Nº 271 - MARCH 2018 - FREE COPY EUROPEAN TOUR The Open de España to make its return The European Tour has announced that this historic tournament will be back this year [P4] LADIES TOUR Azahara Muñoz: “I’m more than a golfer” The Malaga golfer has a new-found maturity and has started the season Bridging the gap Andalucía steps up its “with a good feeling” [P7] promotion of golf as a between high year-round tourist Huelva, bringing attraction [P2 & 3] sport and nature and low season together This Andalusian province is working to target Scandinavian markets through golf [P6] 2 ANDALUCÍA March 2018 COSTA DEL GOLF Andalucía promotes golf to attract more year-round tourism The region had a major presence at the recent ITB tourism fair in Berlin with the aim of attracting 1.7 million German visitors this year ALBERTO GÓMEZ POWERFUL MARKETING FOR THE COSTA DEL SOL ndalucía was keen to pro- mote itself as a golf des- While the ITB was taking tination at the ITB place in Berlin the Costa del A tourism fair in Berlin ear- Sol, which is one of the fa- lier this month. This is one of the vourite destinations for Ger- most important fairs of the year, and mans, held a “powerful” Germany is the second most impor- marketing campaign inclu- tant source market for the region af- ding an advertisement on ter the UK: this year it is expected German television and cine- to grow by 7.4 per cent and attract ma screens. over 1.4 million visitors. In September, the Tourist The Junta de Andalucía’s Minis- Board is planning to carry ter for Tourism and Sport, Francis- out another campaign in tra- co Javier Fernández, says German vel agents and on public tourists have a preference for this transport in Germany. destination and good air connections Diputación chief Elías mean that it is easily accessible. It is Bendodo says the represen- a “strategic” market for Andalucía, tatives held over 50 mee- he explains, from both a quantitati- tings with tour operators, ve and qualitative point of view. travel agents and the Spa- Last year 1.3 million German nish Tourism Office during tourists came to Andalucía, which the tourism fair, because was 8.3 per cent more than in 2016. these are “great allies” in In terms of hotel stays, there were attracting more visitors to more than 925,000 clients, an in- the destination. crease of 7.8 per cent, and over 4.5 The aim was also to diffe- million overnight stays, which was rentiate the area from its a rise of 9.3 per cent. Both of these rivals for the German mar- figures were higher than the natio- ket, such as Tunisia, Tur- nal average. The German visitors sta- key, Greece and Egypt. Ben- yed for an average of 11.8 days, which dodo explains that the Cos- is nearly 3.5 more than tourists in ta del Sol has received more general, and spent over 70 euros a visitors in recent years be- day, four euros more than in 2016 cause of the problems in and also above average. these countries and the With regard to these figures, the aim now is to attract their regional minister says that “this type loyalty as much as possible. of traveller is very much in demand These countries are now in any destination, and what we “taking giant steps” want to do is encourage them to stay towards recovery in terms longer and spend more while they of tourism by “really are here”. dropping their prices”. Fernández says that as a destina- The Tourist Board is also tion Andalucía “still has a large mar- keen for air connections to gin for growth”, and that the regio- be improved, especially since nal government is optimistic in its Air Berlin went bankrupt. forecasts for the German market in Discussions are now taking 2018. “This year we estimate that place with Germania, TUI, more than 1.4 million visitors will Olimara and the TSS Group, come from Germany, which would which is run by Manuel Mo- be 7.4 per cent more than in 2017,” lina, who is from Malaga. he explains. To achieve these results, the Ac- tion Plan 2018 includes about 20 ac- and tourism and ‘cosmopolitan’ tivities in this market, aimed direc- tourism, will also be highlighted. tly at the consumer. The strategy will be based on promoting the usual Stands attractions such as sunshine and bea- There were more than 10,000 ex- ches, culture, family and nature, but hibitors from 180 countries at this segments which attract visitors all year’s ITB, which last year received year round, such as golf, business The Andalucía pavilion at the ITB was 500 square metres in size. :: SUR over 160,000 visitors, 70 per cent of March 2018 ANDALUCÍA 3 COSTA DEL GOLF M Fernández says Germany is an important source market because Andalucía is one