Cheap at the price

NOBODY doubts that David Bisbal is a great ambassador for Almeria as the local pop star speaks of his homeland at every possible opportunity. Now, however, some are complaining that his promotion isn’t exactly cheap following publication of the latest contract.

The Official Almeria Provincial Bulletin, released last week, included details of this year’s contract for the international singer to promote the Costa de Almeria tourist destination brand along with his latest record and videoclip. The contract, signed by Universal Music Spain and Almeria Provincial Council, was for an amount of €250,000.

Altogether since 2014, the public institution has paid Bisbal €600,000 to promote the province, an amount which many consider to be excessive.

The provincial branch of left-wing political party Izquierda Unida is particularly opposed to this spending of public funds. Former Andalucian Parliament member and Roquetas de Mar councillor Jaun Pablo Yakubiuk, for example, has been complaining since the first contract was signed two years ago. Although investing in tourist promotion is a fine idea, the councillor complained, he was unable to approve of the amounts or the way the contract was presented to the public as the provincial council announced that the publicity was virtually free of charge.

Yet provincial council deputy Javier Aureliano Garcia defended the spending, claiming that bearing in mind Bisbal has millions of fans around the world who would hear the name and see images of Almeria, it was cheap at the price and a sign of the singer’s generosity.