TOURISM business leaders in Marbella are demanding action to halt erosion that threatens to wash away beaches in the popular seaside town on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
Associations representing hotels and restaurants are supporting the movement called ‘Marbella por sus playas’ to call on authorities to press on with projects to regenerate the town’s beaches.
These include the creation of breakwaters to prevent erosion caused by powerful waves during the Levante winds each year.
“Every summer we watch in amazement as the Levante storms sweep away our beaches and we are impotent to do anything about it,” said Jose Luque, head of the Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa Del Sol (AEHCOS), in a statement released earlier this week.
Although the glitzy resort has long proved popular with the jetset crowd, the beaches have much to be desired as illustrated in the following video.
The group believes now is the time to fast track a regeneration project to restore the beaches as tourism picks up again in the wake of the pandemic.
Marbella is the ideal candidate for a regeneration project such as those seen in El Palo, in Malaga and Poblenou, in Barcelona which vastly improved beaches and brought a boost in tourism, he said.
“Foreign tour operators repeatedly complain that Marbella does not have good beaches,” explained Sergio García, the president of the Andalusian Association of Travel Agencies in Malaga.
A demonstration is planned for Sunday, November 21, that will see local business leaders and residents demand the creation of breakwaters in a bid to protect the resort’s best beaches.
Protestors will meet at La Bajadilla port at 11am and march through the streets to Playa La Fontanilla where they can enjoy a free paella, provided by organisers.
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