Revisiting Andalusia & Costa del Sol

The first session in a tri-series webinar was concluded with over 180 agents across the Middle East region attending the one-hour webinar focused on Andalusia and Costa del Sol. Daniel Rosado Bayon, Director, Spain Tourism GCC was joined by partners from the four destinations.

Shehara Rizly
Starting off the session, Daniel Rosado Bayon, Director, Spain Tourism GCC stated how the first webinar will take place focusing on four key areas; Malaga, Cordoba, Granada and Seville. “Spain developed a travel safe campaign and all information pertaining to it could be accessed via the website. Many precautions and measures have been taken by Spain focusing on summer travel upon confirmation by EU. Connectivity wise, before the pandemic Spain had the best connections over the national carriers from UAE, Saudi and Qatar etc. There are certain exceptions where people can still travel to Spain. They must show a health control form which needs to be filled, the QR code on arrival and negative PCR test 72 hours to boarding. However, the situation is in control in Spain, almost 70 per cent of the country will be vaccinated soon. We are helping agents as much as we can to obtain the knowledge necessary before the borders open and after they open, we hope to conduct fam trips, of course keeping safety and security regulations in mind.”

Costa del Sol was presented by Belen Perez Gascon, Business Development Manager, Costa del Sol Tourist Board and Pilar Carrión, Executive Consultant Tourismo Promotion, Costa del Sol Tourist Board, followed by Andalusion Soul with Antonio Montejo Romero, Tourism Promotion Department – Tourism and Promotion Area of the City, Malaga City Council and Seville presented by Diego Juárez, International Promotion & MICE, Seville Tourism. Next in line was Granada presented by Daniel Galán, Tourism Technician, Granada City Council and Cordoba was presented by Isabel Calvache, Area for Promotion – Municipal Institute of Tourism of Córdoba.

During the presentation 10 reasons were shared as to why one should visit the destination. It is a country which could be visited throughout the year due to weather, food, culture, history, nature and landscapes, hospitality, shopping, sport, quality and infrastructure. It was also recommended that seven days would make for an ideal visit to Costa del Sol where one can enjoy no matter which age group you belong to. It gives an opportunity to connect with people and experience the lifestyle which is very much anticipated by the GCC clientele.

Costa del Sol-Malaga speakers mentioned that over the past 20 years they have been promoting the destination and thanked Daniel Rosado Bayon and the team in Toursim Spain in Abu Dhabi for all the support extended. From cultural spaces to gastronomy, shopping, live experiences, beach clubs, night life, Mediterranean soul, outstanding hotels that are very good and promise a real experience of the destination with hotels such as W soon to be opened. Health and wellness play a key role, checking out the sunsets in the destination is another must do activity.

Partners@ Spain Webinar

Belen Perez Gascon, usiness Development Manage, Costa del Sol Tourist Board

Costa del Sol and Marbella have been popular destinations for GCC in the last 20 years and with the introduction of direct flights, we have seen an increase in numbers and we are hoping to continue this trend once the borders open up and direct flights to the airport of Malaga will be re-connected to Qatar, Riyadh, Bahrain, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi.

Pilar Carrión, Executive Consultant Tourismo Promotion, Costa del Sol Tourist Board
Costa del Sol-Andalucía, is indeed one of the most fascinating areas in Spain thanks to its multi aspects, from luxurious hotels to the authentic historic cities; fashion design, shopping, outstanding gastronomy, a great variety of options for halal food; Mediterranean lifestyle, and nightlife. Malaga, Costa del Sol, is no doubt a go-to destination in the GCC.

Antonio Montejo Romero, Tourism Promotion Department – Tourism and Promotion Area of the City – Malaga City Council
Malaga is a Mediterranean city that enjoys the best climate in Europe, ideal to live, feel and enjoy. Internationally connected by air and also by land thanks to the Spanish high-speed train AVE, Costa del Sol’s capital is currently one of Spain’s largest cultural cities, boasting around 40 world-class museums, being the birthplace of Picasso and home to such important cultural icons as the own Picasso, Thyssen, Pompidou, the Russian art museum in Saint Petersburg. But Malaga also offers excellent five-star properties, fine and rich and careful gastronomy (for example, the espetos), and a spectacular monumental heritage from Roman, Arab and Catholic times dated centuries ago.

Diego Juárez, International & MICE Department, Sevilla Tourism Board
Sevilla Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville – together these three world heritage buildings by UNESCO form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. The cathedral and the Alcázar – dating from the Reconquest of 1248 to the 16th century and imbued with Moorish influences – are an exceptional testimony to the civilization of the Almohads as well as that of Christian Andalusia. However, the main attraction is Plaza de España, full of tiles and ceramics. But once you have seen these you will see that Sevilla has pleasant weather, tasteful gastronomy and offers great value for money, perhaps that’s why more than 60 per cent of people come back again and again.

Daniel Galán, Tourism Technician, Granada City Council
Located in the south of Spain, between the highest mountain range in the Iberian peninsula and the tropical and Mediterranean coast, we find the jewel city of Granada. Granada has the Alhambra fortress and the gardens of the Generalife. But Granada is more than this mesmerizing construction. Granada is the Muslim neighborhood of the Albaicín, the Gipsy Sacromonte cave district where the most authentic Flamenco is to be found, and the old Christian town presided the majestic Cathedral, the finest form of Renaissance architecture in Spain which are all sure attractions for clients from GCC.

Ana Marcos, Director / Manager – Department of Tourism, Cordoba City Council
Córdoba is a medium-sized city – a city whose streets are a delight to stroll through and whose climate is benign throughout the year, full of charming spots and unique historic treasures, where the people are cheerful and friendly, and give a warm welcome to visitors, to whom they proudly show their impressive cultural heritage, their unique accolade of four World Heritage Sites (the Mosque of Cordoba since 1984, the Historic Quarter since 1994, the Patios’s Festival since 2012 and the Caliphate City of Medina Azahara since 2018), Córdoba is this and so much more and we hope the agents enjoyed the webinar as much as we did and we can’t wait to welcome you and your clients from the GCC.