4 March 2011: We eagerly await plans from Paramount licensing for details of the
Paramount Resort to be built in Murcia in the county of Alhama close to the
Condado de Alhama resort. News reports this week suggest a theme park is planned covering the area of approximately 109 football pitches with four hotels. The resort is expected to attract 3 million visitors a year to Spain and to the Murcia region. A 10 hectare
Paramount Aquatic park will be part of the resort. The new airport at
Corvera is set to open later this year and will be just 20 minutes from the proposed resort location.
A basic English translation of the report appearing in Spanish newspaper La Verdad is as follows:
Paramount prepares its landing in the Region
The multinational USA Paramount Pictures has chosen the region of Murcia to prepare for landing in Europe with the construction of the largest theme park and entertainment in Spain, which wants to compete with Disneyland Paris. The project is a value-added film studios centralize all production in Europe of this giant of the film industry, said yesterday the Minister of Culture Murcia, Pedro Alberto Cruz, who just returned from Dubai, along with Ramon Luis Valcarcel , with a letter from executive vice president of licensing division of Paramount, Michael Bartok, which shows "his interest" in implementing this project once it is proven their economic viability, which will be announced in April. The second step is to attract private investors.
Cruz said that the Region of Murcia will become the "center of entertainment in Spain with a complex of 2.5 square kilometers (equivalent to about 110 football pitches) will create 20,000 jobs and will increase in three million tourist arrivals in the country. The project will require 15,000 hotel rooms and the amount of investment will be known when formulating the master plan. The regional government and the holding Ruwaad, which holds the representation of Paramount in the business of theme parks, will be responsible for seeking private investors to realize the project. The counselor said it was too early to know the millions that will be necessary, but states that will be an amount similar to that of Disneyland Paris.
The President of Murcia, Ramón Luis Valcárcel, has been directly involved in the talks on Thursday in Dubai with Ruwaad Holdings CEO, Hayan Merchant, who told them the blessing of Paramount to begin to negotiate and undertake the studies. According to the Minister, have been the very multinational consulting and who have chosen the region of Murcia and took the first step, compared to other sites that have been considered in Andalusia and Catalonia.
Giving land
Ruwaad executives and technicians will travel to Murcia to carry out the feasibility study and master plan. Then begin to attract investment, starting with local entrepreneurs. Paramount Pictures will make and the management of the park and movie studios, said the adviser. The Government will transfer the necessary land Murcia site, which is to be decided, although there are several localized areas. Also, the regional government will pay the royalties and an annual fee similar to that granted by the Community of Madrid by the Warner Park.
Optimism about the crisis
"No turning back. We will conduct studies in record time and will be announced in April its viability, "said Pedro Alberto Cruz, who no doubt it will be positive. "This project creates huge expectations in these times of economic crisis because it will generate great optimism, which is what is needed now. Means starting to emerge from the crisis with an investment that will also promote the entire country, "he said.
In his view, this theme park and movie studios will be measured at Disneyland Paris, and not to other leisure complex and work in Spain, Port Aventura, Warner and Terra Mitica, as it hopes to attract a large proportion of visitors foreign. In this way he wanted to dispel doubts about the viability of this business, as most theme parks settled in Spain have not met their expectations for growth. For reference, Pedro Alberto Cruz said that a similar complex features that will be operational in Dubai plans to raise 1,800 million euros.
The mild climate in the region of Murcia with 300 days of sunshine a year, its location in the heart of the Mediterranean Basin and the new international airport, along with the AVE line, are the factors that have influenced the decision.
Paramount Pictures is among the major multinational entertainment and film industry, along with Disney, Warner and Fox The possibilities of the Region of Murcia to welcome this investment took shape last month to celebrate Fitur in Madrid. The counselor met there with Ghassan Aridi, Marta Consultying GAA responsible, dedicated to the development of tourism products, which in turn is associated with Ruwaad Holding, as detailed yesterday afternoon Pedro Alberto Cruz.
Letter of 'interest'
From there it triggered the events up to the letter from Paramount Pictures executive vice president who heads the licensing group, who on Tuesday announced an interest in exploring this business opportunity in the Region of Murcia along with consultants and Ruwaad Marta. In the letter, is excited with the option of Murcia and intends to undertake a master plan to determine the feasibility of the project. The next day Marta advises Ruwaad Consultying start the process to undertake the studies. According to Pedro Alberto Cruz, a U.S. multinational "likes to speed and quick steps" and marked a month of time to evaluate all possibilities.