Another skirmish in the Battle for the Caves

The Council spokesman and member of the Nerja Caves Foundation, José Miguel García, has been bemoaning the continued decline in visitor numbers to the Nerja Caves and, basically, laying the blame fairly and squarely at the feet of the manager of the Caves (and Opposition PSOE spokesman) Ángel Ramírez.

Garcia pointed out that when Ángel Ramírez took charge of the Nerja Caves in 2005, his main objective was to reverse the downward trend in visitor numbers.

In August of that year, the number of visitors was 87,629. Since that time, the decline has continued and this August was 5.3% down on August 2009 and, overall, August visitors have dropped by 15,029. This is despite, according to Garcia, a 93% hotel occupancy rate in Nerja in August 2010.

Garcia believes that the main reason for the decline is mismanagement by a manager more concerned with promoting himself rather than the Nerja Caves. He adds that the Nerja Caves has had no representation at trade fairs or international forums for the purpose of promoting the site.

In addition, ticket prices have gone from €6 in 2005 to €8.50 in 2010, an increase of 40%. for adults and children’s tickets have risen by 80%.

José Miguel García dismissed as ‘derisory’ the reason given by Ramirez for the fall in visitor numbers this August, namely that people did not go to the caves because ‘the weather was too good’.

In a final volley, García pointed out that the Council has not received its percentage of the ticket money since August 2009 and that many local associations and groups have not received their grants this year.

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