of the preferred The Costa del Sol plans destinations over 200 promotional whom were professionals. The An- dalucía pavilion was 500 square me- tres in size, with space to showcase the attractions of all eight provinces initiatives this year in the region. With the aim of gen- erating business, it also contained 24 work tables for regional busi- nesses, who are estimated to have made over 1,000 commercial con- Malaga will increase its presence at tourism fairs and promote tacts. The schedule included meet- ings with operators such as Thomas its sports sector, with golf as the principal attraction Cook and Gebeco and the Easyjet airline, which is planning new routes between Berlin and the Andalusian cities of Jerez de la Frontera and Gra- nada-Jaén. ::ALEJANDRO DÍAZ There was also a focus on fla- he president of the Mala- menco, with the presentation of the ga provincial government ‘Lorca and Granada cycle in the Gen- and the Costa del Sol eralife gardens’, the Biennial in T Tourist Board, Elías Ben- Seville and the ‘Zambombas’ of Jerez dodo, recently presented the Action and Arcos de la Frontera. Plan for Tourism 2018, which con- This year, general visitors to the tains 250 initiatives, and explained ITB were able to take advantage of that the aim is to attract different new facilities, such as being able to types of tourists to the area. download tourist information about This year Costa del Sol Tourism the region onto their mobile devices, and Planning will be investing more and over the weekend there were than 6.2 million euros on marke- flamenco shows, food tastings and ting. Last year 12.5 million visitors activities for children, among other came to the area and their econo- attractions. mic impact totalled 13.8 billion eu- The Junta also launched a com- ros. It is hoped that this year the fi- munication plan to raise awareness gures will be even higher. “We are of the Andalucía brand and attract a going to concentrate on the sectors greater number of visitors to the which are most likely to attract stand, and carried out a social media tourists all year round, which are campaign aimed at potential clients golf, rural tourism and fairs and con- from Berlin and its area of influence. ferences,” said Bendodo. The Costa del Sol also promoted Of the total budget, 4.1 million its golf facilities at the ITB, to attract euros will be spent on initiatives to German visitors not only in the sum- promote tourism, 1.2 million on hu- mer but also in low season, which is man resources in tourism and pro- autumn and winter. motion, 300,000 on promotional The president of the Costa del Sol material, 190,263 euros on tourist Tourist Board, Elías Bendodo, says information and 435,000 euros on that 900,000 German tourists came communication. About 646,800 eu- With 70 golf courses, Malaga province is the most powerful golf desination in the EU. :: SUR to Malaga province in 2017; the num- ros will be spent on the golf sector. bers arriving at the airport increased “With our 70 courses, we are the Trail and the Caminito del Rey. This include a presence at fairs, online tourists from elsewhere in Spain. by 13.5 per cent and there were 12 per best golf destination in Europe and sector attracted 1.1 million euros last marketing and forums, among This sector increased by four per cent cent more overnight stays. He also the most powerful in the European year, and 138,500 euros will be spent others. last year, and more than five million points out that a third of German vi- Union, and we are going to attend on promoting it this year. Another 262,000 euros are to be visitors came to the province. More sitors to Andalucía stayed in Malaga. more golf fairs to promote that,” ex- The conference sector in Malaga be spent on holiday and leisure than 60 initiatives are planned with These figures highlight the im- plained Bendodo. The first of these province also has a great deal of po- tourism, mostly on initiatives aimed this in mind, at a cost of 1.5 million pact of these tourists, who spent 1.05 took place in early March in the Fin- tential and over 375,000 euros are directly aimed at the consumer; euros. Malaga will also be promoted billion euros in the destination, and nish capital, Helsinki. to be spent on initiatives this year. 191,000 will be spent on attracting in 30 countries, including emerging this is why the Costa del Sol was also In the sector known as VITA, All three secotrs will also be promo- elite tourism, and 75,500 euros on markets, but existing source mar- represented at the ITB, “to continue which covers rural and active ted in so-called ‘multisector’ actions, cruises.