World Travel Market Brings Good News for Tourism in Andalucía

FREE COPY FOOTBALL THE NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHERN SPAIN A special Official market leader homecoming Audited by PGD/OJD November 10th to 16th 2017 in Malaga www.surinenglish.com Isco and Óscar Caro return to La News 2 Health & Beauty 40 20 45 Comment My Home Rosaleda as Spain Lifestyle 22 Sport 49 What To Do 34 Classified 55 face Costa Rica P53 in English Food & Drink 33 Pastimes 62 The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Susana Díaz (c), with authorities and professionals at the WTM. :: SALVADOR SALAS World Travel Market brings good news for tourism in Andalucía The industry reported more record-breaking figures for 2017, although received a word of warning about growing competition The president of the Junta de Anda- warned this year that it is not wise lucía, Susana Díaz, announced in Lon- Marbella chosen as host to get too comfortable in its current don on Monday that the tourism fig- for the Davis Cup clash success. Other Mediterranean desti- ures for the region for 2017 will be nations are back in the race for Brit- the best ever. In recent years the in- between Great Britain ish visitors while the Costa del Sol dustry is used to record-breaking re- and Spain P13 aims to attract more quality tourism sults year after year, although it was and year-round visitors. P2-4 22222222 November 10th to 16th 2017 NEWS SUR IN ENGLISH Andalucía announces record figures for 2017 at the World Travel Market The region’s tourism year. Díaz pointed out on Monday that the British take longer holidays results for this year will in southern Spain than most, an av- be the best ever, erage of ten days; they spend more - up to 71 euros a day, five more than although the industry the average; and they value their holi- is warned that day experience more highly than other visitors, according to surveys. Mediterranean This tourist satisfaction translates competition is reviving into loyalty. While a large proportion of British visitors have been to the :: PILAR MARTÍNEZ / PEDRO south of Spain more than once, the LUIS GÓMEZ regional tourism authority still be- LONDON. Industry results and fore- lieves there is room to strengthen casts released this week have con- this loyalty even further. firmed that the southern Spanish re- Over the three days at the travel gion of Andalucía is still one of trade fair this week, more than 12,000 Europe’s top tourist destinations. tourism professionals visited the An- The British are Andalucía’s best dalusian section, with over 3,000 customers and the World Travel Mar- meetings taking place. ket (WTM), held this week in the Ex- Meanwhile in the Costa del Sol’s Cel centre, was the ideal time and own section of the World Travel Mar- place for the tourism authorities to ket, the mayors and tourism officials announce more good news for the of all the most important tourist re- sector. sorts could be found all making opti- The president of Andalucía, Susana mistic noises about the latest growth Díaz, in London to open the region’s figures for the market. stand at the ExCel centre, revealed The president of the provincial gov- the industry’s predicted results for ernment, Elías Bendodo, however 2017, the best tourism figures in the brought a note of caution to the gen- history of the region. By the end of eral triumphant tone. There are indi- 2017, 29.4 million visitors will have cations, he said, that we are approach- travelled to Andalucía and among The president of the Junta de Andalucía at the SUR in English stand. :: SALVADOR SALAS ing a change in cycle and priority has them they will have spent 52 million nights in hotel accommodation. Andalucía has always been a favourite holiday destination for the British, who show no signs of chang- ing their preferences. In fact the region’s Tourism minister, Francisco Javier Fernández, said at the WTM that British visitor figures are expected to be up six per cent next year. “We expect good results because Andalucía is showing its strength, quality and diversity,” said Díaz. “This is essential if we are to continue to improve thanks to new market niches.” One of the main objectives for the region in the coming year is to attract British tourists with greater spending power, said the president, something being achieved by offer- ing more quality high-end facilities and services. British tourists are not just good news for Andalucía in terms of visi- The minister of Tourism Álvaro Nadal with mayors and SUR Traditional black cabs brightened up by a Costa del Sol campaign tor numbers, which grew 16% last representatives at the SUR in English stand. :: S. SALAS in London. :: SALVADOR SALAS November 10th to 16th 2017 