United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Eric Cantona and hotel booking site tell football fans to get cultured
French football legend Eric Cantona has joined forces with hotels.com to urge British football fans to be more cultured when they hit Madrid ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final this weekend.
He is calling on Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur fans to swerve Irish bars and fast food joints and mingle with the locals.
He also appealed to travelling fans to sample the regional cuisine and even switch pubs for art galleries.
It comes following Hotels.com research which shows a quarter of football fans don’t consider themselves to be cultured.
And more than half (55%) don’t even bother trying the local cuisine when abroad.
"It’s time to open your eyes and experience the beauty of the places you are visiting when you follow your team," said Cantona.
"Hotels.com and I believe that travelling abroad can be an even more rewarding experience if you really embrace the local culture and everything it has to offer.
"Learn the language, drink in the culture, meet the local people and become the perfect travelling fan."
Hotels.com recommended trying pig’s ears, one of the local dishes in Madrid.
Grilled until they’re crispy, they are typically served with a side of spicy bravas sauce and a wedge of lemon, as well as a customary cold beer.
Adam Jay, president of Hotels.com said: "Away football fans are some of the most passionate in the world, but we know that not everyone takes the opportunity to fully enjoy their host city.
"As a travel brand, we want to change that and who better to show you how to be the perfect travelling fan than a cultural icon like Eric Cantona?"
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Florida’s Tourism Boom: Dana Young Analyzes Surge in UK Visitors
Elliott Ferguson’s Vision: Elevating Washington DC’s Global Appeal
Empowering Travel Agents and Tour Operators: A Conversation with Go Nexus Group President
Expedia TAAP incorporates AI for their 100,000 registered agents
Travefy CEO & Founder Talks About Their Itinerary Management For Travel Professionals
MMGY’s Jonathan Sloan: A Tale of Triumph Amidst Adversity
Unlocking Opportunities: Viator Empowers Travel Agents with Innovative Tools and Expansive Offerings
Kazakhstan Explored: A Journey into the Unknown
Behind the Scenes of Vegas Tourism: Kelly Messina’s Insider Perspective
Preserving Mexico’s Beauty: A Conversation with Doris Patiño from Xcaret
Easton Wasinger Unveils Trawick: Affordable Travel Insurance with Exceptional Service
Deleted video
BA flight attendant taken off duty after boozy altercation
Passenger attempts suicide on Bangkok-London flight
Ship crew member arrested after stabbing attack
Report: Viking Sky outage could have been ‘one of the worst disasters at sea’
Spain hits Booking.com with record €530 million fine