Since becoming the world’s first Smurf Village on June 16th 2011, the small town of Júzcar in Málaga province, population 250, has certainly prospered. In the first ten days since the premier of the movie Smurfs 2, some 5,000 have visited this tiny village.
For the presentation of Smurf’s 2, which took place on July 23rd 2013, the facades of the buildings, including the local church, got a new lick of blue paint. The event, sponsored by FC Barcelona FC and with the presence of Spanish international footballer Andrés Iniesta, attracted around 2,000 visitors.
In total, some 215,000 visitors have passed through the town since 2011. This has led to the creation of eight new businesses in the town as well as the development of various activities for visitors with more planned for the future.
The little blue creatures have had a very positive effect on local employment, infrastructure, local services and the local economy in general.