Did you know that…. besides sun, siestas, monuments, or running before the bulls in Pamplona, Spain offers great potential for your bottom line.

With one of the most dynamic economies in the European Union, and as the leader in job creation in the EU for several years, it is no wonder that Spain is the United States’ sixth largest European travel market and its 13th largest international market.

The 424,224 Spanish arrivals in 2006 represented a 10 percent increase over the previous year, one of the highest percentage increases in Europe. Did your company get its share of this expanding market?

Large cities continue to lure Spaniards. New York and Florida are the main ports of entry for Spaniards as there are no direct flights to the west coast. Travel to New York has returned to pre-September 11 levels. Spain is New York’s ninth most important market. Direct routes were inaugurated in May to Boston and Washington, D.C., as well as a new connection to Hartford, CT, via Amsterdam. In-bound travel to the West Coast is the third favorite destination, including fly + drive to Nevada and Arizona. Interest in rugged western outdoor tourism has grown noticeably. Growing interest in Native American culture and traditions has also been detected. Similar increases have been observed with ski-season travel. Other destinations with good market potential are Hawaii, Alaska, New Orleans, as well as theme parks, and the U.S. Caribbean, among others. If you serve these destinations, are you taking advantage of the opportunities to attract Spanish travelers?

The Opportunities ……..

Apart from the services listed at buyusa.gov/spain why not consider participating in one of the following trade shows

• The premier travel show in Spain is FITUR. Given the potential of the Spanish market for U.S. destinations, tour operators are very interested in identifying new itineraries and promoting travel to the U.S. As a result, the U.S. Commercial Service Spain actively supports the U.S. Department of Commerce certified U.S. Pavilion at FITUR, operated by CONEX Exhibition Services.

  FITUR is an excellent opportunity for U.S. destinations and service providers to offset the heavy promotion investment of their competitors, negotiate agreements with in-country tour operators and be pro-active in providing promotional materials, information and assistance to prospective Spanish travelers and travel agencies.

  With over 100,000 professional visitors, FITUR is Spain’s largest travel and tourism fair and the third largest of its kind in Europe. FITUR will take place in Madrid from January 30 – February 3, 2008.
  IFEMA
  CONEX GROUP

• The Visit USA Committee Spain Road Show with stops in Madrid, Bilbao, Valencia and Barcelona, November 5 – 8, 2007. informacion@N0SPAM.visitusa-spain.com
• EIBTM is now held in Barcelona. This fair is geared towards the incentive and business travel segment of the market. Next edition is November 27-29, 2007.

Interested? For more information……..

On the market or participating at FITUR, feel free to contact:

Helen Crowley, Intl. Trade Specialist, CS Madrid – U.S. Embassy Madrid