SUDIPTA DEV – Mumbai
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| Marian Revuelta |
Spain has the second highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (43) in the world after Italy, including many heritage cities. A delegation of Spanish World Heritage Cities Group was in India recently to create awareness in this market. The association was founded in 1993 for preservation and tourist promotion, specially in the international market, along with Spain Tourism. “Our association comprises of 13 cities. These cities are not only about monuments or sites, but the whole historical quarter in each destination. India is an important emerging market for us. We are conducting workshops in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru,” said Marian Revuelta, marketing coordinator, Spanish World Heritage Cities.
Pointing out that some of the cities are more well known than the others in the Indian market, Revuelta mentioned that they have had interactions with Indian travel agents earlier in some activities organised by the Tourism Office of Spain in India, but this is the very first time they have come alone and not with other destinations. “In Asia, India is a strategic market for us along with China. Last year the figures increased by almost 50 per cent from the Indian market,” she said.
Revuelta informed that Spanish World Heritage Cities with the support of Spanish tour operator, Catai, have organised a special product to be commercialised in India. This product includes city breaks from Madrid and Barcelona. Tarragona is near Barcelona. Ibiza is an hour away by plane. Toledo and Salamanca are near Madrid. “Cordoba is two hours away from Madrid by high speed train. Nowadays fast train connections is enabling easy access to many of these heritage cities,” she stated.
