International Festival of Exaltation of the Botillo: “You can’t get any higher than what we have reached”.
The Secretary of State for Tourism, under the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, has made public this morning the recognition of the Festival de Exaltación del Botillo de Bembibre as a Festival of International Tourist Interest. This distinction comes after confirming compliance with the requirements established by current regulations and assessing the trajectory of more than half a century of the event.
The mayor of Bembibre, Silvia Cao, and the councilor of Culture, Commerce, Tourism and Festivities of Bembibre Belén Martín, have expressed their satisfaction for this recognition, especially when “you can not get higher than what we have reached”.
In these terms said Silvia Cao, who has always been confident that Bembibre would get the highest honorary distinction for the Botillo Festival for its real interest from the tourist point of view, highlighted the interest and the waiting time, especially after the “yes of the Junta de Castilla y León”.
That was a decisive moment since it was the penultimate step and it ratified that Bembibre met the requirements, which anticipated a similar pronouncement by the Secretary of State for Tourism, under the Ministry of Industry.
“Finally the Festival de Exaltación del Botillo de Bembibre becomes international,” said the councilor proudly. “It is something very important and very good news, not only for our town, but also for the whole region”.
For his part, the Councillor for Culture, Commerce, Tourism and Festivals of Bembibre, Belén Martín, said that “it is a huge support for our City Council, for the whole region and the province of León”. Not in vain, the province of León only had the Easter Week of León with this declaration, and the autonomous community of Castilla y León with 10 festivals of International Tourist Interest.
Statements by Silvia Cao
Statements by Belén Martín
A work that began one month before the pandemic
In the prelude to the declaration of the State of Alarm, the XLVIII National Festival of Exaltation of the Botillo de Bembibre announced that the machinery had been set in motion to obtain the declaration of Fiesta of International Tourist Interest. However, the pandemic and the uncertainty about the celebration of multitudinous events -which forced, even, the cancellation of the edition in 2021 and a change of date in 2022- paralyzed the process.
Once the health emergency was over, the City Council began to prepare the steps to be taken by the Festival, with its sights set on the fiftieth anniversary, which would mark a new beginning.
In 2024 the file was initiated and, having completed the required documentation, as well as verified by the government team the fulfillment of the requirements, the Junta de Castilla y León reported favorably last July on the declaration of International Tourist Interest.
This recognition accredits the roots, uniqueness and projection of this traditional event, which places it as a cultural and gastronomic reference beyond the region of El Bierzo.
