16 million euros will be invested in rural hotels in Spain

A downswing of tourist flow in Spain is summer 2009 has affected the entire tourist industry of the country. Besides the famous hotels on Ibiza, Majorca, Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, numerous hotels and so-called “tourist villas” (Villas Turisticas) of continental Spain were short of tourists. Villas Turisticas – is a special type of hotels in Spain, which are located primarily in old historical mansions – architectural monuments.

Andalusia – a region of Spain, where such type of hotels as “tourist villas” is widely spread. That is why authorities of Andalusia tend are trying to do their utmost so that the next season of summer 2010 in Spain will not be failed. With this objective in view, the Andalusian government decided to redefine the concept of tourist villas and invest significant funds in modernization of rural hotels in several provinces of Andalusia.

The fact, that a total modernization of rural hotels in Andalusia will be held, was announced last Sunday in Almeria by the Head of Board of Tourism, Trade and Sport - Luciano Alonso. In total, the government of Andalusis is going to spent 16 million euros on upgrading and promotion of redesigned hotels on foreign markets. Not only the appearance of rural hotels in Andalusia will be changed during the project and hotel rooms will be renovated. Villas Turisticas will get a new corporate name. Which one - Andalusian government has not yet specified.

Such cities as Unicaja, Kahasol, Kaha, Granada as well as Hotelux hotel chain will take part in the creation of a new hotel chain, which will be arranged similar to already successful project Parador hotels. Each participant will invest in the creation of a new chain about 9,5 million euros.

To date, five of the eight hotels, which belong to class "tourist villas", are closed and ready for large-scale reorganization. Among them are hotels of Seville, Granada, Malaga, Almeria and Huelva. Thus, the total period of restoration and modernization of the hotel Lúajar de Andarax in Almeyre will be about 5 years. The total cost of restoration work at the hotel is estimated at 900 thousand euros.