During their third anniversary year, the Zenia Boulevard shopping centre on the Orihuela Costa was visited by almost thirteen million shoppers, more than the entire population of countries such as Belgium, Greece and Portugal.
The increase has also been reflected in sales, which have seen an 18% increase during the year. Moreover, the centre believes that 2016 will be even busier, as visitor numbers have increased by 12% and 16% in January and February respectively this year.
The centre´s management are attributing the growth in part to their entertainment schedule, which sees variety acts performing throughout the year, as well as their 100% occupation of the retail outlets.
However, the stark reality of the impact of the success has to be recognised, not only for the impact the growth might have on smaller, local businesses, but also the implications on the infrastructure and resources in the area.
If we first look at some interesting statistics, Belgium is served nationally by their Federal Police and their 12,300 personnel members (civilian and operational staff), plus 33,000 local police and 900 civilians support staff. Greece has 55,000 sworn in members in their National Police.
Greater London in the U.K. has a population of 8.5 million people and is served by the London Ambulance Service and their 4,500 staff. They have 900 ambulances and around 100 rapid-response vehicles, including cars and motorbikes, and almost 200 patient transport vehicles.
Greater Manchester has a population of just 2.7 million people and are served by the Greater Manchester Fire Service who employ 2,641 people and operate from 41 fire stations and almost 100 emergency vehicles.
The Zenia Boulevard is located on the Orihuela Costa which does not have a fire service, nor does it have a permanent ambulance presence and is policed by a very small team of local officers who cover a vast coastal area.
With the increase in these visitors to any single area it is also inevitable that the risk of an emergency or of criminal activities will also increase. This is the reason why many local residents and political figures are effortlessly campaigning for the completion of the emergency coordination centre on the Orihuela Costa, as it would be unimaginable for a country such as Belgium or Greece to be without emergency support, and yet as the equivalent population of those countries move to and through this already worn down area, the clock must surely be ticking as to when those emergency workers on the ground are simply unable to cope, and the support resources are spread so far away, that lives are being put at risk until that centre is completed, which must become a priority for anybody capable of yielding the power to ensure it.
