THE ALICANTE tourist board is opening a dedicated department for conferences and conventions in the spring.
The Alicante Conventions Bureau will be staffed by a team of four and will be part of the existing Patronato Municipal de Turismo de Alicante. It comes as the city unveils plans for a ú17m conventions centre due to open in the autumn 2000.
Work starts in the spring on the centre – named Palacio de Congresos de Alicante – which will cater for a total of 3,200 people. Agustin Grau, managing director of the Alicante tourist board, said conference and conventions business accounted for 22,000 of the 500,000 total visitors to Alicante last year.