Costa gets Royal boost
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited Benidorm and Valencia
THE COSTA Blanca tourism trade got a public image boost on Friday (July 3) with the official visit of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to the landmark Levante beach promenade in Benidorm.
The visit was part of the tour the King and Queen are carrying out to all Spanish regions to boost tourism and support the efforts of businesses and residents now that the country has overcome the worst of the pandemic and ventures into the ‘new normality’. After a meeting with regional tourism and commerce representatives at a local hotel conference room, King Felipe and Queen Letizia took a stroll along the Levante promenade, taking off their masks, socially distancing from others to offer the press and cheering crowds a photo opportunity.
They waved to the enthusiastic bystanders on the beach, many of whom were flying the Spanish flag or holding up banners with ‘Welcome to Benidorm’, and they stopped to talk to the new beach monitors.
The Royal couple also visited an ice cream shop on the front where they opted for a sugar free Xixona nougat flavour, after Queen Letizia mentioned that they ‘do not eat sugar in their household’. The delegation accompanying the Royals included president of the Valencia region Ximo Puig, minister for science and innovation Pedro Duque, president of Alicante province Carlos Mazón and Benidorm mayor Toni Pérez and councillors.
It was great promotion for the resort to have the Royal couple visit and much appreciated by many businesses associated with tourism here, noted a town hall spokesman.
National innovation and design awards in Valencia
The couple then went on to Valencia where they strolled along Paseo de Neptuno on Playa
Arenas and enjoyed a traditional paella lunch at La Pepica restaurant - which in the past also served the King's father Don Juan Carlos. In the afternoon, they travelled to the art and science museum to preside over the national innovation and design awards.
Murcia
On Tuesday the Royal couple headed to the Murcia region as part of the countrywide tour.
They started their visit at a fruit cooperative in Cieza ‘to show their support for agriculture’. Regional president Fernando López Miras was part of the entourage that showed the King and Queen around La Carrichosa farm which produces peaches, pears and grapes.
According to state news agency EFE, they approached a group of fruit pickers and were told about the harvest process and the different types of fruits on offer. They were informed that their exports go to the UK, Germany and France as well as countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.
The Royals then moved on to Murcia city to see the work of the Murcia institute of biosanitary investigation (IMIB), which is carrying out research projects into Covid-19.