ARCHIVED - Murcia government to spend 2 million euros on promoting tourism in the Mar Menor

The aim is to offset the effects of Brexit water quality issues in the lagoon

The regional government of Murcia is to set aside 2 million euros to promote tourism in and around the Mar Menor, it has been announced, in an effort to offset the downturn in visitor numbers which has been noticeable since the deterioration in the marine environment of the lagoon since the gota fría storm of September last year.

The runoff water which made its way into the Mar Menor during the flooding caused by the last autumn contributed to an acceleration of the effects of fertilizers and nutrients used by crop farmers in the Campo de Cartagena, with serious effects on the native flora and fauna. Despite this, though, the water is completely safe for bathers and the regional government is keen to emphasise this fact and to undo some of the damage caused to the image of the lagoon in the eyes of the national and international public.

In addition, there is still some uncertainty over the extent to which Brexit may deter British holidaymakers from heading for the Costa Cálida, and in this context Cristina Sánchez, the head of the Tourism department in the Murcia government, brought together Mayors and councillors from the four municipalities within which the Mar Menor lies (San Javier, Los Alcázares, Cartagena and San Pedro del Pinatar) to announce that 80 per cent of the regional tourist board’s budget in 2020 is to be devoted to the area.

The UK and Ireland are to be specifically targeted in the efforts to attract visitors, and delegations from the Costa Cálida will be attending major tourism fairs this year in Berlin, London and New York while at the same time positive publicity is to be generated and distributed by “influencers” on social networks, where the bad news regarding the Mar Menor has been spread like wildfire but positive developments tend to be largely overlooked. At the same time the campaign to attract airlines to the Region of Murcia International Airport in Corvera will continue, again with special attention being paid to the UK as this is by far the most important source of international visitors to the Costa Cálida.

One of the messages to be transmitted is that the Mar Menor consists of more than just beaches, with the emphasis to be placed on events such as the San Javier Jazz Festival, the regional park of the salt flats and dunes of San Pedro del Pinatar, the local fiestas and gastronomy, the golf courses and the water sports opportunities in the area, including some of the best dive sites in Spain in Cabo de Palos.

Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Region of Murcia and the rest of Spain: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/.