Residents of a Spanish village that was painted bright blue for The Smurfs movie, have voted to keep the cheerful shade in a bid to attract a steady stream of tourists.
Juzcar, a town in Southern Spain, was painted blue six months ago after it was chosen as the set for The Smurfs movie.
Although the film's makers, Sony, had promised to return the hillside village to its original state, residents have decided to keep the eye-popping shade after receiving a huge boost in tourist numbers.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
According to The Daily Mail, 'Smurf Town' has had an extra 80,000 visitors in the past six months - an enormous number considering 300 tourists usually pass through the area.
Mayor of the village, David Fernandez, who has been dubbed 'Papa Smurf', said the publicity stunt has had a huge impact of his town's economy and spirit.
“It's given a boost to the local, it's increased our happiness, our dreams and our levels of employment,” he told Spanish media.
“Thanks to being painted blue we are known throughout the world.”
Villagers voted 141 in favour and just 33 opposed to keeping the Smurf blue hue.