3 SUR IN ENGLISH NEWS SUR in English helps support the to be given to tourist loyalty. “By the end of 2017, three million British passengers will have arrived at Malaga airport,” he said. tourism industry in London “What’s more we have passed the one million guest milestone in Costa del Sol hotels and apartments, up 2.8% on last year,” said Bendodo, :: RACHEL HAYNES warning of the danger of “not mak- LONDON. The SUR in English ing the mistake of believing we are stand was busy as usual at the World the best and that our success will Travel Market this week. A meet- last forever”. ing point for representatives of the Spanish tourism industry, the news- Competition warning paper’s base offered sweet Malaga Tuesday’s business at the WTM in- wine and traditional ‘borrachuelo’ cluded meetings with ABTA, the As- cakes as well as copies of the spe- sociation of British Travel Agents. cial tourism supplement distrib- The ABTA representatives con- uted with last week’s edition. firmed their confidence in the Costa A special version of the supple- del Sol as a safe and favourite desti- ment was also taken out to Lon- nation for British tourists, but said don commuters on Monday morn- that traditional Mediterranean coming, inserted inside the morning petition was making a recovery. free business newspaper City A.M. Due to instability in recent years, The supplement was popular countries such as Egypt, Tunisia or with many mayors and council- Turkey had lost British tourists to lors from tourism resorts on the the benefit of southern Spain. Now, Costa del Sol, who were pleased warns ABTA, tourists are starting to to see their destination reaching José Luis Romero, Rachel Haynes, Pedro Luis Gómez and Manuel Castillo of SUR, show the Tourism go back. potential tourists. Minister Álvaro Nadal the supplement inside City A. M.. :: SALVADOR SALAS ABTA has chosen Andalucía’s capi- tal city, Seville, as the venue for its Travel Convention next year. Andalucía in the street The region has not been content with talking to agencies and operators at the WTM. At the end of last week it went out onto the streets to deliver its message to potential tourists in person. While a bus covered in images of Andalucía did the rounds of London, the Angel Central Shopping Centre in Islington was the venue for a dis- The busy SUR in English stand.. :: SALVADOR SALAS play of all things Andalusian. Shop- pers were treated to flamenco shows and traditional ham and wine tast- ings and were able to take their pho- tographs in front of images of some of the most beautiful landscapes, beaches and monuments in Europe. The Costa del Sol tourism authority has also been out in the streets of London, but this time decorat- ing traditional black cabs. The campaign was launched in the city on Wednesday. A commuter with SUR in English on Monday.. :: SALVADOR SALAS Emma Vera and Stuart Smith. :: SALVADOR SALAS 4 November 10th to 16th 2017 NEWS SUR IN ENGLISH Emma Vera, Rachel Haynes,Simon Manley, Maria Isabel Manley, Ignacio Peyró and José Luis Romero. :: SALVADOR SALAS Guests posed for a photo after the dinner at Clothworkers Hall. :: SALVADOR SALAS Guests and authorities on the centre table at the dinner. :: S. S. :: R. HAYNES Along with the ambassador, guests Speakers at the dinner, introduced An evening in honour LONDON. “Andalucía is in the included the regional minister for by SUR’s Director of Publications, hearts of the British,” said the am- Tourism, Francisco Javier Fernández; Pedro Luis Gómez, and welcomed bassador Simon Manley, speaking the mayors of Malaga, Cordoba and by Editor-in-Chief, Manuel Casti- of the tourism industry at the SUR in English annual din- Seville, Francisco de la Torre, Isabel llo, included the aforementioned ner in London on Monday. This year Ambrosio and Juan Espadas; the presi- political leaders as well as the new the event, organised as a celebra- dent of the Malaga provincial gov- director of the Cervantes Institute tion of that special relationship be- ernment, Elías Bendodo; British MP in London, Ignacio Peyró, who spoke SUR in English entertained more than tween British tourists and south- Chris Bryant; as well as mayors from of the importance of language tour- ern Spain, was held in Clothwork- many of the tourism resorts on the ism, and José Luis Borau of the 140 authorities and professionals at ers Hall, the grand home of the liv- Costa del Sol, leaders of hoteliers’ as- ONCE Foundation, who called for ery company that started its life as sociations in Spain and numerous more accessible tourism for people Clothworkers Hall in London on Monday a guild for the textile industry. professionals from the industry. with disabilities.

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