The capital no longer wants to be a gateway, but a destination
I “Hello America.” This is how Iberia’s “firm commitment” to the US market has been presented in New York, with 21% more flights and 15% more seats than in 2019, the year before the pandemic.
Since last summer, the Spanish airline had recovered 95% of its pre-pandemic capacity, but now aims to reach 105% by the first quarter of 2023. Not to mention the Asian market, where China is still closed and the Japanese stopped traveling. The substitute for that mine comes from America, where “the Mexican miracle” has blindsided the airline and leaves “Mister Marshall” five times more in Spain than a European tourist.
The numbers speak for themselves. The European tourist spends €100 a day in Spain during his visits, while the North American spends more time and spends €500 a day, Juan Cierco, corporate director of Iberia, told the press on Monday. That is why the airline has found a major investor in the Community of Madrid through a €1.1 million deal. “The American tourist spends above all and has interests that the Community of Madrid can respond very well to,” said the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports, Marta Rivera de la Cruz, in New York.
Madrid no longer wants to be the gateway to Spain to become a destination, except that it does not have an emblematic building like the Guggenheim or the Sagrada Familia, there is no beach or good ski slopes. What can you offer them? “A lifestyle,” replies the Madrid adviser. With 24 Michelin star restaurants, the Spanish capital is one of the few in the world where someone can afford that luxury for less than a hundred euros per person. Gastronomic motivation is the driving force behind attracting what executives and politicians call “high-end tourists.” Americans are already 12.2% of tourists arriving in the Spanish capital, where they stay an average of seven nights, with an average daily consumption of 290 euros, not including accommodation.
In order for them to arrive, it is essential to “make it easy for them”, that they find direct flights from the major capitals of the United States. It is no longer just New York or Miami, to which Iberia has two daily flights, but also Washington, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas. This last city in Texas, where American Airlines, a partner of Iberia in the One World Alliance, is based, is the big bet where the Spanish delegation traveled this week, after its presentation in New York, to meet tour operators and other industrial links. In 2023, regular flights to Dallas will no longer be seasonal, like those to San Francisco or Washington, which only operate during the summer, to become regular daily flights year-round.
If worldwide 18% of foreign tourists go to Madrid for gastronomic reasons, this rises to 81% in the case of Texans. The myths come true, as San Francisco’s are divided into cultural, recreational, and gastronomic interests. “We know that if they want to stay, things have to happen in Madrid,” acknowledged the councilor of that community, who wants to strengthen the cultural offer. “What we lack is long-distance connectivity,” Cierco confessed. Iberia prides itself on having its base at one of the best airports in Europe, which in this post-pandemic year when many did not know how to wake up on time, managed to operate 99.7% of flights practically without cancellations, “reliable and punctual”. But in comparison, other major European capitals such as Paris, London or Frankfurt serve as international stopovers for long-haul flights that often give the traveler the opportunity to discover them.
“It’s a new era for tourism,” says Cierco. With nearly 8 billion inhabitants on the planet, the phenomenon of tourism has become a scourge that is not always welcome in the cities it devours. For this reason, “trying to attract more tourists by volume is the wrong policy,” explains Iberia’s business director, who sees the increase in spending that makes tourism a more sustainable model. “What you should look for is high value tourism, associated with an idea that lasts, with experiences and products that you become loyal to and, thanks to globalization, continue to buy long after your visit,” added De la Cruz.
With luck, North American tourists will continue to buy Manchego cheeses and Rioja wines in their country, after a visit that in their case lasts much longer than that of European tourists and is not necessarily concentrated in the summer, Christmas or Week Santa . Welcome, Mr. Marshall. Madrid is waiting for you with open arms, hoping you don’t drop by.
Source: La Verdad
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