Following the visit of US First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughter Sasha to the Mediterranean coast, if reports are to be believed, there are more high profile figures heading to this part of Spain for summer breaks in particular David Cameron, the British Prime minister and his deputy Nick Clegg.

This is not new for David Cameron to choose Ronda, in close proximity of  Marbella, in as his favourite holiday destination. He has been visiting Ronda for several years; however, this time his tour could be in the spotlight because of the special position he holds as the Prime Minister of Great Britain.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg are familiar with Spain

Interestingly, David Cameron ‘s deputy Nick Clegg is also very much familiar to Spain, considering the fact that his wife Miriam Gonzalez Durántez is a Spaniard, who comes from the region of Olmedo in Valladolid. So for Clegg, as well, it is a usual holiday preference.
Earlier in June this year, Clegg was on an official tour to Madrid and his visit was well-received by Spanish press not only because he emphasised on Britain’s interest in the Eurozone’s economic success but also he speaks excellent Spanish, something the Spanish openly appreciate. But this time, the visit in August would be purely private, as expected.

As a matter of dates, it has been confirmed that Clegg will go on vacation in the first of half of August while the Prime Minister will make it in the second half. Clegg himself had told this in reply to veteran Labour politician Jack Straw: “In the absence of Cameron, I’ll be available to monitor the govt”.

David Cameron 's deputy Nick Clegg

Although the details of their visit have not been disclosed due to security reasons, David Cameron will certainly love to holiday in the Serrania de Ronda, where he enjoys hiking but of course this time, it would not be feasible for him to go unnoticed in such a tourist friendly area.

Last visit of David Cameron went unnoticed

Conservative party leader Cameron’s last visit to Ronda went unnoticed as he was then in the opposition and less known, but this time it has been highlighted by Spanish media, following the visit of Michelle Obama and the possible positive after-effects on the tourism industry.

Spain has always been a prominent holiday spot for Britons for many reasons: its proximity, pleasant summer weather, availability of cheap flights, beautiful beaches on a long shoreline and numerous sightseeing options, among others. Hence, it’s no surprise if Britons head south to soak up some Spanish sun.

Mrs Obama’s trip to Spain though tagged by critics as expensive in a critical time when many Americans back home are without jobs, the visit is expected to encourage many holidaymakers around the world to choose southern Spain as their next vacation spot.

Similarly, the forthcoming trips of two of the prominent British politicians certainly hold much importance, if one counts the possible economic impact with such large scale promotion of Spain in international tourism market.

A positive visit by Nick Clegg and David Cameron to Marbella would be a most welcome event.

Being one of the most exclusive areas of Spain, Marbella has a high-end property market with rising interest of overseas property purchasers. Although it had its share of anxiety during the recent financial meltdown after September 2008, as in case of Spain and the rest of the world, the local market is recovering well with the renew in tourist inflow and investment in infrastructure development and improved public service.

Marbella has been regarded as Europe’s most popular destination and one of preferred places among Britons. Years on, British residents love to make it their second home to live a luxury and relaxed life with over 320 days a year of warmth and sunshine. There has been always demand for well placed villas and apartments with exotic gardens, swimming pool along the Costa del Sol.

Besides, overseas travellers are also taking interest in investing on Spanish property market and especially in this Spain’s most important resort city. During 2004, the “off plan” property market in Marbella was in its peak with growing demand for rent and increasing number of expats into the city. In the last two to three years, prices have gone down from their peak values but still impressive for prospective investors.

At present, both buyers who want a better bargain and sellers who are ready to sell at a prices achieved between 2002 and 2004 have further facilitate the market recovery. However, it is the laid back life and lavishness attached that attracts wealthy individuals from all around the world to buy property in Marbella.

Of course, there are not a large number of villas or restaurants in some of the best areas available for sale but one can still find some nicest properties in immediate vicinity such as Nueva Andalucía and Puerto Banús. It is also very much likely that Marbella property market will grow stronger than the overall national rate, considering the increasing number of people living in off-season.

The rising number of floating population in terms of tourist gives huge boost to the local rental market. But considering the past few years when the number of foreigners, including UK, has taken up residency, it’s clear that property purchase in Costa del Sol has certainly increased. Furthermore, better public service initiative and infrastructure development by the local government will no doubt enhance the demand.

With a positive outlook, the market is expected to return to normalcy very soon with new property developments and increase in the volume of sales. This will then encourage price rise and great prospect for long-term profit both in case of new and resale property.

In a new initiative to promote and give boost to the already running tourist activities in the Costa del Sol town, the City Council of Marbella has launched a series of new measures in the historic centre which will take place throughout the year. The Mayoress Ángeles Muñoz last Monday (February 15) unveiled the timetable for action, stressing the need to allure more tourists to the historic quarter.

The primary aim of this battery of cultural and tourist programmes by the Government is to prop up city sightseeing, especially in the historical centre in order to revitalize tourism in Marbella. As a part of the process, various municipal offices have been instructed to work together with retailers and restaurateurs in the area to start a campaign that promotes the historic centre and promote access and consumption in traditional settlements.

Just in line with the recent campaign ‘Marbella is a gift’, the municipal authority will have a meeting with tourist operators to bring out the possibilities in cruising passengers coming through the port of Malaga to Marbella. Marbella historical centre has immense amount of travel attraction, representing rich historical and cultural legacy.

Among some of the primary actions that the City will undertake in the Historic Center include the lighting of the tower of the Church of the Incarnation, the improvement of the Plaza del Ejido by removing the existing wall and installation of albero a floor of beautification of the stairs going up to the street Carmen Castillo.

Furthermore, some additional sights will also be taken into consideration for beautification. The councillor has also ruled that a multidisciplinary team of municipal workers will be appointed to work permanently in the maintenance of such landmarks in the Historic Centre with the immediate repair of any damage.

