Author name: Chris Dove

How heartening to hear I’m not a lone voice after all… Following the furore over plans to erect a limited number of elegant skyscrapers in Marbella – which would have caused minimum disruption to the landscape while giving the town a much-needed new selling point as destinations strive to stand-out from the competition – my […]

Representing a year-on-year increase of 1.2% for the first quarter 2014, Andalucía’s Institute of Statistics & Cartography recorded 3,874,628 tourists to the region, with this summer expected to continue the upward trajectory set by the third quarter 2013 peak of 8,415,000 visitors, up 5.3% on the same period 2012. Typically, holidays account for 88.8% of

European%20Green%20Party%20in%20Fuengirola%2C%2024Apr2014.JPG Invited by Costa Press Club member Pia Bruun to discuss ‘What is the Green vision for the future of Europe?’ in Fuengirola’s Tetería La Rosa de los Vientos, former Irish Minister for Environment John Gormley and Fuengirola Green Party member Victor Blasco Iturralde gave a bilingual presentation acknowledging the many reasons behind citizens’ disenchantment

Ask a random group of people how they’d each spend a €1,000 windfall and nine out of ten will reply, “On a holiday!” With record hordes of happy holidaymakers hotfooting to the Costa del Sol, the European Commission’s new European Tourism Quality Principles aim to ensure value for money for visitors to Member States and

Thanks to Ali for organising Saturday’s enjoyable, packed International Women’s Day Fayre at Hotel Tamisa Golf in Mijas – good to see new and familiar faces. Thanks also to a lady named Angela from Ibex Insurance who, though we didn’t know her, kindly let me and my friend hijack a lift home then refused any

Huge new pots of public funds are available for Costa companies and communities to dip into – legally – so now’s the time to start thinking of collaborative projects or innovative ways of developing existing ones. Under its Europe 2020 strategic priorities, the European Commission’s 2014-2020 Work Programme promotes global competitiveness, “smart, sustainable, inclusive growth”,

Coinciding with Marbella council’s U-turn on the skyscraper debate, weekly newspaper SUR in English published my ‘head for heights’ comment alongside articles highlighting the pulling power of skyscrapers in Singapore and Panama. Though Marbella’s missed this opportunity to stand tall, there’s hope for a future softening of views among those currently opposed to high-rise buildings.

Elviria, Marbella – an oasis of flora and fauna   “A marvellous position on the Mediterranean, every building has unspoilt contact with the sea.” Jørn Utzon – Elviria architect, 1960   Poised at the foot of UNESCO’s protected Sierra de las Nieves mountain range, midway between Málaga and Puerto Banús, Elviria’s laid-back village feel, natural

Building on cultural and economic links with Spain, EUROAL 2013 International Travel Market for Latin America and Europe saw José Luis Córdoba, Director of Andalucía Lab Tourist Innovation Centre in Marbella, host a conference on “How to become smart destinations and not die in the attempt.” Held at Torremolinos Palacio de Congresos (6-8 June), 11

Number 13 may be unlucky for some, but it’s fortuitous for the Costa del Sol.   Starting a year which can only get better, reports of rich Russians shopping for luxury products and property were a great advert for Marbella on Spain’s national Informativos Telecinco news, 13/1/13 – ‘La Costa del Sol a la caza