Indian Tourists To Spain Grow 35 Pct

 

Spain saw a 35% growth in Indian tourists up until August of this year, when compared to the same period in 2010, according to Arturo Ortiz, Director of promotional activities of Spain in India.

Spain has been promoting tourism extensively in the country for the last few years, but the recent popularity of the Bollywood film ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' has increased Spain's profile immensely.

This film was largely filmed in Spain and highlights the festivals, the cities, the countryside, the beaches and similarities between the cultures of India and Spain.

According to the Spanish tourist board, 70,000 Indians visited Spain for the whole of 2010, however, in the first 6 months 2011 there were some 53'000 arrivals, representing a 35% pro-rata growth.

Corporate India has also contributed to an increase in visitors, with a number of meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions taking place in Spain which accounted for 20% of all visits.

Following on from the Bollywood interest, teh Spanish Tourist Board has introduced a number of incentives to make the country even more attractive for producers. Measures such as the deduction of 18% of the cost of film or serials in taxes, Economic Interest Groups (EIG), subsidies from both the Spanish Ministry of Culture and from the Autonomous Communities will be provided to Indian filmmakers, are all expected to help grow visitor numbers.

Back in June the Spanish Tourist Board in India launched their own Facebook page to promote the country and already has over 4'000 members.