THE BEST FINANCE NEWS ON PAGES 14 17 COSTA CALIDA • EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
HISTORIC SUMMER
Catherine McGeer THE Region of Murcia has achieved a sig nificant milestone in its tourism sector, as July 2023 marked a historic period with a remarkable increase in tourist activity. According to the Hotel Occupancy Sur vey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), there was a notable 5.7 per cent increase in overnight stays with in the Murcian community. This figure outshines the national yearonyear growth rate of 2.5 per cent recorded for Spain as a whole. The attraction of the Costa Calida’s pristine beaches and the array of leisure activities, including diving experiences along the coast, has been complemented by a flourishing gastro nomic scene and competitive hotel prices. These combined factors attracted a total of 159,167 visitors to the Region of Murcia during July. Notably, this surge in tourist numbers positions the Murcian community as the fourth autonomous re gion in Spain to witness the most sub stantial increase in tourists. Marcos Ortuño, the Minister of Presi dency and Tourism said that this success can be attributed, in part, to an impactful campaign led by the department under
Murcia’s tourism flourishes with unprecedented surge.
Ortuño’s guidance. The campaign enlist ed ATP’s topranked player, Carlos Al caraz, as the face of Costa Calida, marked by the resonating slogan: ‘Region of Mur cia, come and you will understand’. This achievement, when compared to the prepandemic figures of July 2019, translates to a substantial growth of 17.48 per cent. This increase is the highest recorded across all of Spain. Moreover, Murcia’s coastal areas ranked fourth
among Spain’s coastal destinations in terms of yearonyear growth in traveller numbers, following Costa Guipuzkoa, Pal maCalvia, and Costa Verde. Minister Marcos Ortuño conveyed his satisfaction on social media, highlighting the increasing appeal of Murcia as a tourist destination. The historical data generated in July reinforces the Region of Murcia’s position on the global tourism map.
Not-so-shark tale BATHERS enjoying a sunny day at La Manga’s kilome tre 16 beach witnessed an unexpected visitor recently when a sizeable marine creature was spotted swim ming near the shoreline. The presence of the ani mal caused a stir among beachgoers, prompting some to swiftly retreat to the safety of the sand. Approximately 20 on lookers observed the ani mal, which was seen swim ming a mere 20 metres from the shore. Many of these observers confidently identified it as a shark, due to its estimated 1.5metre length. This wasn’t the only sighting. Hours later, the same animal was spotted once again, this time swim
Screen shot: La 7
Shutterstock/ lunamarina
FISHY CASE CLOSED: Tuna takes the spotlight.
ming along the coastline at kilometre 17. María PozoMontoro, a shark specialist and re searcher at UMU, provided an alternative perspective to the situation. She as sured concerned local resi dents that the creature in question was not a shark
but rather a tuna. Accord ing to her, the animal likely escaped from the San Pe dro fish farm. This summer so far a shark was spotted on Agua marina beach in Cam poamor which led to the temporary evacuation of the beach due to safety
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Boat crash Image: X/ @turismormurcia
Issue No. 23 (1991) 31 Aug - 6 Sept 2023
concerns. The stranded shark was later found on another beach, having un fortunately perished. A five metre sperm whale washed ashore on Torre Derribada beach in San Pedro recent ly, leaving many to wonder why they are popping up with more frequency.
FIVE people sustained in juries during a boat collision with Isla Redonda in Mar Menor recently. Emergency sources reveal that three of the victims were transport ed to Cartagena’s Santa Lucía Hospital. Among them, one suf fered an open leg fracture while the other two experi enced severe traumas. The incident happened around 11pm when a 12metre
long yacht was navigating in the Mar Menor. The ves sel, for reasons unknown, crashed into Isla Redonda, a small islet near Isla del Barón. The injured com prised four women aged between 54 and 71, as well as a 15yearold boy. Red Cross volunteers promptly offered aid, with the three casualties subsequently ad mitted to Santa Lucía Hos pital for treatment.