Destination Madrid: Spanish capital one of world's top tourist draws
WHEN it comes to travel in Western Europe, Spain lacks the romanticism associated with its neighbours France and Italy, and it is not the typical gateway to the continent via air. So how did it become the third-most-visited country in the world and reach
During the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) summit held in Madrid last month, one of the key topics was how the city had reinvented itself to meet the demands of modern tourism. As a city synonymous with the one of the world’s top soccer clubs, Real Madrid, it is never short of soccer fans eager to set foot in the club’s majestic stadium.
Emilio Butragueno, institutional relations director of Real Madrid, said its stadium registered 1 million visitors last year.
Speaking at a session titled “Madrid – Linking Spain with the World”, Butragueno said: “You can change your wife or husband and even switch your gender, but you will never switch football teams. That is why football clubs have a demanding relationship with the fans.”
Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium has a spectator capacity of more than 85,000.
Butragueno said the club recognised the profit generated by the high visitor numbers and invested heavily in state-of-the art technology and design. A BBC Sport report published last year said Real Madrid spent the equivalent of Bt17.4 billion on a redesign plan that included a new exterior and a retractable roof, due to be completed by 2017.
Butragueno said the club also shared a great relationship with the city government in promoting and organising activities related to football.
“Bringing together a public-private partnership is the key to the success of Real Madrid,” he said.
Cultural heritage
Another successful public-private partnership in Madrid involves museums.
Madrid has some of the world’s best-known art museums, such as Museo Nacional del Prado and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which houses Pablo Picasso’s most famous painting, “Guernica”.
Jose Pedro Perex-Llorca, president of the royal board of trustees for Museo Nacional del Prado, said several private companies had set up museums around the city.
Several ways are drawn up to encourage cultural appreciation and to draw visitor numbers, including providing free entry to the museums between 6pm and 8pm during certain days of the week.
According to the TTCI, Spain is rated highly on online searches for entertainment – restaurants, nightlife and attractions. Renowned restaurateur David Munoz said 40 per cent of tourists visit Madrid for its food. Indeed, tapas bars are on almost every corner of Madrid streets dishing up tasty treats for locals and tourists alike. Mercado de San Miguel, a popular food market in the hip tourist district of Sol, receives thousands of visitors every day.
“What you can find in Madrid can’t be found elsewhere,” said Munoz, who owns the DiverXO and StreetXO restaurants. “Many new restaurants are opening up because we have so much talent.”
At the WTTC summit, Madrid Mayor Ana Botella said more than 150,000 people in her city were directly employed in tourism, making that industry one of the biggest economic drivers.
Echoing the words of the other speakers at the session, she said public-private partnerships had contributed to the growth and sustainability of the industry.
A key indicator on the TTCI is environmental sustainability, and Madrid has performed well in this area.
“Madrid is a green city with two green lungs, and we strive to make the city even greener with a sustainable living environment,” Botella said. She was referring to El Retiropark and Casa de Campo, two parks popular with residents.
