Tourism is essential to the social and economic development of Madrid, given that it accounts for some 6.3% of the Region’s Gross Domestic Product, providing some 300,000 jobs and exercising a direct impact on the Region’s restaurant and catering industry, trade sector and culture.
The Madrid Region, one of the main exhibitors at #FITUR2014, features three World Heritage Cities and some of the most important museums and cultural centres in the world. Furthermore, the Region serves as a point of reference for business tourism and constitutes a leading destination for shopping tourism (the main destination in Spain and the second most popular destination in Europe, behind London).
The Head of the Madrid Regional Government, Ignacio González, alongside the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella, and the Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Isabel Borrego, recently witnessed the signing of a grand agreement amongst the leading members of the industry in order to re-launch Madrid as a tourist destination through a joint strategy designed to unify efforts and promote a sense of synergy. This Adhesion Agreement will permit the development of a new strategy through the Madrid Tourist Association, a cluster created by the Regional Government back in 2009. This cluster, with the thirty-odd new members that have recently joined, will include all of the main institutions and companies linked to the tourist industry in the Madrid Region.
Amongst the brands that have recently joined the cluster, we might mention the following: Madrid City Council, AC Hotels, Barceló, Meliá, El Corte Inglés, Coca Cola, Mahou-San Miguel, Cortefiel, Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid, the Reina Sofía Museum, the Thyssen Museum, the Teatro Real, Pentación Espectáculos, Smedia, Aena, Air Europa, Esteban Rivas, Renfe, the Guest House Association of Madrid (AEHCAM), the Night-Time Leisure Association of Madrid (NOCHE MADRID), La Viña, CEIM, CSIC, IFEMA, Inaem and Patrimonio Nacional. Other members include the Local Councils of Alcalá de Henares and San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The cluster also enjoys the backing of Turespaña.
The objectives pursued by the Madrid Tourist Association and its members include those of promoting tourist packages that encompass different activities and experiences, as well as boosting promotional measures via the Internet and the social media in order to adapt the Region’s strategy to new tourist selection and purchasing habits. The Association also seeks to increase Madrid’s visibility as a tourist destination in different up-and-coming markets such as those of Russia, Brazil, India and China (growth forecasts indicate that these countries will send an additional 75 million new travellers abroad up until 2017).
