The City Council and ACR La Barqueta are seeking support for the declaration of the Hallazgo as a Festival of National Tourist Interest

Benidorm City Council, through its Departments of Culture and Festivals, and La Barqueta Cultural and Recreational Association, have launched a campaign to gather as much support as possible for the declaration of the Reenactment of the Discovery of the Virgin of Suffrage as a Festival of National Tourist Interest.

Members of La Barqueta plan to attend the assembly of the Associació de Penyes Verge del Sofratge (Association of Clubs of the Virgin of Suffrage), the city's largest festival association, this Tuesday to ask the clubs for their support of this initiative, which “would broaden the promotion and dissemination of the central event of our Patron Saint Festivals, currently recognised as a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest and around which the rest of the events revolve,” explained councillors Jaime Jesús Pérez and Mariló Cebreros.

The president of this cultural organization, Francisco Llorens, has indicated that members of the festival clubs who wish to support the declaration of the festival as a National Tourist Interest can do so by displaying the poster created this year to promote the ‘Arrival in Benidorm of the Virgin of the Suffrage’ on the facades or inside their festival venues and taking a photo with it, then sending these images via WhatsApp to 665461353.

Furthermore, members can also contribute by sending photographs of the reenactment of the discovery of the image of the patron saint, which has been celebrated every year on the Saturday of the festival for over 50 years, and which will take place this Saturday, November 8th, at 5:00 PM on Poniente Beach, near Elche Park.

All the photographs received will be included in the dossier being compiled by La Barqueta, which will contain all the information and documentation related to the Hallazgo, demonstrating that the peñas (local social clubs) also support the candidacy to obtain this recognition as a Festival of National Tourist Interest.

Mariló Cebreros noted that it has been “a decade since the Hallazgo received the declaration of Regional Tourist Interest from the Valencian Community” and that “with something as simple as a photograph we can contribute and do our part to take another step towards this recognition, helping to enhance our Patron Saint Festes Majors further.” Therefore, she encouraged the peñas to “join together in supporting this important initiative for Benidorm.”