TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
The second in the tri-series webinar by the Spain Tourism Board was concluded successfully with participants from all over the United Arab Emirates and GCC. This webinar programme was divided into four sections with a focus on Andalusia.
Shehara Rizly
As the programme was divided into four sessions; the first was conducted by Daniel Rosado Bayon – Director of the Spanish Tourism Office in Abu Dhabi, where he provided a general update about the country, connectivity, weather, tourist arrivals to the destinations etc. – the many things that you do need to know and must do if you travel to the destination. He also mentioned that they are getting ready to open for foreign tourists in July.
The second session was conducted by Juan Manuel Ortiz Pascual, Promotion and Communications Director of Andalusía Tourism. This was a comprehensive presentation about Andalusia with several videos where visitors could take a closer look at the destination and its offerings. He shared about the many activities that can be done, the historical, cultural and entertainment options for families and individuals travelling for leisure, honeymooners, youth, adventure and M!CE visitors etc. He stated that there are four main cities with a rich Islamic heritage which are Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada and Malaga. The destination has seen Romans, Thracians, Phoenicians etc. during their times.
One of the main Spanish destinations in the GCC region is Malaga. This thousand-year-old Andalusian city offers a perfect combination of culture, sunshine and beaches. It’s right on the Costa del Sol, so you can enjoy its beaches and explore its seafront walks and the port. Susana Porras – Executive Consultant Visit Costa del Sol made her presentation on one of the most famous areas in Spain. ‘Costa del Sol’ means ‘coast of the sun’ or the ‘sun coast’. Marbella is the richest area in Malaga with a great shopping experience with small boutiques, souvenirs, some of the best beaches, most famous marina ‘Puerto Banus’ and about 10 other marinas that are quite well known. Ronda is another beautiful city to be visited with various types of accommodation depending on your budget, whether it is high-end luxury, four-star etc. with some of the most popular chains already around the place.
Finally, Rosado shared two other important destinations, one is the quite famous Valencia and the other is Extremadura. Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain with landmark buildings, family-friendly destinations with various activities for the entire family, and a perfect spot for relaxing in any of its multiple coastal towns facing the Mediterranean sea. Meanwhile Extremadura, located in the western part of Spain was quite well known during the Roman empire. The place has the most interesting activities, wild life, medieval tours, mountain scenery etc. Some of the ‘must visit’ places are Caceres, Merida, Gaudalupe and Trujillo.
The country is diverse and has offerings for any type of tourist; for those from the Middle East, unique shopping expeditions, great areas of adventure, discovering rich culture with gastronomy, should be a ‘must try’ in your bucket list. There were a good number of agents who attended the webinar and raised few questions too about the time to be spent, important areas to visit and many others. At the end of the session the questions were answered by Rosado and the team. .
