The lure of Latin passion

Enrique Ruiz De Lera

Spain's tourist chief is capitalising on the country's recent string of sporting triumphs and Hollywood blockbusters to boost tourism in the kingdom.

The Spanish footballers' win in the Euro 2008 championships this summer was matched by their compatriot Raphael Nadal's victory at Wimbledon and Fernando Alonso's conquest of Formula One's firstever night race, held in Singapore.

"We have discovered a new angle for promoting tourism in our country," says Enrique Ruiz De Lera, director of the National Tourist Office of Spain (NTO) in the East.

"In the past, culture has been used to draw visitors to countries. Now, sport is a big attraction," revealed Ruiz de Lera, in Bangkok as part of the NTO's road show to entice Thai visitors to Spain.

"We are looking to the AsiaPacific region as it is still relatively untapped," says Ruiz De Lera. "Although Spain was the secondmost popular destination for tourists last year, with 59.2 million visits, there were only 255,260 arrivals from this region, 65,147 of which were from Thailand. We see a definite potential to increase these figures significantly."

Ruiz De Lera adds that THAI is the only airline in the region offering direct flights from SE Asia to Spain, via its Bangkok to Madrid route. The number of Thai visitors has increased though - 11.6 per cent in 2007.

Many are being attracted by the rich menu of sporting events. The Spanish football league is regarded as one of the best in Europe, with two world legends, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Spain is the only country in the world to host two Formula One races every year - one in Barcelona and the other in Valencia. It also hosts three Moto Grand Prix events a year, two ATP tennis tournaments, and three major golf tournaments - and those are just some of the highlights of the country's sporting calendar.

Spain also wants to cash in on Woody Allen's latest film, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona".

Allen's first movie in Spain, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" was shot in Aviles, Barcelona and Oviedo and released in August this year. It stars Scarlett Johansson alongside Spaniards Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz and has garnered the best reviews Allen has received for some time, with Cruz being singled out for special praise.

Ruiz De Lera admits that most Thais don't know much about Spain, the "new kid on the block" for Asian tourists. But Spain is an interesting and friendly country, he said, adding the Thai and Spanish Royal families enjoy good relations.

 "We have also provided a more convenient way for tourists to see more of Spain and experience its diverse attractions. Our highspeed AVE train services now shoot back and forth between major cities, reducing travel time. It's all part of our serious efforts to make our country more welcoming to visitors."

According to Ruiz De Lera, in the past 15 years Spain as witnessed an incredible change in cities like Bilbao and Valencia.

"Bilbao was not on the world map until its Guggenheim Museum opened and Valencia was practically unknown until Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava built the City of Arts and Sciences and they staged the America's Cup and Formula One races."

Tourism contributes a large chunk to the Spanish economy, accounting for 11 per cent of the overall GDP.

The country has nibbled into third in the world's MICE (meeting, incentive, conference and events) rankings and is listed the world's No 1 destination for nightlife in FutureBrand's Country Brand Index. It also has three restaurants in S Pellegrinno World's 50 Best Restaurants chart.