Alicante Promotes Its Status as Spain's Gastronomy Capital on Five Million ONCE Coupons

Alicante, designated as Spain's Gastronomy Capital for 2025, will be featured on the ONCE lottery coupon for the upcoming draw on Tuesday, March 25. Five million coupons will be sold throughout Spain, showcasing this title with an image of Alicante rice alongside the capital's logo.

The Councillor for Hospitality and Commerce, Lidia López, presented the coupon on Wednesday alongside Estela Medina, director of ONCE in Alicante, in the Blue Hall. The event was attended by a large representation from the city's associative network, as well as members of the municipal corporation, the Bellea del Foc, Alba Muñoz, and the president of the Federation of Bonfires, David Olivares.

López stated, "This coupon pays tribute to our city and our gastronomy, highlighting the title we hold as Spain's Gastronomy Capital. We must be very proud, and I want to thank the ONCE Group for supporting this initiative, as it combines two fundamental values: the richness of our gastronomy and the social commitment of an exemplary institution."

"This coupon is not just a ticket; the rice represents us as a testament to the high gastronomic quality we possess, and this coupon will carry its flavour across Spain," she added. She also highlighted the work of "ONCE vendors who are on our streets with a smile every day, ready to bring us joy," the councillor added.

For her part, Medina emphasized that "with this very Alicante coupon, the ONCE Social Group wants to honour Alicante for being named Spain's Gastronomy Capital, as without the support of the citizens, the work we do would be impossible. Without the coupon's revenue, we could not develop employment and training for people with disabilities." She also reminded that "at ONCE, we have more than 75,000 men and women working, making us the fourth-largest non-public employment generator in Spain," which makes ONCE a pillar of social integration and accessibility.

Among the attendees were representatives from hospitality associations, including the president of APEHA, María del Mar Valera; the president of Alroa, Javier Galdeano; the vice president of ARA, María Luisa Rivera; chefs such as Pablo Montoro, Ramón and Rocío Riquelme, and Miguel García; from the tourism sector, the director of Alicante for Cruise Tourism, Roberto Martínez; and from the social sector, the president of Apsa, Nito Manero, from Alinur, Leonor Martínez, and Red Cross, Remedios Alarcón, among others, who filled the Blue Hall.