Cole Sinanian
TOWN hall bosses have insisted they will reopen the much-loved Tivoli World theme park in Benalmadena.
In a press conference Thursday, Benalmadena mayor Juan Antonio Lara and urban planning councilor Presi Aguilera expressed commitment to reopening the amusement park following a three-year closure.
“I want it to be clear to my neighbours that we’ve been working from minute one to provide solutions and finally achieve what we all want — for Tivoli World to reopen its doors,” the mayor said.
First opened in 1972 by Danish businessman Bernt Olsen, Tivoli World was once the Costa del Sol’s first and only major amusement park.
But the iconic destination’s ferris wheels, drop tower, and performance space have remained abandoned since its permanent closure in August 2021, a result of the €11.2 million of debt accrued by the company that formerly managed the park, the International Parks and Attractions Company, or CIPASA.
The now-bankrupt company is now involved in a complicated series of legal proceedings with a real estate company called Tremon, which acquired the park from CIPASA in 2007 after CIPASA’s owner — polarising Cordoban businessman Rafael Gomez — was arrested for corruption and his assets — including Tivoli World — were liquidated.
Tremon has since entered its own bankruptcy proceedings after acquiring the park and inheriting its debt — the majority of which is owed to the Spanish Social Security Administration.
As the park is located towards the centre of Benalmadena, its real estate is valuable.
According to an El Mundo report, the park’s bankruptcy proceedings entered into their liquidation phase in May 2022, resulting in the firing of all 79 of Tivoli World’s employees.
Spanish media has reported that amusement park operating companies have approached Tremon with interest in operating the park, but always back due to fear of assuming the park’s massive debt.
“I want to make it clear that our government team is working to ensure that Tivoli reopens its doors and does so, as it could not be any other way, as an amusement park,” Lara said in the press conference.
As far as securing investment to fund the park’s reopening, Aguilera added that the City Council would “continue working to “mediate between the property and investors who want the park to reopen its doors.”
READ MORE
- Tivoli World to reopen in Benalmadena this summer as mayor backs moves to save theme park from bankruptcy
- Mayor commits to future of Tivoli World despite crippling debt on Spain’s Costa del Sol
