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How do you
compare Spain vis-à-vis to other European destinations?
I do not like to compare destinations especially the ones in
Europe since Europe as a continent has so much to offer- each city
has its own flavour and our continent is rich in history with
diverse cultures from the Romans, the Arabs and the Christians.
Spain as a country has its own diverse backgrounds vis-à-vis most
European countries. Our outlook to life is quite different - We
have a passion for life and this is displayed by our hospitality
and the life style of our people who like to live life to the
fullest. Spain is well known for its “fiestas” and the vibrant
nightlife especially in cities like Barcelona, Madrid and
Valencia. And last but not the least is our wide variety of
cuisine -the paellas, the tapas which have become a synonymous
part of Spanish lifestyle and cuisine. You can walk into a bar to
have a cerveza (beer) or wine and enjoy the wide variety of tapas
that come along with it and this has been a long tradition of the
Spanish culture. |
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How many
travellers visit Spain every year and what is the segregation of
travellers from different regions?
In 2005 Spain registered 55.6 million visitors which was a
6% increase compared to the previous year with the maximum
number of tourist visiting the region of Cataluña which recorded
14.03 million tourists, followed by Baleares with 9.6 million
and close on its heels were the Canary Islands at 9.5 million
tourists. The tourists visiting Spain per year outnumber the
population of the country which stands at around 43 million. |
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Out of the total number of tourists that visit Spain each year,
as high as 60 percent of the tourists are repeat travellers
which makes Spain the third most popular destination in the
world. In 2005, we had around 83000 Indians flying to Spain
which is an increase of almost 84 percent compared to 2004 when
we take into account the number of visas issued in 2005 from the
Spanish Embassy in Delhi.
Although the current market from India is relatively small
compared to other markets, the Indian traveller has a much
higher spending power. The trend for most Indians as of now is
to visit Spain as part of a European holiday package and our
objective is to project Spain as an exclusive destination not
only for tourists but also for business travellers as Spain has
excellent amenities to offer for the MICE segment as well. Spain
is also an exciting destination for Golf tourism.
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What does Spain have to offer to the discerning
traveller?
Starting with the capital Madrid which is the gateway city,
it is famous for its dynamism and its excellent
nightlife, then comes Barcelona in the Cataluña
region which is well known for its cosmopolitan
style and rich in architecture - the Sagrada Familia,
the Gothic architecture including the world renowned
architecture of Gaudi as well are a photographer’s
delight.
Green Spain is well known for its mountains and the excellent
gastronomy. South of Spain has great Islamic Influence dating
back to the 7 centuries of ruling of the Moorish and in Granada
in the region of Andalusia you can see the famous Moorish Palace
of the Alhambras. There are the two archipelagos - the Baleareas
and Canaries which are year round holiday destinations as well
as the central regions of medieval Spain especially Castilla
Leon and Castilla La Mancha. |
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Spain is amongst the top 3 destinations in the world for the
MICE(Meetings, Incentive, Congresses and Exhibitions) market and
is the No 1 destination for the Incentive market and has several
year round Trade Fairs as well. Spain has the advantage of the
sun and enjoys ambient temperatures, it is one of the few
countries where you can enjoy golfing all year round.
Spain is renowned for its gastronomy as well as Culture
especially the Golden Art Triangle in Madrid comprising of the
Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen Bornemisza which has the
greatest art collections in the western world and the three
museums are minutes away from each other.
For the shopaholics you have fine shopping with well known local
brands such as Zara, Mango, Loewe, Camper and Purificación
Garcia to name a few.
Another important product is Golf, Spain has the biggest golf
offer in Europe with more than 250 golf courses including the
well known Valderrama Golf Club. |
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Which are the
famous icons of Spain from the tourism perspective?
Normally for any country there is one major icon but in case
of Spain there are many of them. To name a few, there is the
Moorish Palace of the Alhambras in Granada, in the region of
Andalusia. Then there is the Mezquita de Córdoba which is both a
mosque and a church, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in the
region of Cataluña, the Palacio Real de Madrid, Museo Guggenheim
in Bilbao, Ciudad de las Artes y de la Ciencias, the Catedral de
Santiago de Compostela, the Molinos de Viento (Windmills) and the
Albacete in Castilla la Mancha to name a few. |
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What is the
potential of Spain for the M.I.C.E. segment?
Spain has 166 different centers providing conference and
convention facilities with more than 750 halls able to seat
558,000 delegates with close to 50 major conference centres. In
addition, there are 36 business tourism promotional offices and
the MICE segment of travellers can choose from over a thousand 3,
4 and 5 star category of hotels offering at one time more than
250000 rooms. Well known national and international architects
have created some of the most exciting and innovative conference
centers. Some designed by famous international architects such as
Rafael Moneo, Norman Foster and Ricardo Bofill and all of these
together characterizes the quality of the services on offer. |
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Which is the
best time of the year to visit Spain?
Although most tourists visit Spain from May to October because
of the weather as during this period the days are longer as well,
we generally have a warm climate all year round due to the
strategic location of our country. Hence, you can enjoy the
country not only in spring and summer but in winter and autumn as
well. |
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What way you
plan to promote Spain for visitors from Asia and Australia and
what initiatives have been planned for the coming year?
Firstly, we are working with the travel agents and tour
operators to increase the offers of Spain in their tour brochures
especially the brochures of the big tour operators as well as
travel agencies. We also plan to increase the awareness of Spain
in the media, to get more exposure of Spain. As for the final
consumer, we get to them through our on-line and off-line media
campaign and through marketing activities which will be developed
in the coming year through initiatives such as e-promotions. We
are also looking at working with Bollywood producers to consider
filming in Spain as the country as many scenic locations and
through movies the end consumer will know of our wonderful country
and what it has to offer.
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Recently, you
were in India, what has been your experience visiting India?
My experience visiting India was great, both personally as
well as professionally. And for the third year running, we had our
road show with this year's theme being “Smile you are in Spain”
where 12 Spanish companies and institutions came to India to
promote Spain as a destination . We got extensive media coverage
and a large number of quality travel agents attended our workshops
in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore. |
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The Indian
traveller is most concerned about the food whilst travelling
abroad? How do you plan to address this issue?
In my personal opinion, one of great pleasures of travelling
abroad is to discover new cuisines. So, I think really the
Indian travellers should be a little more adventurous and try
Spanish food and I am sure they will find our cuisine to their
liking. In big cities like Madrid and Barcelona, you will find a
number of Indian restaurants as well. So there is no shortage as
far as choice of cuisines is concerned. |
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Your message
to readers as to why Spain must be on their agenda when they
plan a trip to Europe.
Spain is a country for all seasons it offers year round
sunshine, excellent food, warm hospitality, fantastic places to
see- choice of over 30 World Heritage sites, amazing
architecture, renowned museums, finest beaches, and importantly
it is 20% to 30% cheaper than most European destinations. It is
a melting pot for all cultures and whether it is for MICE
segment or a leisure traveller you can have your most exciting
holiday as a tourist and carry back wonderful memories to visit
the country time and again. |
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