- The promotional campaign includes, among other initiatives, the Community of Madrid featuring in Ronda magazine, on Iberia’s printed boarding passes, on iberia.com and in the inflight entertainment system, as well as actions in external media and social networks, and events in Dallas and New York.
- The US is the main source market for international tourists in Madrid, both in quantitative terms (they represent 12% of the total), and in qualitative terms (with an average expenditure of €296/day).
- Tourism is one of the pillars of the Spanish economy, accounting for 14% of GDP and 12.5% of national employment. The Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas airport makes up over 11% percent of the GDP of the Community of Madrid.
- Iberia, which celebrated its 95th anniversary on 28 June, accounts for 0.6% of Spain's GDP and 0.9% of the country's workforce.
The Councillor for Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Community of Madrid, Marta Rivera de la Cruz, and the President of Iberia, Javier Sánchez-Prieto, today signed a collaboration agreement to promote the region in the US.
This summer season, Iberia debuted routes to Washington DC and Dallas and resumed flights to San Francisco. These three new destinations join pre-existing routes to Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and New York, and highlight the airline's strong commitment to the North American market, where it operates 120 weekly flights.
The strategic location and excellent facilities of theMadrid-Barajas Airport make Iberia's hub at Terminal 4 the natural bridge between Europe and the US and Latin America.
During the first half of this year, 2.6 million international tourists arrived in Madrid, with the US being the main source market, both in quantitative terms -with 316,964 visitors, it represents almost 12% of the total- and qualitative terms -with an average daily expenditure of €296.
The aim of this agreement between Iberia and the Community of Madrid is to promote the region's connectivity with the US and continue to move forward in the recovery of tourism as one of the key engines of the Spanish economy.
Actions Included in the Promotional Campaign
Thanks to this agreement, over the next three months, Iberia will showcase the attractions of the Community of Madrid in the September and October issues of Ronda magazine, which has more than two million readers.
As part of the promotional campaign, the Community of Madrid will also feature on the airline’sboarding passes issued in the check-in area of its Madrid hub, a banner on the US version of its website, iberia.com and on the long-haul flight entertainment system, with the screening of a video about the region.
The promotion will also include an online strategy via social networks, the publication of an article in the Iberia Plus newsletter aimed at customers enrolled in the Iberia loyalty scheme and an advertising campaign in external media.
Lastly, this autumn, the Community of Madrid will also join Iberia at various promotional events with tour operators in Dallas and New York, with the aim of making themselves known among the most relevant companies and travel agencies.
Javier Sánchez-Prieto, president of Iberia, remarked that "The United States is the country where we deployed the greatest capacity this summer, with more than 120 weekley flights to eight destinations. In the upcoming winter season, we will recover our pre-pandemic activiy levels, thanks, among other strategic measures, to our firm commitment to the Nort American market.
We are proud to have resumed our San Francisco route and debuted our flights to Washington DC, and this winter we will expand our Dallas operations and grow in Miami and New York.
We have been linking Spain with the world for more than 95 years and we will continue to promote the Community of Madrid in the US, to share the richness of its heritage and its abundance of cultural, gastronomic, leisure and shopping attractions, as well as all the unique destinations that the region has to offer. Iberia has always been, and will continue to be, the proudest ambassador of Madrid and of Spanish talent wherever we fly".
Marta Rivera de la Cruz, the Councillor for Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Community of Madrid, said, “The North American market is essential if we are to consolidate the recovery of tourism in the region and face the future of the sector with confidence.
In recent years, the United States has been the main source of travellers to Madrid, which is why the regional government has decided to bet on a growing market, with a high quality tourist profile and a large spending capacity.
We are very pleased to be able to advertise the Community of Madrid in the United States hand-in-hand with such a prestigious airline as Iberia, a global leader in passenger transport.”
Iberia's Influence on GDP and Employment
Tourism is a key pillar in many economies and, in Spain, it represents 14% of Spanish GDP and 12.5% of national employment. Each year, Iberia carries 7.1 million long-haul passengers in Spain, generating a global expenditure of €6,700 million. This amount represents the bulk of the economic impact that the airline has on Spanish GDP, estimated at €9,300 million, according to a recent report by PwC.
Iberia, which celebrated its 95th anniversary on 28 June, accounts for 0.6% of Spain's GDP and 0.9% of the country's workforce, with 160,000 direct jobs. In addition, the airline -together with Iberia Express - accounted for 53% of the passengers at Madrid airport in 2019, with a total of 22 million users in the Spanish capital.
Tags: Iberia, Madrid Region
