The situation of concern and uncertainty before the end of the health crisis of the 21st century makes many businesses move through an environment of hypothesis, especially those belonging to the tourism industry. The main Spanish autonomous communities receiving tourists, Madrid, Andalusia and Catalonia have gathered. It was carried out in a Webinar The main Spanish autonomous communities receiving tourists, Madrid, Andalusia and Catalonia, have gathered together in a joint meeting offered by Hosteltur, to answer several questions about tourism in their destinations.

 

In Catalonia, activity at the airport has been reduced by 95%, directly affecting the volume of cancellations, which fluctuates around 70%. In previous years, the cancellation dynamics fluctuated between 18%. Basically, the low level of tourists at the moment is worrying. In non-adverse conditions, the autonomous community would receive between 1 million 300 thousand international tourists so far this year. Taking into account that it is a sector with a turnover of 1,600 million euros, which directly activates the economy of the territory. 

 

Madrid, tourism accounts for 7% of its GDP, bringing 7 and a half million international tourists in 2019; being the most popular tourist markets, American, Italian and French. Currently, it has fostered the cooperation of hotel associations and hostels. They have joined forces to offer medicalized establishments and to welcome medical staff, emergency personnel and people at risk.

 

Andalusia, tourism accounts for 14% of its GDP, welcoming 31 million tourists per year. For the moment, the airports are closed, except for Malaga and Seville, where some regular flights are operating. On the other hand, the hotel establishments are closed, except for 40 that are medicalized but have not been put into operation for the moment. In addition, they have promoted an initiative called Noah's Ark Hotels, to accommodate all those patients who have nowhere to go or do not want to spend the isolation alone.

 

They have jointly expressed the importance of working on action and contingency plans to overcome the pandemic together. These plans are focused on a list of actions requested to the Central Government based on the suspension of the Social Security contribution, VAT refund, speeding up the payment to suppliers, creation of liquidity funds to provide direct aid to the self-employed in the sector, among others.

 

On the one hand, they focus on promotional campaigns such as the one in Madrid, which opts for a plan to stimulate the performing arts and music. The same applies to visual arts, given that 77% of tourists who come to Madrid do so for leisure, and to a large extent also for culture. That is why, in the short term, an international promotion and sponsorship campaign is planned.

In the case of Catalonia and Andalusia, they focus on studying through marketing which actions are in disuse in order to analyze where to direct their new campaign. Reactivate their main object of interest, the proximity market. Catalonia's privileged position on the map could become an opportunity to access the Swiss and French markets.

 

Finally, when faced with the suggestion of competition among the destinations that make up the country, the participants stressed the need to work together towards a common goal. Likewise, although they all belong to the same territory, they offer a diversity of different products among them, so it is the final customer who will have the last word in the choice of destination.