Tourist Developments

Walt Disney Again Eyeing The Costa del Sol

As has been widely speculated for a while, Disney is drawing up plans for a new theme park on the Costa del Sol. Sites being sought are mainly in the Manilva area as access is very good and there is space available.

Disney officials have been discussing issues with the Manilva authorities and speculation is that there will be a summer camp opening first, followed by an eventual Disney theme park a few years later.

If this does materialise, the effect on Southern Spain will be immense, including the regeneration of that whole area. This would increase the demand for holiday rentals, as well as longer term rentals for the vast number of staff which would be required to keep the park open.

It is thought that as part of the deal, Disney have been asked to contribute to the cost of a new motorway from Seville to the Costa del Sol.

Disney had planned to build a theme park in Southern Spain in the late 80's with the final sites narrowed down to Paris and Estepona. Paris was eventually chosen largely because of the subsidiaries offered, but the site in Paris has been plagued with bad weather and cultural differences.

Club Disney For San Roque

San Roque Town Hall has reached agreement with Spanish national TV channel Tele 5, for their children's programme 'Club Disney'; to be broadcast from the municipality this summer. The programme will be based on the area between Sotogrande and Torreguadiaro. The TV station has chosen this location because of its attractive situation and the high number of summer visitors.

Source - www.andalucia.com

Tunnel Link Planned For Spain And Morocco

Spain's very own 'Channel Tunnel' is being planned to provide an undersea link to Morocco and the rest of Africa. Excavation on the 'Afrotunnel', under the Strait of Gibraltar, could start as early as next year and it is estimated that up to nine million users a year could be using the rail service by 2025.

The 25-mile tunnel is set to boost property prices and demand in both countries. Anything that increases access to these areas will increase the rise in property prices. When the Channel Tunnel was built, property values in areas near the terminals benefited from a high increase.