ANDALUCIA TOURISM NEWS OCTOBER 31 2002

TOURIST PROMOTION OF ANDALUCÍA During the month of November, Andalucía will have a marked presence in London, where one of the most important tourism events in Europe is being held. This is thanks to the publicity campaign put into gear by the Regional Tourism and Sports Board for the next quarter. Sun and sand, inland tourism, culture and golf. The promotional video can be seen across Europe thanks to satellite television, and forms part of the regional tourist boards promotional campaign for the last three months of the year. And to promote the tourist image of Andalucía, the regional will be the star of the show in London between November 11 and 14 when the World Travel Market is held – one of the most important dates for tourist professionals in Europe. More than 3,000 posters in the underground and a display at the airport will be part of the publicity blitz in the English capital. This advertising campaign has been put together by the public company Turismo Andaluz and has a budget of around 3 million €.

DONATIONS FOR THE PICASSO MUSEUM
The Picasso Museum in Málaga has increased its assets with the addition of 18 more works from the artist, donated by his grandson, Bernard Ruiz-Picasso. This bring the numbers of works to more than 204 for the future gallery, made up of oils, etchings, sculptures and ceramics from the brilliant Málaga artist, donated for free by Picasso's family, and which represent all his artistic life. The renovation of the Buenavista Palace, situated in the old Jewish quarter of Málaga will be completed in the spring, ready to house the Picasso Museum. Then the works will start to arrive. The council for culture expects between 500,000 and 700,000 people to visit the Museum each year – entry will cost 6 €. The site will also hold temporary exhibitions of artists related to Picasso, as well as educational and research facilities.

LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA IN HUELVA 2002
The Latin American Film Festival which will be held in Huelva between November 9 and 16 will award the City of Huelva prize to the Argentinean director Adolfo Aristarain in recognition of his work in the film industry. This film maker already received the Golden Columbus award at this festival in 1982 for his film 'Ultimos días de la víctima' The 28th edition of this event this year gives us competition and official sections, with 12 feature films not yet shown in Spain, Pantalle 2002- with Latin American films, Al Andaluz – with works made in Andalucía, and Panorama of Film and Rábida with 16 films never shown before in Spain. The picture of the Casa Colón and the profile of the buildings of the city make up the poster for this year's festival of Latin American Cinema – designed by graphic artist Sara Rojo, who also includes a mosaic of Latin American flags which reminds us of the close links of the event to the countries on the other side of the Atlantic. For its part the Latin American Federation of Cinema Producers will present their prize for the best film made in Latin America this year, as they consider Huelva festival to be one those most relevant to the Latin American film industry.

MÁLAGA AND GRANADA JAZZ FESTIVALS
This month of November sees Málaga and Granada becoming centres for Jazz, each with festivals attracting the participation of the best musicians of the moment. In Málaga – the quartet belonging to the Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés will open the Málaga International Jazz Festival in the Cervantes Theatre on November 12. The festival continues until the 17th with the performances of Chano Domínguez and the north American singer Jane Monheit. The Granada Jazz Festival will have started beforehand, opened again by Chucho Valdés on November 8. Keyboard player Zawinul, the Tom Harrell Quintet, the Granada Big Band and the singer Shiela Jordan are some of the outstanding attractions of the festival. The Isabel la Catolica theatre hosts the concerts until the 23rd of this month, while the Alhambra Theatre and the events hall of the Granada provincial government offer parallel events. A month for jazz lovers to enjoy their music on different stages.

TOURISM AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
35% of people who visit Andalucía have previously consulted the Internet about their destination. This is one piece of data which has been revealed at the national congress which tourist technicians have held in Málaga on the use of new technologies. Such technologies are important for the growth of what is the main industry in Andalucía. Nearly 8 million visitors have got previous information about the region on the net, most of them foreigners. The online office of the Tourism Board has received nearly 70,000 visits in just seven years. Tourism and the Internet are ever more united – in countries such as the United States most people who go to a travel agents have already found out about their destination online. The travel agents are companies which have to adapt to these new technologies, used in the most part by tourists who want to contact directly with the hotel establishments.

ISLE OF ALBORÁN NATURE PARK
The isle of Alborán, off Almería, is considered one of the biologically most diverse areas of the Mediterranean. This area will now become one of the 128 areas of protected natural space in the Andalucía region, given that the Junta de Andalucía have approved a law to declare this part of Almería province as a Nature Park. The future protected area will be made up of the island of Alborán itself, the small isle Nube, and the waters and marine depths around them – with a total surface area of approximately 264 square kilometres – the sea bottom of which hosts valuable formations of red and orange coral. The new law intends to promote the conservation of the marine and land based habitats, and recover the species of both flora and fauna, as well as preserve the cliffs, beaches, coral reefs and underwater caves. With the declaration of the Isle of Alborán as a Nature Park, the area now becomes part of the Network of Natural Protected Spaces in Andalucía – the most extensive of the Iberian peninsular.

MUSUEM OF THE MOUNTAIN
The love of the mountain has led one climber to compile all his kit and display it in the only Mountain Museum in Spain, now open in the visitors centre of the Sierra Nevada National Park, in Granada. A look which José Luis Conde takes at mountain climbing worldwide. Old sledges with harnesses for dogs, boots, skis and ice axes. In total there are 1,300 items, among them crampons from 1920 and an ice axe with which he climbed the Himalayas in 1990. In addition 450 photographs on display show the history of mountaineering, national, European and American. With free entry, this Museum of the Mountain shows visitors all the elements necessary to enjoy a climb, taking us into to a world unknown to many. A display which is in homage to the mountaineers who have contributed to the history of the sport, and one in which anyone can add their own pieces to the collection.