WORK ON THE BAELO CLAUDIA INFORMATION AND RECEPTION CENTRE FOR VISITORS WILL START THIS YEAR.
Work on the Information and Visitors Reception centre at the Archaelogical site of Baelo Claudia will start before the end of this year, according to a statement from the Councillor for Culture, Carmen Calvo. The initiative which sees other information centres being set up across Andalucía has started in this area, according to the councillor, because it is the one most distant from a town. The site has seen an important increase in visitor numbers over the last two years – a two thirds increase – taking the current number of visitors close to 90,000 a year. Space for parking has been created at the site together with some services and work is expected to start soon.

THE CAMPO DE GIBRALAR COULD HAVE A NEW NATURE PARK
The area close to Gibraltar could have a new Nature Park. The chief of the Environmental Conservation of the Junta de Andalucía, Federico Fernández, has informed representatives from several diverse social collectives about the possibility of declaring a new nature park along the coastline of the Campo de Gibraltar. Fernández has met with representatives of the Andalucian Hunting Federation and the Campo de Gibraltar Rural Tourism Association together with unions CCOO and UGT. Everyone agreed that the new park would be of both first class tourist and business interest in the area. The unions and diverse organisations have promised their support for the inititive to declare the coastal area between Algeciras and Tarifa as a nature park, according to sources of the sub delegation of the regional government in the Campo de Gibraltar area.

RURAL TOURISM INCREASES CONSIDERABLY COMPARED TO LAST YEAR
More than 2,250 travellers occupied rural accommodation in Andalucía during the month of February, most of them resident of Spain, according to data from the Survey of Tourist Accommodation from the National Statistics Institute. The 290 rural accommodations in Andalucía registered a 9% capacity. In the month of January the number of overnight stays rose to 6271 in the Andalucía area, of which 5396 were Spanish tourists and the rest, 876 foreigners. Rural tourism has seen a large increase in recent years, consolidating as an important part of tourism, according to sources at the National Statistics Institute.

ITÁLICA TO CELEBRATE THE TRAJAN YEAR IN 2003
The Junta de Andalucía and the Friends of Itálica Association have signed an agreement to collaborate in the organisation of joint activities. The first initiative to take place will be the celebration of the Trajan Year in 2003, in celebration of the 1,950th anniversary of the birth of the emperor from Seville. The Council for Culture and that for Public Works will take part in the celebration with the objective of remembering and maintaining the philosophy of the Trajan and promoting Seville as the birthplace of the Emperor in international forums, according to declarations from the Councillor for Culture, Carmen Calvo. The councillor did not want to give details of the acts which will make up the anniversary celebration, but said she was confident that the work on the Roman Theatre would be completed by 2003 and that the Itálica International Dance Festival could return to its normal site once the works were completed.

HOTEL DON MIGUEL – NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR AJECOMAR
The Marbella Chief Cooks Association, AJECOMAR, has chosen the Hotel Don Miguel, from the Master Hotels hotel group as its official headquarters. The decision was taken, according to the president of the association, Juan Caballero, as Marbella is the ideal place for the headquarters and the Master Hotels company had offered the held necessary to consolidate the association. In addition AJECOMAR has presented a calendar of activities for this year, among which are the 2nd meeting of young cooks and the first gastronomic show of Arab Andalucian cooking to be held in November 2002. The intention of this collective, which is made up of 90 Chief cooks from the Costa del Sol, is to consolidate their presence in the area and help the promotion of Andalucian cuisine in the rest of the world.

THE ITB CELEBRATES ITS 36TH EDITION
The most important feria in the International Tourism sector ITB Berlin 2002, celebrates its 36th edition from the 16-20th March in Berlin. The most important forum in marketing and communication will be held with the participation of the most important companies and associations in the tourism sector. The tourism council, through its promotional body Turismo Andaluz, will present all the details of the Andalucian tourism offer in ITB2002 For the forth consecutive year, Turismo Andaluz will have a stand at the fair. It will be 232 square metres – 50 more than the previous year. All the Andalucian provinces will be presented in the stand as well as an important display from the business sector. A new attraction this year from Turismo Andaluz will be a stand in the 'Art Cities in Europe' pavilion – a part of the fair dedicated exclusively to the promotion of worldwide cultural tourism, and where special emphasis will be given to the Legado Andalusí and the Ruta de los Nazaríes.

ANDALUCIA – ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS IN EASTER
The Easter holidays are for many the longest weekend break in the year. Andalucía is one of the Spanish regions which receives most visitors, thanks to the variety, quality and service on offer to the tourist. The beauty and tradition of Holy Week converts the capital cities in Andalucía in to ideal holiday destinations for both Spaniards and foreigners, who unite in the popular fervour of the fiestas. Another of the destinations chosen by many tourists is the Andalucian coastline, where the visitor goes in search of sun and a rest away from the activity of the cities. Both the coast and inland will be full, given that these dates are some of the most important of the year as far as hotel occupancy and the number of visitors are concerned.

THE REALES ALCÁZARES OPEN TWO OF THEIR MOST IMPORTANT STUCCOED CIELINGS TO THE PUBLIC
The Reales Alcázares in Seville is to open two of their most important 15th century Mudéjar stuccoed ceilings once they are restored. The bedroom of Pedro 1, the cruel and the lookout of the Catholic Kings needed 15 months of restoration to be returned to their original polychrome. A team of 10 people have carried out the restoration work of the 140 square metres of fine woods. During the restoration three different decorations have been discovered – the Mudéjar from the 15th century, the renaissance from the 16th, and the repainting from the start of the 20th. With these two rooms the Alcazar has started the restoration plan of the 11 most deteriorated stuccoed ceilings of this important monumental complex. These rooms will be open to the public in groups 15 people every half hour.