Fuengirola Town Hall has announced the “suspension” of the popular annual International Fair, due to have been held from 29 April to 3 May.
With Spanish health authorities warning that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are likely to extend beyond the national lockdown – currently scheduled to end on 11 April – the town hall said the 26th edition of the “Feria Internacional de los Pueblos” would now be held over until 2021.
Announcing the decision, which was widely expected as the fair attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from elsewhere on the Costa del Sol and throughout Spain, as well as from overseas, mayoress Ana Mula explained, “The uncertainty generated by the coronavirus obliges the fair’s suspension as the only viable option.
“The FIP organisation takes months of planning and formal processes, which have been interrupted by the outbreak of this health emergency. Furthermore, it requires a major movement of people, materials and products from other countries, which is not advisable right now. So, after speaking to the representatives of the various countries involved, we have made this painful, but logical, decision.”
According to the town hall, many of these representatives had already decided not to attend, because of the ongoing crisis and difficulties arranging travel from their respective countries.
Mula said Fuengirola remained committed to this “cosmopolitan and multicultural” celebration in the future, once the health crisis had passed.
Revamped Port Project at the Heart of Fuengirola’s Pacesetting Growth
Meanwhile, the town hall has revealed plans to move ahead with a major makeover of Fuengirola’s marina port.
Berenguer Ingenieros, an engineering company with international experience in the maritime sector, has been commissioned to draw up a blueprint of the project over the next four months, with the ultimate aim of creating a “major tourism magnet that becomes the main economic engine of the new Fuengirola”, according to the town hall – “a modern, innovative and attractive port that is a reference point in Europe at all levels”.
The proposed project includes plans for an increase from the current 471 to 800 berths, an inner harbour for large yachts, and a mooring area for cruise ships up to 160 metres in length.
Referring to the municipality’s ongoing growth, mayoress Ana Mula said the resident population (officially registered on the “padrón”) had now risen to over 81,000 – leading the way for growth in Andalucía. She said this could be attributed to Fuengirola’s quality of life: “a clean, safe and attractive town, with top-quality services, excellent leisure and cultural options, and solid economic development”.
The number of residents on the latest census had grown by 4,913 in one year, she noted, including people settling permanently in Fuengirola, buying a second home, or enjoying their retirement in the town. “This highlights the town’s privileged geographic location and good communications by road and local train to Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport and the AVE national high-speed rail network in Málaga.”
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