SUR highlights the tourist importance of southern Spain at World Travel Market in London

A lot has changed since SUR and its newly launched SUR in English edition of the newspaper first travelled to London in 1984 to attend an international tourism fair in its infancy that people said could become a major draw for the Costa del Sol and southern Spain - the World Travel Market (WTM). Today, 41 years later, the WTM is one of the two most important tourism fairs in the world, and for the Andalucía region and Malaga province interests, it's number one.

The first SUR tribute dinner in London to the tourism industry was held in 1998. That night, the team from Prensa Malagueña ended up in an alternative restaurant in Chelsea. Back then, finding a place to dine that was open after 9pm in the British capital was almost impossible. Since then, SUR has been choosing an emblematic venue for the dinner every year. This year it was the turn of the Plaisterer's Hall in the Barbican. The traditional dinner event brings together all the Spanish delegations from the region who travel to London for the WTM, as well as important names from the British tourism industry.

Back in the early years, the first venue where the WTM was held was Olympia Hall, after which it moved to the Earl's Court, until it reached the limits of the venue and required a space such as the Excel exhibition centre. The latter used to serve as London's Olympic facilities. The area was originally full of old docks and factories that generated the Great Smog of London in the mid-20th century.

Despite all the venue changes, Diario SUR and Sur in English have continued to play a major role at WTM, promoting the south of Spain and earning awards such as Queen Elizabeth II's recognition to former SUR in English editor Liz Parry and WTM and Turespaña awards to Pedro Luis Gómez along the way.

This year's Plaisterers' Hall venue dates back to the 16th century, when it was home to one of London's oldest trade guilds. The hall exudes tradition and grandeur, making it a unique and unforgettable setting for any occasion. Like many other iconic buildings in London, it has suffered historical tensions, including World War II, which, together with two tremendous fires, almost obliterated it. The two fires happened in 1666 and 1882. After them, the building was rebuilt by architect Christopher Wren. The current building was reconstructed in 1972 and its latest remodel took place in 2003.

The speeches during the dinner highlighted the key role SUR and SUR in English have played in the promotion of Spain's, Andalucía's and Malaga's tourism industries. Some of the Spanish figures of authority that were present at the event went as far as to say that the WTM experience wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for the newspaper.

It might look easy, but the work of tourism professionals and operators at these fairs is truly important and exhausting. The experts and entrepreneurs that represent entire cities, regions and countries often travel from hotel to hotel, as president of the Spanish association of beach entrepreneurs Manuel Villafaina pointed out.

Editor-in-chief of SUR Manuel Castillo stated that the newspaper's job is to inform readers and support the tourism sector, even if that means warning the public of the risks it sometimes poses if not done sustainably. He called for investment in transport as the key to growing the Costa del Sol sector. Castillo specifically recognised the work of the English edition.

Almost 140 people attended the dinner, among them politicians and business owners. SUR in English awarded María and Salvador Herrero of B Bou Hotels for their contribution to tourism. In her speech, Herrero encouraged professionals to continue improving the efficiency of tourism in the region.

All the speakers also highlighted the role of tourism as an economic driver. Regional minister of tourism Arturo Bernal said: "Our greatest legacy is having turned tourism into a school of life."

Jacobo Florido, representing Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre, highlighted the pull the city has on the British market, which brings more than 100 million euros a year to the Costa del Sol capital. Addressing anti-tourism rhetorics, he reminded the public of the contributions to employment and income that the industry brings.

Echoing his words, president of the provincial authority Francisco Salado called for the collaboration between administrations to highlight the benefits of tourism and promote co-existence with the local population.

Bernal celebrated the expansion of the Andalusian tourism offer beyond the coast, now mixing sea experiences with culture, nature, history and gastronomy.