Ainhoa Cobo Cardosa, Paula Lara,
Alegria Narvaez & Antonio Martin-Machuca representing both Andalucia & Spain
Said & Sally Mikhail, General Manager, GM Tours
Natalia Diaz, representing the province of Almeria, speaks to a large group of interested travel agents
José Manuel de Juan, Consul in charge of tourism affairs, Embassy of Spain Tourism Section & Antonio Martin-Machuca, Marketing Director, AndalucÃa Tourist Board
“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain…" or so the song goes. And that’s true according to the folks from Spain’s Andalucia region. A small group of tourist board representatives and suppliers were on hand at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel for a recent event showcasing the best of Andalucia - complete with a 4 course meal, live flamenco performance and a beautifully produced, inspirational video about the region.
All the way from Andalucia were Antonio Martin-Machuca, Marketing Director, and Ainhoa Cobo Cardosa, both from the Andalucía Tourist Board. José Manuel de Juan, Consul in charge of tourism affairs, and Alegria Narvaez, Trade & Travel Manager represented the Embassy of Spain, Tourism Section – both based in YTO. They were all joined by a small group of suppliers from Andalucia representing a variety of destinations and interests.
According to Antonio Martin-Machuca, many of the 40,000 Canadian visitors to Spain’s Andalucia region every year go for the warmth. “They come to us for long stays in the winter time, anything from 10 to 30 days – many will fly and drive.” True to form, Canadians want to learn about the region, looking for “culture, gastronomy, flamenco, museums – and – a growing trend is golf.”
It’s not just snowbirds heading to Spain, families also love the region too. Transat offers seasonal weekly flights from YUL to Malaga (“the gateway to Andalucia”). And whether they’re looking for a higher-end hotel or self-catering apartments, there are heaps of options. All in all, it’s a manageable European holiday for many families.
For the most part, the agents and tour operators at the event were familiar with Andalucia as a destination, and happy to connect with some of the suppliers to discuss a wide range of interests, including culinary tours and religious tours. The supplier tables were packed the entire time, with line-ups right up until dinnertime.
And, then the wine flowed and the flamenco was incredible to watch. It’s not often the entertainment at an industry event captivates the crowd so completely, but this did – nobody spoke a word for the whole performance. It was testament to the talented dancers.
And that rain? It must be staying mainly in the plain – Andalucia boasts a spectacular 308 rain-free days on average per year.
