For the occasion, it has brought together the Madrid Experts in Tourism Panel to present the results of the myriad of actions that have been rolled out as part of its promotional strategy, which focuses on improving Madrid´s positioning and attracting high-value tourist from long-haul inbound markets.
Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid convened last Friday the Madrid Experts in Tourism Panel to take stock of the projects and international communication and promotion actions rolled out over its first 12 months in action.
One year has passed since the Madrid Experts in Tourism Panel had its first meeting to get the ball rolling for this project, which is driven by the Regional Government of Madrid and the Madrid City Council, with the collaboration in the direction and management of IFEMA MADRID. With this project, the promotion of Madrid as a tourist destination in long-haul inbound markets is done under a single brand and in collaboration with the tourism industry of Madrid.
With a budget of 36 million euros, the project has so far approved a total of 20 million euros of investment in five top tier actions: 7 million euros in large digital marketing campaigns; 5 million euros in air connectivity; 3 million euros in branded content; 3 million euros in co-marketing; and 2 million euros in KOLS & influencer marketing campaigns. All of them target the USA and Canada, Latin America, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Middle East, China, and Southeast Asia.
The budget has also been distributed by markets and geographic areas to ensure the greatest potential for attracting high-impact international tourism, with 36% allocated to the USA and Canada, 25% to connectivity with Asia, 19% to Asia, 13% to LATAM and 8% to the Middle East.
Air Connectivity
In terms of air connectivity, a commercial plan has been put into place to establish conversations with over 10 airlines with the ultimate goal of establishing direct links with strategic destinations in Asia, increasing the frequency of existing connections and the signing of an agreement with Iberia for the new Madrid-Doha air connection, a project that will provide 44 new connections in Asia Pacific and 26 in the Middle East, with an economic impact for the region of 55 million euros in the first year.
Promotional Activities
During this first year, promotional actions have been implemented in 16 countries and all of them are considered preferred destinations in terms of the high-value outbound tourism they offer. All of them had previously undergone the approval and bidding processes. The project includes major B2B and B2C digital marketing campaigns, campaign sites in 11 languages, the development of branded content pieces in major general and economic media, co-marketing actions with paid media and TTOOs, key opinion leaders (KOLs) and influencer marketing campaigns, presentations at the long-haul inbound markets, and the production and generation of content for the #onlyinmadrid campaign.
These substantial digital marketing campaigns include the creation of audiovisual and written content adapted to each market and an ambitious media plan through which the target audience is reached thanks to rigorous segmentation efforts. This plan incorporates social media campaigns, Connected TV, Discovery and Paid Search on Google and digital presence through native and display ads.
When looking into branded content, the activities linked to the investment have resulted in six pieces by The Washington Post, The Business Times Singapore, Condé Nast, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Business Traveler Middle East, and more than 20 pieces already signed off to be published in the near future.
In terms of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and influencer marketing, a total of 550 pieces of informative promotional content highlighting Madrid’s main values, including gastronomy, fashion, art, culture and sports, were produced and launched in the USA, Canada, the Middle East and Asia, achieving a total of 131 million views (surpassing the annual target in one month), 19 million interactions, and the reputational activation with five Asian celebrities being officially named ambassadors of Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid.
When it comes to the investment in co-marketing actions, activations have been closed with more than 20 key companies in the sector, targeting luxury segments to access high-value tourists in collaboration with tour operators and payment methods in the USA, Canada, Brazil, the Middle East and Asia.
A Project that Looks into the Future of an International Madrid
These actions are all aimed at the strategic objectives of the Madrid Turismo by IFEMA MADRID project, led by Yolanda Perdomo. These include improving the positioning of the Madrid region and city amongst tourists and strengthening the Madrid brand internationally, increasing the impact of tourism promotion and marketing activities under the criteria of efficiency, quality and sustainability; while establishing channels and tools that enable a coordinated planning of Madrid’s promotional activities with public entities and Madrid associations and companies alike,
The Deputy Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sport, Daniel Martínez, stressed that “Madrid Turismo by IFEMA MADRIOD is a benchmark for public-private collaboration in tourism in Madrid and is already delivering important results”. “We will continue to promote this project to intensify the promotion and positioning of Madrid as a tourist destination in distant markets such as North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East,” he added.
Almudena Maíllo, the Madrid City Council Tourism Delegate for Tourism, highlighted on her end that “in Madrid we have made a qualitative leap in our strategy for international promotion. With relevant importance and weight, we are seeing that there has been an exponential growth driven -especially- by the North American and Latin American markets, thanks to public-private collaboration”.
In the words of Juan Arrizabalaga, Managing Director of IFEMA MADRID, “Madrid Turismo by IFEMAMADRID is not only strategic for Madrid´s positioning as a preferred destination for high value tourism at an international level, but also for the different actors that make up the tourism industry and are ambassadors of the Madrid brand. Therefore, we are proud to be at the forefront of the management of this ambitious promotional project, and to contribute to it from our position as the main player of business tourism in the country”.
The Madrid Experts in Tourism Panel is the advisory body of the Madrid Turismo by IFEMA MADRID project and is the driving force behind the creation of specific working groups, called Thematic Tables, to identify priorities and specific needs for each strategic area or group of long-haul inbound markets. The Panel has members of the main tourism associations in Madrid (AEHM – Corporate Association for Hotels in Madrid, CEIM, FEMAV – Madrid Federation of Travel Agencies, Hostelería Madrid and OPC Madrid) as well as the designated companies that represent them on the Panel, including Acotex, Corral de la Morería, El Corte Inglés, Four Seasons, Iberia, Marriott Madrid Auditorium, Melia Hotels International, NH Hotel Group and The Madrid Edition.
Madrid Turismo by IFEMA MADRID has a total budget of 36 million euros to invest in promotional actions in these long-haul inbound markets until December 2024. The main goal of this initiative is to position Madrid as an outstanding and first-class holiday destination, the largest cultural destination in the world, consolidating the “madrileño” lifestyle as a major differentiating aspect of Madrid vs. its competing destinations.
More information on Madrid turismo by IFEMA MADRID | IFEMA MADRID
