Nerja app and award at FITUR

Three of the five boys who discovered Nerja ’ s famous complex of caves at Maro gathered in the town last month to mark the 64th anniversary of the event . The celebrations came as the Foundation which manages the attraction said attendance in 2022 had returned to pre-Covid levels . More than 436,000 tickets were sold last year , including 80,000 during the best August for ten years .

More cruising

Málaga is expected to welcome 315 cruise ships during 2023 , compared with 293 last year . It will be the first visit to the city ’ s port for 17 of the vessels . The Málaga Port Authority executed an expansion plan at the beginning of this century which led to the construction of new facilities for cruise terminals and their annexed berths , including more than 1,300 linear metres of exclusive docking for vessels .

Regional vote

A new independent political party , Por mi Pueblo , has announced it will field 15 candidates in municipalities across the Axarquía in the forthcoming municipal elections . The party describes itself as “ municipalist ” and “ not subject to the interests and agreements of the traditional parties .” Its members will fight the elections in Cómpeta , Frigiliana , Nerja , Rincón de la Victoria , Torrox and Vélez-Málaga amongst other local towns .

17 January - The caves , the sun and the beaches of Nerja fill Madrid with light in the FITUR 2023

The Spanish TV series Verano Azul was first broadcast over 40 years ago , but it still retains huge public interest . The drama serial related the adventures of a group of youngsters aged between nine and 17 while on holiday in a coastal town on the Costa del Sol . It was filmed mostly in Nerja .

For years , fans of the series have visited the area to see for themselves the places including the Balcón de Europa and the replica of the fishing boat , La Dorada , which appeared in the programme . Now , however , Verano Azul has moved into the 21st century with the launch of NerjaAP , an augmented reality program available for both Android and Apple devices .

It was launched last month by Nerja ’ s mayor , José Alberto Armijo during FITUR , the annual tourism fair in Madrid . Sr Armijo described Verano Azul as “ a series which was essential for the tourist , economic and social development of Nerja ,” and thanked its director , Antonio Mercero , Spanish TV and the actors for their contribution to the promotion of the municipality nationally and internationally . He added that the new app highlights the City Council ’ s commitment to the application of new technologies and the digitisation of tourism .

NerjaAP takes users to corners of the town which featured in the series , plus further information on the characters and even shows some the scenes which were filmed in the town . It has been developed by the Granada-based technology company AR Vision using augmented reality technology to add digital information about tourist attractions , and is free to download .

Also during FITUR , the Foundation which manages Nerja ’ s famous caves complex at Maro was awarded the National Q Award by the Institute for Spanish Quality Tourism . Only five such awards are presented each year and the Cueva de Nerja Foundation won the honour for its effort and commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG ) and of its management in providing the best services to visitors .

Airport recovery

Málaga airport last year recovered 93 % of its passenger traffic and 99.4 % of flights which operated before the Covid pandemic . Data from operators Aena show that 82 % of passengers in 2022 arrived on international commercial flights . Málaga is also the second busiest airport for the country ’ s domestic travellers .

Soltalk February 2023 | Page 18

Nerja app and award at FITUR