SPAIN just sent a new delegation to the Philippines as it increasingly looks at the country as an emerging market for its tourism industry.
Grupo Ciudades Patrimonio de la Humanidad de España visited the country before the weekend and presented the World Heritage Cities of Spain to some of the leading travel agencies in the country.
Spanish Ambassador Luis Antonio Calvo said they have been interested in promoting two-way tourism between Spain and the Philippines for a long time.
“It is an old interest in the Philippines. Our two countries have many things in common. We have to put things together,” Calvo said, while citing the natural beauty of the two countries and their unique heritage sites.
Calvo added there is a need for governments on both sides to create a framework that will make it easier for tourists to visit Spain and the Philippines.
“We have to remove barriers for businesses to act freely. We have to simplify requirements for travel and the taxes involved. There has to be a uniformed framework,” Calvo said.
Calvo added that, on their side, they are trying to speed up the process on the issuance of visas to Filipinos traveling to Spain.
Calvo said during this month, which he termed as a high season, issuance of visas could take up to two weeks. Meanwhile, for the month of September onward, he said visa processing would only take one week.
“We are not as strict as the other European countries, but we need more means to process them faster. Right now, we have strict budgetary limitations,” he said.
Calvo added that tourism cooperation on both sides can exponentially increase tourist arrivals in the Philippines. He estimated that last year close to 30,000 Spaniards visited the country.
Meanwhile, Avila Mayor Jose Luis Rivas said the Philippines is one of only three countries in Asia that they are visiting in promoting the 15 World Heritage Cities of Spain.
“The movement is already good, but we want to see more,” Avila said in explaining their keen interest in the Philippine market.
In 2015 Spain received record-high 62,000 Filipino free independent travelers (FIT). The number, though, is estimated to have reached 92,000 if Filipinos studying and working in Spain were added.
FIT has been defined as an individual or a group of 10 or less who have their own booked itinerary.
In Southeast Asia Filipinos represent the biggest tourist group in Spain. In the whole of Asia, the Philippines ranks fourth after China, Japan and South Korea.
The government of Spain is expecting at least a 6-percent increase this year on the number of Filipinos visiting their country.
Last year Spain received 68 million tourists, the third biggest in the world after the United States and France.
Rivas said they are proud to have nominated Intramuros to be the recipient of last year’s Heritage Prize by the Association of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Cities of Spain.
Rivas said the award, recognizing the works of institutions in the preservation of Spanish historical and cultural heritage, was personally received by Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr.
According to Rivas, it will take two to three weeks for tourists to fully enjoy the World Heritage Cities of Spain. He advised tourists to visit Avila, Segovia, Salamanca, Toledo, Cuenca and Alcala de Henares.
Meanwhile, Mondial Tours, one of the leading travel agencies in the country, said Spain is not really an expensive country to visit.
“A minimum of €100 daily and a tourist can enjoy a stay in a modest hotel while also leaving enough for food and transportation,” Mondial Tours President Juan Jose Berenguer-Testa said.
He said this is a good year for Filipinos to visit Spain, especially with the current economic growth the country is experiencing.
Berenguer-Testa said travelers should always avail themeselves of the services of travel agencies in all their trips.
Image credits: Rodel Alzona