A large percentage of the promotional activities included in the Andalusian Regional Government’s 2008 Action Plan will centre on the event industry. With over 13.56% of the total, greater priority will be given to the industry than sectors such as cultural tourism and traditional “sun and beach” tourism.
During its presentation, Sergio Moreno, head of the regional government’s tourism, commerce and sports department, announced that the plan – covering the 11 market segments included in the General Sustainable Tourism Plan – would centre on the promotion of the meetings industry.
In fact, with the aim of attracting business, the event industry will be the first to have its own specific department within the Andalusian Tourist Board, since, in the words of Moreno, the industry’s growth in Andalusia is insufficient. Therefore, of the 708 scheduled activities, 234 will cover all tourist sectors, while two out of three will centre on specific segments. With 96, the meetings industry will receive the lion’s share, followed by cultural tourism and traditional “sun and beach” tourism with 88 and 77, respectively.
According to the latest figures, Andalusia is currently ranked second in Spain with regard to the number of events held, with 13% of the total, with Madrid in first place (20%) and Catalonia in third position (10.48%).
