The territorial delegate of Tourism of the Junta de Andalucía in Almería, Vicente García Egea, has visited Suflí, one of the localities of Almería that has been beneficiary of the call for subsidies promoted by the ministry directed by the vice-president Juan Marín to promote universal accessibility and the tourist enhancement of the public cultural heritage of the municipalities of the interior of Andalusia (Patcul).
During his visit, in which he was accompanied by the mayor, Raúl Guirao, the regional delegate was able to learn details of the work to be carried out in the town with the 59,988 euros that it has received in this line of subsidies. The project will focus on the refurbishment of an old oil mill and its subsequent enhancement as the new Suflí Olive Oil Interpretation Centre. «Undoubtedly, this industrial and cultural landmark will be activated to become an outstanding tourist attraction that invites visitors to the town at any time of the year, and, incidentally, to discover the benefits of this area, such as its gastronomy, crafts or geological resources,» said García Egea.
The work will include cleaning, restoration and commissioning of all the machinery, as well as the tools, utensils and other accessories used in the traditional process of obtaining oil from the Suflí oil mill. The necessary work will also be carried out to repair the exterior doors, for the construction of an adapted unisex bathroom, as well as work to install water-saving systems and self-consumption by means of photovoltaic panels.
«With these works we are adding value to the cultural, historical and ethnographic heritage of the municipality through the rehabilitation of this complex, which will provide Suflí with a cultural and tourist promotion space, as well as favouring the improvement of the perception of tourist quality,» said García Egea.
«We are committed to the destination of Almeria and Andalusia, in general, to be competitive in the new scenario drawn by the coronavirus crisis. Therefore, we support the entire tourism industry, both entrepreneurs and local authorities, so that they can implement unique projects that diversify and increase its attractions,» added the delegate.
The head of Tourism in the province also stressed the «deseasonalising role» of inland tourism, which has experienced a major boom with the pandemic. For this reason, «the Department of Juan Marín has been implementing measures to support this segment for some time now, and we continue to do so with these subsidies that will enable them to recover their heritage and enhance its value, developing projects that serve to revitalise the municipalities, generate employment and opportunities, and also help to retain the population».
Specifically, in the province of Almeria, eleven municipalities have obtained items from this line of aid, for a total amount exceeding 560,000 euros. At Andalusian level, these subsidies, which are awarded on a competitive basis, have a total amount of more than 5.1 million euros.