In addition, there will be a series of permanent exhibitions in the district headquarters in Salinas Street, which will be opened with the “40 years of basketball in Marbella” and continue till March with “Women and Sport” along with panel discussions.  Then there will be Children’s Carnival, Guignol Festival, and during the months of April, May and June a host of activities will be organised with the participation of schools in Marbella.

A series of concerts with performances of jazz, soul, classical music, fashion shows, art exhibitions and photo competition will dominate the summer months of July and August.  Besides, visitors will get chance to tour the specially arranged flea market every Sunday.

For better promotion the City Council has conducted a census of all retailers in the area to maintain a permanent contact with them, inform them of all events, and provide the possibility for their suggestions.

Known as the “Pearl of the Costa del Sol” for its amazing weather and unique natural environment, the resort town Marbella is recognised worldwide for a wide range of recreation and sports activities apart from those travel attractions, luxury hotels, restaurants and the charm of Mediterranean Sea. Peculiar to the characteristic of Spain, people in Marbella are keen participants of soccer, tennis, golf and many other sports.

Because of its exotically sizzling climate, there are a number of sports in offer with excellent infrastructure to make your Marbella tour quite exciting and action-packed. Here you will discover some of your favourite sports.

Golf: Marbella has been called “golfer’s paradise” and the presence of a good number of international standard golf courses, it is indeed one of the very few places with best golfing facilities. You will find beautiful golf courses almost everywhere- right in the middle of the town, along the long coast and the mountain slopes which brings variety and options for different levels of players.

Going by the cosmopolitan nature of this small resort town of Malaga, there are great facilities for golf enthusiasts and this is why Marbella has been a favourite destination for a number of international golfing events. From amateur to professionals, there are golf courses for everyone and even you will find golf academies at various golf clubs in Marbella.

Again if you are on a vacation, you can contact your travel agent to arrange a stay at any golf club to enjoy this selective sport surrounded by nature and sea. The climate with 320 sunny days further allows golf to be popular all year round with high playable standard.

Tennis: If you visit Marbella or nearby areas of Costa del Sol, you will find a number of tennis courts and clubs for players of all ages and standards. There are championship level floodlit hard courts, clay courts and paddle courts equipped with all kinds of facilities, including fitness centre, sauna, restaurant and bars. The surrounding locations with an annual average temperature of 29 degrees C further adds to the scale of enjoyment.

The success of players like Àlex Corretja and Rafael Nadal has completely changed the world of tennis in Spain, and so in Marbella. Youngsters are now showing interest to take tennis as a career and so the authority has been ensuring excellent sports facilities. Being one of the top most tourist destinations in Europe, it also boasts tennis courts for holidaymakers and locals as well.

Soccer/Football: Football is the national game of Spain and hence an integral part of Spanish way of life. Although Marbella is a coast side place, you will still find football grounds equipped with all kinds of training facilities. The Aloha Football Academy (AFA) Marbella is one of the internationally spotted academies in Southern Europe. Open for both girls and boys of age group 6-19 years, it encourages teenager to pursue a career in professional football.

Besides, there are other academies like “The Football Academy” and MPFS professional football training camps those are exceptional places to learn soccer at basics to advance levels. You will get a chance to choose from a wide range of soccer camps, trainings sessions to maximize your ability and skills. At school level, training has been imparted at the very young age to bring that passion and enthusiasms to play at professional level.

Water & Adventure Sports: If you are more into activities like waterskiing, windsurf, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, Marbella is of course the place to go for. There are a host of water sports options to meet your interest and to give you that extreme pleasure. Luxurious beach clubs like the Nikki Beach, Puro Beach and Ocean Club offers facilities for these kinds of sports to entertain their guests.

Besides, you can experience some of the best adventure activities that Marbella has to offer including trekking, hiking, paragliding, mountain biking, rock climbing, motor biking and many more that can bring out the passion for travel in you.

With the increasing number of Britons and other expatriates, sports like rugby, cricket, lawn bowls are also becoming popular day by day. Certainly, Marbella has many sports and recreational activities in store while allowing visitors to enjoy its natural wonders in a climate of its own.

Taking the fact of Marbella as a major tourist destination and subsequently its growth of economy, Marbella Exhibition (Trade) Fair over the years has emerged as an important business platform for many enterprises in promotion of their products and services. This year (2009), the trade exposition is in its 28th edition and scheduled to be staged between 31st October and 8th November.

The nine-day long exposition at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Marbella during all its previous instances attracted huge number of participants from various sectors and industries. Automobile, food, travel & tourism, handicrafts, textiles, furniture, cosmetics, telecommunication, health and entertainment dominate the list. The Marbella Trade Fair at present time serves the purpose of many business stakeholders.

During a time when the world is coping with the crisis of recent financial meltdown, trade fairs and business conferences alike the Marbella Exhibition reflect their insight on various aspects for the benefit of overall economic growth and development of the country. Apart from displaying products and promoting services, industry leaders also meet to discuss on all concerned issues.

Every year, the 3000 square metre long business podium has been crowded with producers, traders, and consumers for a range of business activities, including the endorsement, sale and purchase of products and services. Moreover, the fair has been successful in organising buyer-seller meet, B2B promotion programmes, market surveys and information dissemination.

Marbella Exhibition Fair has been a platform for businessmen, entrepreneur, technocrats and service providers to converge at a single place for the betterment of local market and the promotion of domestic products in front of the international buyers.

The festival also concurs with the De Picoteo gastronomic fair at the same venue that offers a variety of cuisines from different parts of Spain.

Further information on the fair can be accessed from the official website: www.marbella.es/congresos/