The Junta is to invest two million euros in reopening the CIOMijas hotel and college

Slowly, but surely. That has been the strategy that the regional government's Employment ministry has pursued in trying to find a new use for the CIOMijas building, which has been closed for the past five years, and which has been steadily deteriorating with the passage of time and, recently, because of damage caused by Storm Filomena.

In its time, the CIOMIjas was an international benchmark as a training centre for tourism, catering and leisure services, and the Junta has now taken a giant step and decided that it will pay for it to be fully renovated and reopened, including the four-star hotel and student residence, at a cost of two million euros.

It appears that several hotel groups have expressed an interest in running the building, and the Junta has asked the provincial authority to carry out a viability study for the proposed works. It is hoped that these can begin within the next few months and the project can be completed next year.

Before making the decision, the Junta invited professionals from the relevant industries to visit the building and make suggestions regarding its future.