TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
The final session in a tri-series webinar to promote the rich, beautiful and historical Spain was held last month. In this session, Daniel Rosado Bayon, Director of the Spanish Tourism Office in Abu Dhabi walked the viewers through the very interesting lush greenery areas in the Spain.
Shehara Rizly
As Spain is now an open destination to foreign visitors, behind the scene, the authorities continue to implement all the necessary measures to ensure safety and hygiene for its travellers. First and foremost, Rosado updated attendees about the current situation in Spain, regarding tourists, measures taken, what they need to know to travel to the destination etc.
“Although these are unprecedented and challenging times, we are getting used to it and we are together in this and while we wait for travel and tourism to start to get back, from the Spanish Tourism Board we would like to use this time so that we can educate you about Spain and help you to discover all it has to offer,” stated Rosado. He showed a video that sent a message that Spain will wait for the visitors. He said that it was the third video that was made, which gave a more positive outlook as Spain is opening up.
Popular in summer
Rosado shared, “Today we are focusing on the islands and the north of Spain. But before that let me provide some basic information about the destination. First of all, Spain is located in the south western part of Europe, surrounded by France in the northeast and Portugal in the west, Mediterranean sea in the east and Atlantic ocean in the south. Many different climates throughout the country, throughout the year make it an ideal all year-round travel destination. Summer is very popular as the weather is very mild, Canary Island has good beach weather all year long. The language spoken is Spanish, but English is understood everywhere, and it is easy to move around. So, there are many reasons to visit Spain – its landscape; its climate; its good weather and more than 5,000 km of coastline. We have more than 300 heritage sites, with lively street ambience, world-class cities and historical towns. Shopping is amazing with a choice of international brands and Spanish designers, VAT refund from the first Euro and long opening hours. Also, in the current situation we have flights from UAE to Barcelona and Madrid from Emirates and Etihad as well as from Qatar Airways. And, we expect connectivity to increase progressively.
An unforgettable experience
Another video explained the Spanish travel experience and what makes this country one of the most visited destinations in the world. Spain welcomed more than 83 million travellers in 2019, and in recent years Spain has doubled its arrivals from the GCC region from 119,000 travellers in 2014 to 240,000 in 2018; there’s still great potential for growth from this region. So what makes Spain a key destination from the GCC? In Spain we welcome travellers who enjoy our diversity, love our warm hospitality and share our zest for life. We have an excellent climate throughout the year, for a warm summer in December and January you could go to the Canary Islands where it’s an average of 18 – 24 degrees Celsius; if you want to stay cool in the summer months, visit the evergreen north of Spain from snow-capped mountains to rain forests or beaches to deserts, a metropolis to the rural countryside.
Thereafter Rosado took the viewers through an interesting journey of the greener areas in northern Spain and the many islands.
Journey through greener areas
The Balearic Islands are a Mediterranean paradise. A wonderful place to relax, with every modern comfort; luxurious resorts, exclusive marinas, natural settings that are easy to explore, beautiful coves and a clear turquoise sea. It’s easy to see why this is a favourite destination for international jet setters, with actors and athletes from all over the world choosing to holiday here. The most Mediterranean way to enjoy it is to sail from island to island, or visit the more private coves by yacht. All the islands have exclusive marinas with large shopping areas and renowned restaurants.
The Canary Islands, to the south of the Iberian Peninsula and of volcanic origin, is a place to enjoy a perfect climate with warm winters and mild summers – perfect for a fabulous holiday any time of the year. They offer paradise beaches with green sceneries, great nature, amazing gastronomy and history.
For countryside lovers “Green Spain” will be the perfect place to go. The regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country, in northern Spain, are home to some of the most valuable and best-conserved ecological areas in Europe. These are landscapes full of contrasts, with salt-water rivers, unspoiled beaches, charming villages and extraordinary nature reserves with endless green… Gastronomy is fabulous and there are regional capital cities with a very special charm.
“Spain is reopening to tourism and soon visitors from the GCC countries will be able to come back and enjoy a fantastic and safe Spain,” concluded Rosado.
