All eyes are on the US as Spanish airline Iberia signs a deal with the Community of Madrid to further promote the city of Madrid to North American travellers. Yesterday, both parties signed an agreement in the hopes of building their connections with the US market.
Madrid’s Tourism Sector to Grow as Iberia Partnership with Community of Madrid is Announced
As part of the promotional agreement, the Community of Madrid will feature in Iberia’s inflight magazine Ronda Magazine, as well as their online newsletter. The organisation will also be joining the airlines in their upcoming promotional events in the US, where collectively they will visit Dallas and New York to promote the city of Madrid to companies relevant to their goal.
“We have been linking Spain with the world for more than 95 years and we will continue to promote the Community of Madrid in the US, to share the richness of its heritage and its abundance of cultural, gastronomic, leisure and shopping attractions, as well as all the unique destinations that the region has to offer. Iberia has always been, and will continue to be, the proudest ambassador of Madrid and of Spanish talent wherever we fly.” – Javier Sánchez-Prieto, President of Iberia (translated from Spanish)
This deal is especially important because the US is a significant contributor to the Spanish tourism sector. In the first half of the year, when 2.6 million tourists journeyed into Madrid, almost 12% of those tourists came from the States. Tourism makes up 14% of Spain’s GDP, and so the connection to the US is one that both parties wish to nurture and grow.
Iberia currently offers 120 weekly flights to the US. This summer, the airlines resumed their flights to San Francisco and introduced new routes to Washington DC and Dallas. These routes are added to the already existing US destinations offered by the airlines, such as Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago, to name a few.
Madrid to Strengthen their Relationship with US Tourists
In this era of post-pandemic travel, many airlines and economies have been working towards getting back to their previous numbers quantity as well as income. Community of Madrid’s Councillor of Culture, Tourism and Sports Marta Rivera de la Cruz spoke on the positive impact the agreement would have on Spain’s economy, where she said:
“The North American market is essential if we are to consolidate the recovery of tourism in the region and face the future of the sector with confidence. In recent years, the United States has been the main source of travellers to Madrid, which is why the regional government has decided to bet on a growing market, with a high quality tourist profile and a large spending capacity.”
Madrid is known to be a popular destination for those visiting Spain where attractions such as the Regional Archaeological Museum and this year’s Living Art exhibition set in the Once Villas bring in tourists from all over the world. The promotional deal between Iberia and Madrid is set to strengthen their relationship with American tourists and encourage them to explore the many historical and leisurely activities that the Spanish capital offers.
Iberia prides themselves on accounting for 0.6% of Spain’s GDP and recently celebrated their 95th anniversary in June.
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