A new president of the Nerja Caves Foundation, Jorge Hernández Mollar (PP), and a new Caves Manager, Ángel Ruiz, appears to be heralding the end of the ‘Caves Wars’ and the beginning of closer cooperation between the Council and the Foundation, with plans already being made to promote both the Caves and the Nerja Museum.
For the first time, the next budget of the Nerja Caves Foundation will include provision for the promotion of both attractions, Jorge Hernández Mollar keen to reverse the decline in visitor numbers to the Nerja Caves experienced during the past years.
In 2006, 448,036 people visited the Nerja Caves. In 2011 this number had fallen to 376,518. The previous management attributed the decline to the economic crisis, but other attractions, such as the Picasso Museum, have seen an increase in visitor numbers.
Jorge Hernández Mollar not only wants to conduct an extensive promotional campaign for the Nerja Caves but also make improvements to the visitor experience, such as the introduction of audio guides.
With regard to the Nerja Museum, Jorge Hernández Mollar stated that he wants to promote the facility both inside and outside the municipality, adding that although the previous National Government and Junta de Andalucia refused to become financially involved in the museum, this is not now the case with the provincial government.
The closer cooperation and an end to the party-based disputes can only be a good thing for Nerja as a whole.