Spain invites agents to take a good look around
SINGAPORE – Spain is gearing up for a major marketing push in South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
The region’s new tourism counsellor, Angela Castano Cabanas, has moved to Singapore from Los Angeles where she promoted Spanish tourism to the US.
Part of her new job will involve promoting greater awareness of Spain in SE Asia through the media and travel trade, generating interest from airlines and working on a number of strategies involving consumers.
“There is a lack of awareness about Spain in this region and I want to change that,” said Ms Cabanas.
“When people from here are traveling to Europe they may not think about Spain as their first choice, so for the ASEAN market we will focus on the food and fashion of Spain to create a greater desire to visit the country.”
A series of fam trips, workshops, seminars and specialist training will drive awareness of the destination.
“We’re keen to take travel agents to inspect hotels, meet suppliers and taste the local food. We want them to be comfortable with the destination which makes it easier for them to sell it,” said Ms Cabanas.
Thailand (65,659 visitors 2008) is the largest SEA outbound market; Singapore (24,000) is the fastest growing SEA outbound market due to increased airline capacity.
In contrast with these figures, Malaysia (7,658) is the smallest market for Spain and also the lowest growing SEA market.
Thailand’s numbers are generated to a large extent by direct air services connecting Bangkok and Madrid, while Singapore Airlines flies daily one- stop services to Barcelona via Milan.
Ms Canabas said Spain had world-class brands including several in fashion, financial services and telecommunications.
Among the best-known fashion brands are Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti, Ermenegildo Zegna, Manolo Blanik and Camper shoes.
Ms Canabas said prices of goods in Spain were the best value in Europe, especially compared to the UK, France and Italy.
Spain also has four of the 50 top restaurants in the world, ranked in the S. Pellegrino awards, namely El Bulli (1st), Mugaritz (4th), El Celler de Can Roca (5th) and Arzak (8th).
For the Australian and New Zealand markets, Spain will focus on visitors attracted to high-end products, including paradores, luxury accommodation in castles, palaces, fortresses, convents, monasteries and other historic buildings. There are also modern hotels, built in traditional style, in areas of outstanding beauty.
“What we are selling is a way of life that’s quite different to our competitors,” said Ms Cabanas. “The gastronomy, the nightlife, the variety in the regions adds up to a very special place.”
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports