Axarquía coastal towns to have virtual tourist information points

Tourism

The initiative is aimed at tourists visiting the eastern Costa del Sol to show the attractions of the area's inland towns and villages, their festivals, heritage and architecture

Eugenio Cabezas

Nine virtual tourist information points are to be set up in the Axarquía area of Malaga province after the Mancomnunidad association of town halls in the area awarded a contract for the work to Dinycon Sistemas. The digital offices will provide interactive tourist information on the towns and villages of the Axarquía, their routes, attractions, services and facilities.

The project, funded by a grant from the provincial authority the Diputación de Málaga, to the tune of 162, 751 euros, forms part of its digital transformation process to modernise the promotion of the Axarquía - eastern Costa del Sol as a destination. The association has worked on this project with the advice of the Andalusian institute for research and innovation in tourism at the University of Malaga.

The nine totems will be installed at popular tourist spots in the Axarquía's coastal towns: two will be placed in Rincón de la Victoria, two in Vélez-Málaga, one in Algarrobo, two in Torrox and two in Nerja. The aim is to provide visitors arriving on the coast with direct, visual and straightforward access to the full range of attractions in the Axarquía.

The president of the Mancomunidad, Jorge Martín, stressed the importance of creating tourist flows between the coast and the inland villages. The strategy aims to ensure that those staying in or visiting the coastal towns are aware of the proximity of other local attractions, ranging from white villages and natural areas to traditional festivals, cultural routes, gastronomy and heritage.

This objective ties in with one of the long-standing challenges of promoting tourism in the Axarquía: diversifying demand beyond sun and beach holidays and spreading visitor numbers more evenly throughout the year.

The association is also making progress on another strategic cultural tourism project: the future Minaret Route. The route aims to showcase the Andalusian minarets of Daimalos, in Arenas; Árchez; Salares; Corumbela, in Sayalonga; Benaque, in Macharaviaya; and Vélez-Málaga.

This project is coordinated by Costa del Sol Tourism and Planning in conjunction with the Tourism Department of the Mancomunidad Oriental, in collaboration with the consultancy firm Acción MK and the Sharqí Málaqa association. The aim is to design a cultural tourism product that helps to reinforce the Axarquía's Al-Andalus heritage, correct historical inaccuracies associated with the current Mudéjar Route and establish a more accurate picture of this architectural legacy.

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