A HOLE-IN-ONE

MARBELLA is expected to host the biggest golf tour operator conven‐tion in Europe, bringing in more than €1 million for the city. The International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) an‐nounced on Tuesday, April 25 that it will hold its first‐ever European con‐vention in Marbella. More than 650 people are set to attend and 8,300 work meetings are expected to be held.

Marbella’s mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, described the event as a massive boost for the city’s tourism industry, which currently interacts with more than 2,500 accredited tour operators from 90 countries that manage over 90 per cent of all global golf vacation packages and generate more than €2.5 billion an‐nually!

Attendees will enjoy two days of conferences, networking, and a chance to experience Marbella’s lo‐cal attractions.

The Vice‐Minister of Tourism, Cul‐ture and Sport from the Andalucian regional government, Victor Gonza‐lez, added that golf tourism provides 5,000 direct and 45,000 indirect jobs in the region.

The IAGTO CEO, Peter Walton, says that Spain and Portugal are the top golf destinations, and the indus‐try has grown despite the pandemic.

Betty Henderson DONKEY DREAMLAND is offering a delightful Full Moon Walk from 7pm on Friday, May 5, where par‐ticipants can enjoy a peaceful walk in the hills behind La Cala de Mijas while watching the sun set and the full moon rise.

The event comes after a successful Donkey Walk Experience held last July, where guests, volunteers, and donkeys embarked on a walk into the sunset, relishing the spectacular views as the full moon rose.

For a donation of €15 per person, which in ‐cludes one drink and a tapas picnic snack (with additional drinks avail ‐able for a further dona ‐tion), attendees can join the walk and enjoy the beautiful surroundings with the donkeys. The cost will fund the sanctu ‐ary’s vital work.

The walk will take par ‐ticipants up hills and along rocky terrain, so suitable footwear is es ‐sential. After the walk, guests can spend time with the donkeys at the sanctuary under the full moon’s magical light.

Reservations can be made online: www.don keydreamland.com/event s . All are invited to wit ‐ness the enchanting beauty of the full moon with Donkey Dreamland, while supporting the sanctuary.

ESTEPONA’S Parque Orquidario is causing a stir in the botanical world! The park has been invited as a special guest to several exciting events throughout the Iberi‐an peninsula.

Thousands of people got to take a look at the park’s in‐credible orchid species on dis‐play at the Clube dos Orquidófilos de Portugal’s an‐nual exhibition, held at Lisbon Zoo on Friday, April 21. Visi‐tors marvelled at the diverse range of species on display at the Estepona stand and re‐ceived informative insights in‐to the park’s collection.

Manuel Lucas, the Es ‐tepona park’s curator, wowed the crowd with two fantastic talks, including a fas‐cinating lecture entitled ‘The Orchid Hunters of the 19th Century: A Rescue from Oblivion’, which shed light on the unsung heroes who ex‐plored the world in search of new orchid species.

Lucas described the event as a major success, and sever‐al European orchid fanatics have expressed interest in visiting Parque Orquidario to explore its collection.