COSTA DEL SOL FULLY BOOKED
The hotels in the Costa del Sol will be nearly 100% full during this summer, the usual situation each year at this peak holiday time. It's more evidence that the area continues to grow. July and August are expected to be fully booked on the Costa del Sol, according to the forecasts of the Málaga Tourism Board, which bases its predictions on figures including those supplied by the hotels themselves, which saw average occupation levels for April and May of 85%. This level is maintained nearly all the year, as off-season can now only be described as being the months of December and January. One of the future targets for the area is to open up new markets in Asia and the United States.

MIJAS HORSE RACE TRACK PRIZE 2002
One of the favourites, the Irish horse Elektrum, won the Radio Televisión Andaluza prize ahead of 11 rivals in a 1,600m race held at the Mijas horse race track last June 22. Elektrum won the 12,000 € first prize in the second edition of the race with which the regional public broadcaster wants to show its support for the Mijas horse racetrack. The race brought this springs season to an end. From now on and until September, the horse races will be held on Saturday nights from 10,30pm. The Mijas horse race track has splendid facilities which constitute one of the main leisure attractions at the heart of the Costa del Sol.

SELWO MARINA BENALMÁDENA
The thousands of visitors who visit the Costa del Sol in Málaga each year, now have a new leisure park to visit. It's the Selwo Marina, in Benalmádena, two hectares where we can enjoy a dolphinarium, a tank with sea lions and a penguin park. The site, which was inaugurated by the Councillor for the presidency of the regional government, Gaspar Zarrías, also has an area for exotic birds, a children's play area as well as bars and restaurants. With Selwo Marina in Benalmádena and Selwo Adventure in Estepona, the Parques Reunidos company has invested more than 42 million € in the province of Málaga. It's calculated that Selwo Marina will welcome 350,000 visitors in its first year. The new leisure park on the Costa del Sol will also act as an educational centre allowing visitors to closely observe the acclimatisation and reproduction of the animals.

CITY OF CÁDIZ FOLKLORE FESTIVAL
Groups from countries such as Yugoslavia, Latonia, Turkey and Mexico will participate in the 20th edition of the 'City of Cádiz Folklore Festival between July 11 and 13th. Two groups from Cádiz will also present their music in this event, which will be held in the José María Pemán theatre. For three days countries which can seem far off will bring the traditional music which is part of their culture to us. As well as the performances in the summer theatre, the groups will take part in other activities, such as that entitled 'Come and dance with us' in the Plaza Ingeniero de la Cierva, the grand presentation procession through the city centre, and a craftwork fair in the Cathedral Square. A chance to enjoy good music in a city such as Cádiz, which also offers us some of the best beaches on the Andalucian coast.

SANTA CATALINA CASTLE JAÉN
The Santa Catalina Castle, in Jaén, has opened its doors once again, converted into an interactive museum and tourist information centre for the city. A centre filled with many items based on the latest technologies which can explain and inform on the legends and fame of the city as well as its history and nature. The project has two types of space, open and covered, where the different periods of the fort have tried to be recreated, as well as remembering the areas used as a mill, stables or the prison, which have been decorated with historical objects and living displays of the work methods of the time to recreate the atmosphere and occasion, by using actors and animation groups. The visit to the interactive museum lasts about an hour and starts with a verbal welcome from a speaking suit of armour. The different spaces of the museum hold areas on the history of Jaén from 40,000 years ago, and a room with a viewpoint where we can see details of the buildings of Jaén through a high precision camera, among other attractions.

IN DEFENCE OF HOTEL AND RESTAURANT USERS IN JAÉN
Consumers and users in the province of Jaén will be able to resolve their possible complaints in restaurants and hotels more easily. The Junta de Andalucía and the 'Federación Empresarial de los Gremios de Turismo y Hostelería' have signed an agreement under which a committee will be created to start dialogue in the case of a complaint. The objective is to improve communication between the two sides to resolve any possible conflicts in the best form possible. This agreement has been signed in the collaborative framework which the Andalucian government has set up with different business sectors to improve the quality of their services, and to improve the hotel and tourism sector which is so important in the province, as well as to defend the rights of consumers.

MÁLAGA TAPAS FAIR 2002
One of the main attractions in Andalucía is its rich gastronomy, especially when it's something as typical in this land as the tapas – small portions of the tastiest dishes from Andalucian cuisine. In Málaga, some 100 different tapas served by 21 different restaurant companies have been tasted and enjoyed by the hundreds of people who attended the 5th edition of the Tapas Fair, which has just been held in the city. Ten wine bodegas also took part with the Málaga regulatory wine council which offered free tastings of the main wine varieties from the province. Each stand presented at least 5 different tapas. Salads, Migas breadcrumbs, Callos tripe, fish and all kinds of gastronomic specialities which were tasted in the central Plaza de la Marina in Málaga and which delighted both locals and visitors alike.

DAILY FLIGHT MÁLAGA- MUNICH
Málaga now has a daily flight with the German city of Munich, operated by Spanair and Lufthansa, a company which therefore doubles the frequency of its flights to the Costa del Sol which were, upto now, a daily flight with Frankfort. The new flight will have 150 seats. Lufthansa hopes that, as well as being used by tourists who want to spend their holidays on the Costa del Sol, it will also be attractive for people who have business in these places. In addition the Munich airport can be used by the passengers who are flying from Málaga onto other international destinations – this German airport offers some 600 of them. Last year Lufthansa served more than 130,000 German passengers on its flight between Frankfort and Málaga, more than 8% more than in the year 2000. This shows a growth that was far superior to the average seen by the other companies operating in the Andalucian airport.