Costa Blanca
Valencia and Alicante work to attract film tourism

The Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade, and Tourism, along with the City Council of Alicante and the Alicante Film Office, have agreed to work together to support the local film industry. They will support efforts to make film studios and the city of Alicante known as a place for shooting, while also sharing the cultural, scenic, and artistic qualities of the city and the surrounding area.
The agreement was signed this Thursday at the Fitur Screen 2025 Fair. The event was joined by Marián Cano, the Minister of Innovation, Industry, Trade, and Tourism, and Luis Barcala, the Mayor of Alicante. Both agreed to highlight the growing importance of travellers who are fans of the audiovisual world and who become viewers in search of the places they saw on screen.
They have noticed that this kind of tourism, focused on spots featured in movies and shows—especially those made by streaming platforms—attracts millions of people who want to visit the places they see on screen for their vacations.
“The minister said that tourists can visit Alicante and other areas in the Valencian Community because of the films made in its many interesting cultural and natural locations, especially with the new opportunities at the Ciutat de la Llum studios.”
Marián Cano explained that the Ciutat de la Llum studios, set up by the Generalitat, aim to build a strong film industry that stands out both in Spain and worldwide. This effort is meant to boost local businesses and services in the Valencian Community and improve its reputation internationally.
Alicante’s mayor, Luis Barcala, said that “film tourism is important and a key part of our tourism plan. Alicante has everything needed to attract major national and international film productions that greatly benefit the city. We also want to attract tourists who love films and TV shows and are interested in visiting filming locations.”
“The mayor said we are successfully attracting production companies to work with the City of Light and promote Alicante as an ideal place for filming stories that will reach millions of viewers.”
Because of this and shared interests, the new collaboration plan expects Ciutat de la Llum and the Alicante Film Office to work together in their areas to encourage filming and other audiovisual projects in the city of Alicante and in film studios.
They promise to help production companies by sharing information about places, services, and facilities in Alicante that are suitable for filming. They will also assist with visits to check out these sites in Alicante.
They also agree to set up a platform for sharing information and communication between the two groups. This will allow them to share world data each year about film productions and other information to evaluate the economic impact of filming in Alicante.
This protocol also provides that the Alicante City Council, through its unit specialised in meetings tourism (MICE), Alicante Convention Bureau, makes all its promotional tools available to the City of Light to publicise the spaces and facilities that allow this type of tourism to be attracted to the studies.
The two parties will create training programs for the audiovisual business to develop a group of skilled professionals. This will help production companies in the Valencian Community find qualified people for their projects.
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Costa Blanca
Sticky Vicky’s daughter quits mum’s iconic Benidorm show

Adhesive the stage act has been sensationally abandoned by Vicky’s daughter, who has followed in her late mother’s footsteps, thereby leaving behind her family’s Benidorm legacy.
The unexpected decision was made after María Gadea Aragón assumed responsibility for the adult-themed magic performances following the passing of her mother, Victoria María Aragón Gadea, in 2023 at the age of 80.
María, who had been employing her mother’s stage identity in the well-known Spanish resort, has now discontinued her performances after a decade on stage.
María performed frequently at venues including the Palladium, Zodiaco, and Rockerfellers, as well as Benidorm which is a popular destination for British expatriates and vacationers.
Des Bellamy-Wright, an employee at the Benidorm Palladium, verified that María is no longer employed in the lively Spanish city. Des stated, “Sticky Vicky is no longer operational in Benidorm.” The ‘Carmen Snake – Sticky Show’ is a similarly entertaining program that is broadcast every night at 12:45 a.m. “
The official reason for Maria’s retirement was not disclosed, and her final performance was in November 2024.
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Elche’s H&M shop closing

