In Barbados, Travel2latam had the opportunity to chat with Jacobo Florido, Deputy Mayor of Malaga, Spain, and Head of Tourism, about visitors to the city, connectivity and the objectives of presenting at the CHTA event.
What is the purpose of attending Caribbean Travel Marketplace?
We came here from Malaga because we are trying to connect tourism. We have more than 300 sunny days, and a rich culture in terms of architecture, we are very strong in gastronomy and we are promoting it a lot, and above all we are strong in museum culture. We have more than 35 museums, in a city of nearly 600,000 inhabitants. Culture is important because it is giving us high-powered clients here, for 15 or 20 years, supported by culture, our average spending has risen by almost 300%.
What are the tools used in Malaga regarding tourism?
We are adapting to new technologies. We have a system where a citizen walks down the street and it is possible to recognize whether he is happy or sad through an algorithm that takes facial features, and all of this is helping us, above all, to decide on consumer policies. We also have an agreement with card operators that tell us where the expenses come from and with telephone companies, all this helps us to make decisions regarding promotional products. And furthermore, if we see that a customer arrives from a certain area of Europe and we determine that he not only comes to Malaga but also consumes and spends, we try to reinforce promotional campaigns in that destination.
From the point of view of connectivity, how is Malaga positioned?
We are talking about the third largest airport in Spain, where we have connections with more than 130 cities, and which is only fifteen minutes from the city, which is not usually the case in the rest of Europe.
What do you mainly promote from tourism in Malaga?
We are promoting above all those destinations with high purchasing power, and that have culture to consume. In addition, we are very complemented because we are the capital of places like Marbella, Monaco, destinations known worldwide for their tourism.
What are the future plans for tourism there?
By 2027 we plan to develop towards a sustainable character, of sustainable development. And we are also here for the authorities to give their vote of confidence to the Malaga Expo 2027.
What is the origin of the tourists who visit Malaga?
We have always had a close relationship with the United Kingdom, with the Netherlands and with central Europe, but as of the 30th of this month we already have direct flights with the United States, with United Airlines, so we also expect direct influx from there.