The carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife needs a permanent exhibition site for tourists and anyone who wants to enjoy this traditional show throughout the year.

After the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Santa Cruz de Tenerife has the most popular and renown carnival throughout the world. What is more, in January 18th, 1980, the event was declared Celebration of International Tourist Interest by Spanish Ministry of Tourism.

This is not the only Canary celebration that holds this distinction. However, after February, the month in which the Carnival is held (although some acts may fall in January or March), the party finishes in Santa Cruz and the authorities do not take advantage of the interest that visitors show in this event.
Sergio Garcia, director of ‘Gala de la Reina’, talked about this matter with knowledge of the facts. For four years, about fifteen years ago, he was the director of ‘Carnavalverano’, a show organized the Council of Tenerife in Puerto de la Cruz that was covered by the international media.

“The council used to promote the celebration of the carnival in the entire island with a grand gala that even included a Queen of the Carnival contest. These carnivals used to be a success.

What Sergio Garcia is now proposing goes beyond holding the carnival during summer season. “This is about having a site or premises in Santa Cruz where every Saturday, for example, tourists can enjoy a great spectacle of carnival, something like Tropicana in Cuba”, explains this well known artist. He added that the Carnival exhibition could be located at the bullring which is nowadays completely abandoned.

“This building could be remodelled to become the permanent venue for the Carnival. It has to be studied whether it would be economically viable and the project would need to count with sponsors to make it a reality”, ended García.

http://www.laopinion.es/tenerife/2010/11/05/carnaval-turistas/312818.html