The Swedish retail chain H&M announced in 2024 that it would be reducing the number of stores and employment it has in Spain due to “organisational, productive, and economic” reasons. Around 50 layoffs were the result of the closure of stores in the L’Aljub retail centres in Elche, Ociopía in Orihuela, and Habaneras in Torrevieja, which had consequences for the province of Alicante.
Additionally, these were the sole instances in the Valencian Community that were impacted. The Torrevieja store was the first to shut its doors in May 2024 since that time. The Orihuela store was subsequently closed on September 14th of the same year. Currently, the Elche store has shuttered its doors. The facility was closed to the public on March 14th, following its final day of operation on March 11th. It will be entirely shut down on March 22nd. Approximately 20 employees are being laid off at this Elche store. It is the final establishment in the province of Alicante that will not reopen, and the circumstances of the dismissal were negotiated in October. The employees have departed the company with an agreement as a result of these negotiations, according to Yolanda de la Casa, the general secretary of the CCOO Services Federation in Alicante.
The dismissal terms that were established following the October negotiations were 45 days until 2012 and 33 days until the present. A gratuity of 3,500 euros was granted for the first five years, 4,000 euros for the next ten years, and a maximum of 4,500 euros for the subsequent years.
Furthermore, three relocations have occurred among the 50 individuals who were laid off in the province, spanning Elche, Orihuela, and Torrevieja. Lely Fernández of UGT l’Alacantí-La Marina informed this newspaper that these were part-time employees from the Habaneras shopping centre in Torrevieja who were transferred to the La Zenia shopping centre, which continues to operate and is accessible.
H&M initiated 2024 by announcing the closure of 28 stores and approximately 588 collective redundancies. The figure was reduced to 521 reductions in a subsequent revision.
The Torrevieja store closed its doors to the public on May 17th, 2024, and the lease expired on May 24th, never to be reopened. Nevertheless, numerous employees at this establishment were granted the opportunity to relocate to other nearby stores that were still operational. In September 2024, Ociopía followed suit, and Elche followed suit in March 2025.
The H&M group operates over 100 stores and employs nearly 4,000 individuals in the country. This decision was made by the Scandinavian company in order to “adapt and perfect” its stores in a “changing” shopping environment for its consumers. Additionally, Spain would be responsible for 17% of the brand’s global closures, as indicated by the data that the company disclosed months ago when it presented its 2023 financial year.
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Man stole fire extinguishers to sell as scrap metal

A 20-year-old male is currently under investigation by the Guardia Civil for the purported theft of ten fire extinguishers. The fire extinguishers were discovered by Seprona officers during an inspection of a scrap metal establishment in Torrevieja. The store manager and the criminal are both the subject of an investigation.
The fire extinguishers, which were in near-new condition and completely charged, were discovered by the Servicio de Protección a la Naturaleza (Seprona) officers during the inspection. The investigation was initiated due to the fact that this material is “uncommon” in this form of business, as explained by sources from the Armed Forces.
Upon discovering the fire extinguishers, the officers enquired about the scrapyard manager’s documentation regarding the extinguishers’ arrival. The manager responded that he did not possess any proof of ownership. Additionally, he disclosed that a woman and her son had abandoned them there without his permission.
The company responsible for maintaining the fire extinguishers was identified by Seprona officers after they analysed the evidence and proof acquired. This verified that the extinguishers were located in a building in Torrevieja. The missing equipment was reported by the property manager of this community of proprietors shortly thereafter.
Fire extinguishers were recovered
Officers were permitted to confiscate the fire extinguishers and transport them to the Torrevieja Civil Guard barracks as a result of the formal complaint. Upon verification of their origin, they were returned to their legitimate owners.
The individuals implicated have been identified as a result of the operation. The 20-year-old man who is supposed to have stolen the fire extinguishers is being investigated for theft, while the 23-year-old proprietor of the scrap yard is being investigated for receiving stolen goods.
The Guardia Civil emphasises the necessity of reporting these types of incidents and reminds all individuals of the significance of doing so. In order to prevent the acquisition of stolen material, scrap metal dealers must establish rigorous controls, such as document checks on sellers and items received.
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