Marbella Town Hall Welcomes Michelle Obama to the ‘New Marbella’ as can be seen from their press release:
City Highlights Three Years of Achievements Contributing to Marbella’s Regeneration
Excitement is running high as the visit of America’s First Lady, Michelle Obama to Marbella draws ever closer. Mrs. Obama, her daughter Sasha and her entourage will be staying at the 5-star deluxe Villa Padierna Hotel from 4-8 August.
Although a private visit, the news is attracting an inordinate amount of press attention in Spain and the rest of the world. There is much speculation as to how the first lady will spend her time on the Costa del Sol, and why America’s first family have chosen to holiday in the Marbella area.
For José Luiís Hernández, the Tourism Councillor for Marbella, the answer is simple. “The Marbella Town Hall is honoured to welcome Mrs Obama and family to the area – she has chosen to come here over any location in the world. This is excellent news not only for Marbella, but for Andalucía and the whole of Spain. We are already seeing the impact in terms of hotel bookings, particularly for American company incentives.
“The fact that the Obama family is coming to Marbella Is a clear indication that Marbella is considered a leading tourist destination, and it is testament to all the positive changes that have been made in the city since our council was elected four years ago.”
Under the direction of Mayor, Mª Ángeles Muñoz, the city council of Marbella has made serious progress in repairing the devastation caused by the previous corrupt council, which left Marbella with municipal debts in excess of 500 million euros, an illegal urban plan and major problems with both public image and consumer confidence.
Among the 10 most important achievements of the current Marbella administration in the past three years are the following:
- Marbella officially leads the tables in terms of “quality of life”, having the highest per capita income and most green space per person in Andalucía. For this reason, Marbella continues to be a thriving cosmopolitan resort with a resident foreign community of 40,000 people and attracts some 1.5 million tourists a year.
- In January 2010, Marbella finally achieved legality for its urban plan (PGOU) for the first time in 24 years. The vast majority of illegally constructed homes were legalized, and confidence was restored to the depressed property market.
- In 2010, Mayor Ángeles Muñoz announced officially that owing to prudent management of public spending and transparency in the administration, municipal debts in Marbella have been reduced by 100 million euros.
- The long-awaited construction of the San Pedro de Alcántara underpass finally got underway in July 2008, paving the way to a much-improved flow of traffic which will include a magnificent public park to replace the coastal highway. Similarly, improvements and extensions to the sea front, or Paseo Marítimo, in Marbella will create a continuous 26 kilometre-long promenade for pedestrians.
In July 2009, Marbella was put on the world’s sporting map when the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup were destined to the resort, bringing an estimated 10 million euros profit to the city.
In March 2010, Mayor Mª Ángeles Muñoz became the 1st Spanish Mayor to close the NASDAQ live in Times Square in New York City, putting Marbella firmly in the minds of the American people, and particularly investors.
In July 2010, Mayor Mª Ángeles Muñoz entered serious negotiations with Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani of Qatar, regarding significant multimillion-dollar investments he is interested to make in Marbella following his acquisition of Malaga football club.
- Among the highlights of the newly legalized urban plan are projects to construct an extension to the port, a technology park, and a new business centre replacing the existing industrial park at the entrance to Marbella.
- Marbella has also attracted the highest concentration of luxury brands of any city in Europe. Puerto Banús has become a mecca for designer shopping among the five million visitors it attracts each year.
- In the last 12 months, the Tourism Council has succeeded in promoting Marbella in the leading cities of Europe including London, Oslo, Stockholm, Berlin and Gothenberg.
Add to this the fact that few places offer the irresistible cocktail of attractions for a summer holiday to be found in abundance in Marbella: a host of luxurious establishments and leisure pursuits including a plethora of 5-star hotels, Michelin star restaurants, luxury beach clubs, outstanding sports clubs, spas and a wide choice of entertainment and cultural activities, Marbella is confident that the resort will live up to the expectations of the Obama family, and in return their visit will generate a new wave of tourism and optimism in Marbella.
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