The International Tourism Fair (Fitur), held this past weekend in Madrid, was attended by the mayor of Cieza, Pascual Lucas, and the councilors for Tourism, Commerce, and Culture, Antonio Moya, María Jesús López, and María Ramos, respectively.
Lucas, accompanied by Moya, gave a highly positive assessment of the city's presence at the Region of Murcia stand at a press conference, emphasizing that the main objective was "to convey the success of Cieza's First Tourism Plan to the rest of the collaborators in promoting our city as a friendly tourist destination. Attractive for our neighbors, from the Region, Spain, and other countries."
The councilor adds that, “Thanks to the Flower Festival, we are gaining greater importance each year, which is allowing us to reach out beyond our borders. It's increasingly comforting to see how we've turned the most basic elements in our environment into the main resource for attracting people to our land, to the flower festival. As a sign of good weather and the end of the cold, our flowers arrive, accompanied by spring, in a spectacle of fruit trees that will invite you to dine at our tables.”
The mayor emphasizes in particular that “this festival could not be celebrated without the most important people: the farmers. They are the ones who, in addition to maintaining one of the main sectors of the economy, allow us to move into the fantasy of colors with their work. It is to them that we dedicate our space at Fitur, and today, we pay our small tribute.” Lucas adds that, “today, the farmers of Cieza and the Region of Murcia need us. They need us, the political representatives and those in the administrations, to be with them. It is our duty as public servants to mobilize the institutions to solve their problems, to return the rights they have been losing, and to confront one of the greatest challenges we face as a people: water. Its lack complicates the future of imminently agricultural lands like this. From here, my gratitude to them. Let them know that they will have me. That they will have us behind them, wherever they need us. From the flowers to the trees, including the fruits. Our peaches are thanks to them, to our farmers.”
On another note, the mayor points out that, in the capital of Spain, "we've had the opportunity to re-establish ourselves thanks to all the people who made it possible. Our master pastry chef, Joaquín Ramos, for example; thanks to his efforts, he knew how to win over the audience through taste. His dessert, which mimicked our peach, was a hit; an exquisite delight, just like the name of his bakery. Thanks also to the representation of the Prendimiento (Arrest), it helped us de-seasonalize tourism in Cieza. It showed us the other side of our artistic and cultural heritage. 'Los Armaos' brought out their best, dazzling the audience with a perfect representation of our traditional snail."
Pascual Lucas concludes by emphasizing that "Cieza was a spectacular success. The regional media embraced 'La Floración' as what it is: one of the main spectacles that Murcia's natural landscape offers. A unique spectacle that must serve as a springboard for the opportunities that lie ahead. We hope that, after the presentation at Fitur, after all the work being carried out by the departments involved, and after the extraordinary efforts of our farmers to maintain production, it will help us improve on last year's figures, increasing the number of visitors and tourists, increasing the 60 indirect jobs created by the project, improving the image of our city, and making progress, as the City Council has been working to address the problems facing our farmers."
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