Andalucía to be presented as an influencer destination at major travel fair in London

Andalucía wants to make its mark at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London by promoting the region as an 'influencer' destination for holidaymakers, with a focus on the younger generation.

The major travel fair, which opens on Monday 6 November, will highlight the Junta's new 'Andalusian Crush' promotional campaign which will also get its first showing outside Spain at iconic London locations including Leicester Square, Westminster Bridge, Camden Town and Portobello.

Regional minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Arturo Bernal, unveiled the campaign on Thursday at the Pez Espada Hotel in Torremolinos with the mayor of the Costa del Sol holiday destination, Margarita del Cid, and a large group of businessmen from the sector.

Bernal said that it is time to continue breaking molds and to anticipate a new era. “The first challenge is to achieve new target audiences for Andalucía, which is the first major global brand to take action aimed at that group of young people born between 1995 and 2010. In 66% of cases they are the ones who make the decisions as to where the family travels and, in a few years, they will be the active consumers. We have to go ahead and take strategic positions in [relation to] Generation Z.”

Bernal also stressed that, with summers getting longer in Andalucía, the main season can be doubled with a high period that runs from April to October. The presentation at the WTM will also focus on niche markets and products that fit with the low and middle seasons, such as those relating to nature, inland areas, culture, and active tourism.

Following a 700,000-euro investment, Andalucía will have a 555 square metre exhibition space at the WTM in which 150 businessmen will hold meetings aimed at improving the region's air connectivity with markets such as Central America, North America and Asia, among other objectives. More than 13,000 people are expected to attend the stand, with the generation of 3,500 commercial contacts.

Bernal said how he valued the confirmation of the United Airlines direct flight between Malaga-New York for the next high season, which will be daily and has been brought forward by a month, to triple the offer of seats from its debut on the Costa del Sol.

Margarita del Cid highlighted the potential of the Costa del Sol and Torremolinos, specifically, to the British market, with a growth of 8.4% in air passengers from the UK. “We are delighted to be an important part of that 'Andalusian Crush' that the Junta is promoting,” Del Cid said.