The exhibition of real-scale dinosaur models that has landed in Arrecife, and which was scheduled to open last Friday at the Fairgrounds of the capital, had to delay its opening by one day due to the "lack of a permit from the City Council." A fact that has caused complaints from citizens, who saw how the event was suspended after having already bought the ticket, and also from the organizing company, which blames the City Council for what happened.
According to Mundo Dinosaurios, the problem was that "Coasts had not authorized the City Council to use the Fairgrounds" because "the concession had expired," a permit that was not obtained "until the last minute on Friday." "Therefore, the City Council did not authorize us to open, because they themselves did not have authorization," they have assured.
Thus, all the people who had bought their tickets for Friday afternoon were left without being able to access that day. "It's incredible that they sold tickets without having everything in order," an affected person told La Voz.
"In 15 years, we had never had a problem of this type"
"We submitted a technical and health and safety project, they saw the project and said okay, that they would give us the space," they pointed out from the company, stating that it was after that when the tickets went on sale and they moved to the island to set up the entire installation. "And once everything was set up, a technician from the City Council came to certify that everything was correct and from there the license had to be issued," they added.
"We didn't know that the Coast permit was missing until the day of the event itself, when our secretary went to the City Council to look for the authorization, as is usually done, to present the certificate of completion of assembly where it says that everything is in perfect condition and they don't give him the permit," they assured from Mundo Dinosaurios, stating that even then the City Council told them that "in a while" the matter "would be resolved." Finally, "at 5:45 p.m.," just fifteen minutes before the opening of the exhibition, they were informed that they could not open.
Then, the company states that it made a publication on social networks, informing that the event was suspended "due to a bureaucratic issue" and that those who had bought their ticket online "were sent an email" to notify them. However, given the time, some came to the Arrecife Fairgrounds, finding out there that the event had been canceled. "If the City Council, in the last instance, having presented all the documents, does not issue the authorization because they are the ones who have a problem, we were tied hand and foot," they insist.
"In the 15 years that we have been doing this with exhibitions not only in Spain, but we have toured France, England and Greece, we have never had a problem of this type. We have had several things, to suspend due to wind, due to force majeure, because a storm was approaching and Civil Protection has come to us and told us that they cannot open today due to risk, but this, that it is due to a bureaucratic problem that has not been resolved in its time, seems absurd to me," they added.
Other inconveniences that they claim to have suffered
In addition, they have assured that it is not the only problem they have had. And it is that, according to the company, initially the opening of Mundo Dinosaurios had been scheduled two weeks earlier, but the City Council decided to postpone it because "they did not want it to coincide" with the Rally Isla de Lanzarote. "And that also a day before, everything prepared to embark from Fuerteventura, they call us and tell us that they are going to postpone the event, when we had already done the advertising campaign. The tickets had not gone on sale yet, but the campaign had already been launched and everything that was paid was lost," they criticized.
However, from Mundo Dinosaurios they celebrate that, despite all the inconveniences, the exhibition was finally able to open its doors on Saturday. And it is that, they point out that, after having to suspend the event on Friday, they were told that they might not be able to open "until Tuesday." "The surprise was that on Friday night, around 11:00 p.m., they called us from the City Council telling us that they had finally reached an agreement, that we already had the opening license to download it from the electronic headquarters and we were able to open on Saturday," they pointed out. "Luckily it was solved and it was only one day," they added.
Regarding the people who had bought tickets for the first day and who saw how the event was suspended, from Mundo Dinosaurios they have pointed out that they have been given "two options", either they can use the ticket to attend another day or request a refund of the amount through the same online platform where they bought them. However, the company understands people's anger.
"We understand it, because a person who may not live in Arrecife, but comes from Yaiza or Playa Blanca, gets in the car with the children to see the dinosaurs and comes here and cannot enter because someone has not done their job, that person does not care if it has been the City Council or the exhibition. What matters to them is that they have gone out with their children and have not been able to see the exhibition, but, of course, we cannot go against the law," they concluded.
In addition, they have pointed out that the fair of attractions installed in the Fairgrounds suffered the same problem as them. "Although they are separate activities, they were also going to open on Friday and could not for the same reason," they concluded from Mundo Dinosaurios.
