The Minister of Tourism, Trade and Sports of the Junta de Andalucía, Luciano Alonso, announced today in Madrid that Andalucía will host fourteen major sporting events in 2012 that will help project the image of this destination in international markets.
The list of competitions included
for the sporting calendar in Andalucía for 2012 includes disciplines such as golf, polo, cycling, triathlon, skiing, sailing, motorcycling and horse riding.
Alonso also said that when the legislature began the main objectives of the Board were "to promote the sport among the people in Andalucía, to improve facilities within the community and host events with a clear component of tourism, with the idea of promoting sports activities that have a return from the point of view of tourism and economic development".
In this regard, the Minister added that his department offered to host "unique sporting events that posed a return of Andalucía as a tourist brand" as "these great sporting events are important economic centres of attraction and fundamental elements of promotion."
Golf was introduced as the "star sport" of Andalucía, which this year will receive the visit of the
European Tour, and some of the best players in the world in four different events: Open de Andalucía from the 12th to 15th of March, Open of Spain from 3rd to 6th May at the Real Club de Golf de Seville and Andalucía Masters from 18th to 21st October.
Also, from 17th to 20th May, the Volvo World Match Play returns to Finca Cortesin in Casares. The community again bet on being the only European region that will host three tournaments of the European Golf Tour.
Sierra Nevada will also host a major event, which will be an additional magnet to visit Granada station. About 500 athletes will participate in the Snowboard World Championships Junior, who will be the first to use the new 'half pipe' in the Loma de Dílar of Superparque Sulayr. This test will serve as a test of World Cup Snowboard and Freestyle, to be held in 2013.
The Desafío Doñana will hold its fourth edition again in September, this time with a new format. This long distance triathlon, which is characterized especially by the change in the order of the discipline and toughness, has been devoted to the international level by the beauty of the trail, which crosses the Doñana National Park.
Cycling is another major actor in the community this year. The traditional Tour of Andalucía (
Vuelta de Andalucía), turns 58 in February's edition and with the participation of some of the best national and international cyclists, we can add the second edition of Andalucía Bike Race mountain bike event in the provinces of Cordoba and Jaen, to be held between February and March.
Sailing, horse riding and horse racing:
One of the most notable events of the year will take place in March in the Bay of Cadiz, where they played the World Championship Class Sailing RS: X. The event will feature the best athletes in the field and serve as preparation for the Olympic Games in London. The competition will also serve to inaugurate the new facilities of the Center for Modernization of Puerto Sherry Candle in El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz).
The equestrian world will also have their place in the sporting calendar of Andalucía. A traditional horse racing cycles of Sanlucar, Dos Hermanas and Mijas have to add the
XLI International Polo Tournament of Sotogrande, which takes place from July 28 to August 31 at the Santa Maria Polo Club and Equestrian Circuit of Sun, which will host the Dehesa Montenmedio between February and March, which is an international dressage and show jumping another.
Another highlight is the
Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix, hosted by the Circuito de Jerez from 27 to 29 April. Thanks to the agreement by the Department with the company Dorna, in addition to this celebration, the Andalucía tourism brand will be present in other trials in the World: Assen (Holland), Le Mans (France), Sepang (Malaysia), Silverstone (UK) and Sachsenring (Germany).
