parts. The first, of a playful nature, featured characters from films and television series. The second, featured a recreation of the tale 'The Story of the Three Wise Men from the East', by Francisco José Rovira Peretó, a 'suite' structured in six parts: 'The Star and the Birth', 'Herod', 'The Shepherds', 'The Arab Souk', 'The Royal Entourage' and, finally, 'The Three Wise Men'.

This year, the character of the Christmas Star was played by the president of the Casa de Andalucía in Benidorm, Leonor Jiménez, and the royal emissaries, who arranged everything so that the Three Wise Men could carry out their important mission without problems, were Juan Barroso, Michel Acosta and Pedro Rostoll 'Menotti'.

The Kings, also at the Doble Amor

Before taking part in the Grand Parade in Benidorm, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar wanted to spend the afternoon with the children and residents of l'Horta in Benidorm. At 4:00 p.m., on the 'trenet', they arrived at the Camí de les Coves stop where they were also received by Toni Pérez, but with a special mission, to visit the Doble Amor Centre.

There, the president of the entity, José Luis Calvo, greeted them and, in front of them, wanted to acknowledge the support of the City Council to the association and recalled that the contribution that the corporation makes to the centre "doubles that of all the towns in the region" that it serves equally and reiterated to Their Majesties that every year they dedicate some time to visit and give presents to the users of the Doble Amor. 
Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar also had time to visit the Ermita de Sanç where hundreds of children and residents of this unique neighbourhood of Benidorm were waiting for them.

The 5th edition of #BenidormTeDaMás closes with an economic impact of 4.5 million on the local economy

• The campaign translates into more than 473,000 euros of aid to people affected by DANA through the 'Som Solidaritat' account

• 47,323 citizens redeemed 169,259 vouchers in more than 72,000 purchases between December 16 and 31. 

• Next week, payment to establishments of the last batch of vouchers consumed will be approved 

The fifth edition of the #BenidormTeDaMás consumer voucher campaign has closed with an economic impact of just over 4.5 million euros on the local economy, according to figures provided today by the mayor, Toni Pérez. An edition in which 590 establishments have participated and which “this year had a solidarity component, with one in five vouchers downloaded being allocated to helping people affected by the DANA tragedy in our sister province of Valencia”. Specifically, 473,323 euros will be allocated to this cause, which will reach the victims through the 'Som Solidaritat' account set up by the Generalitat Valenciana. 

In total, between 16 and 31 December, 47,323 people downloaded their consumer vouchers, 72.38% of the registered users who could benefit from this campaign - 65,381 people. In addition, 236,610 vouchers were downloaded, of which 169,529 were redeemed, bringing the more than 72,000 purchases recorded to 4,519,692.55 euros, which means that “for every euro contributed by the City Council to this campaign, almost two more have been spent, multiplying the impact of the campaign”. 

Toni Pérez has detailed that “the volume of downloads and users who have joined this edition of #BenidormTeDaMás are very similar to those of the previous campaign, although there has been a decrease in the number of vouchers finally used”. Despite everything, “the balance is, once again, very positive since it has encouraged the revitalization of commercial activity in our city, favoring local consumption and achieving a very important return that goes beyond municipal investment.” 

During the balance of the campaign, the mayor has also referred to the face-to-face attention that has been provided on the ground floor of the City Hall and in the administrative extensions to nearly 2,500 people who have been assisted in the process of downloading the vouchers. 

The mayor recalled that “in Benidorm we were pioneers in implementing and promoting consumer vouchers and, year after year, we have maintained the essence that makes us unique compared to other municipalities: universality, since in our city all people registered over 18 years of age as of 31 December have been able to participate in this initiative.” 

The mayor has announced that “next week the payment to the establishments of the last batch of vouchers will be approved, those exchanged between December 27 and 31, after having already paid for those consumed up to that date for an amount of 1.4 million euros”. “Once again, we have tried to be very agile so that this economic injection quickly reaches our productive fabric”, he added. 

The #BenidormTeDaMás initiative was endowed in this fifth edition with 2,564,400 euros, of which the City Council contributes 1,918,659 euros and the 645,741 euros come from the Provincial Council of Alicante.

Benidorm is ready to welcome the Three Wise Men, who will arrive accompanied by a thousand people

At 6:00 p.m. on January 5, the great Parade will depart from Elche Park and end at the Julio Iglesias auditorium, where the Kings will hand out gifts.

Their Majesties have already chosen their emissaries: Juan Barroso, Michel Acosta and Pedro Rostoll 'Menotti'.

Benidorm is now ready to welcome the Three Wise Men from the East, who will arrive in the city next Sunday, January 5, accompanied by a thousand people. This was announced today by the mayor, Toni Pérez, who, together with the Councillor for Festivals, Mariló Cebreros, explained that the city is already finalising preparations for the great Parade in which, in a few days, their Majesties will parade through the streets of Benidorm. 

Preparations are already being overseen by the emissaries of Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar, whose names the mayor has revealed today. Specifically, King Melchor has appointed Juan Barroso as his right-hand man in the important task of organising the delivery of gifts to the people of Benidorm; while King Gaspar has placed his trust in Michel Acosta and King Baltasar in Pedro Rostoll 'Menotti'.
Toni Pérez has reported that, as usual, the Three Wise Men will arrive in Benidorm following the route marked out for them by the Christmas Star, which will be in charge of opening “the spectacular” Cavalcade, which is already “a reference point in the province of Alicante, not only for those of us who live here but also for many people who accompany us these days”. 

As usual, the Parade on January 5th will be divided into two parts: the first is a fun part, in which the main characters are the characters from children's films and series; and the second, more traditional part, in which the tale 'The Story of the Three Wise Men from the East' is recreated.

In addition to the more than 700 people who make up their Majesties' entourage, there are five dance troupes, 10 floats and five musical groups from Benidorm: the Unión Musical, the Societat Musical l'Illa, the Societat Musical La Nova, the Tropical band and the Colla de Xirimiters de la Marina. And so on until reaching a thousand people. 

As is tradition, the musical groups will perform the adaptation of the symphonic suite 'The Three Wise Men', written especially for the Parade by the composer from Benidorm, Francisco José Rovira Peretó. This 'suite' is structured in six parts following the layout of the tale: 'The Story of the Three Wise Men', such as 'The Star and the Birth', 'Herod', 'The Shepherds', 'The Arab Souk', 'The Royal Entourage' and, finally, 'The Three Wise Men'.

The parade will leave at 6:00 p.m. from Elche Park and from there will proceed along Avenida de Los Almendros, Calle Marte, Calle Venus, Calle Ruzafa and Calle Herrerías, Plaza de SSMM Reyes de España and Parque de l'Aigüera until reaching the Julio Iglesias auditorium, where "a multimedia show and the launching of a fireworks display" are planned and where Their Majesties will distribute gifts to the boys and girls. 

Toni Pérez has asked the emissaries to “warn Their Majesties that the entrance to the auditorium via the central ramp of the Julio Iglesias is impressive”, and that this descent “is the most exciting thing they will experience”. From the start, the three emissaries have shown great excitement about participating in the Parade and accompanying Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar.

The Royal Camp and Postman
Preparations to welcome the Three Wise Men from the East will be coordinated from the Royal Camp, which is already set up in the gardens of the Plaza SSMM Reyes de España. Very close by, in the Plaza de la Navidad, this afternoon from 18:00 hours the Royal Postman will be stationed to collect the letters that the little ones have written to their Majesties; a visit that will be repeated today, afternoon, Friday, and tomorrow, Saturday, the 4th.