Tourism Asturias’ head of marketing, Tatiana González Salas, iterated the UK’s status as “one of our most important markets.” As the conference host destination’s representative, Tatiana was keen to capitalise on the “opportunity to focus on the niche of discerning travellers in the UK” that hosting specialist tour operators and agents in-destination represented
“We are well-positioned to target those that are looking for Spain, but something unique, different or off the beaten track.”
That proposition is a relatively well-timed one for both Spain and Asturias: the Spanish Tourist Office's recent 'Think You Know Spain? Think Again' campaign hopes to point travellers away from the beaten track, and Asturias' rise is well-timed to do the same.
"We are a relatively brand new destination for the UK market... the number of tourists we get is nearly three million per year, of which 80% is domestic and just 20% is international tourism.
"Of this 20%, the first incoming market is France, and the UK and Germany tend to swap from second and third; that means the UK is one of our most important markets, aided by the direct flight with Vueling [to Oviedo, from Gatwick] which makes Asturias quite handy for a short break.
"This is the opportunity we have got, and that's why we are focusing to promise special products like nature... for example, we are the only place in Southern Europe with brthe brown bear. Thanks to a preservation project in the 90s, we have got around 400 bears.
"We have always been working to protect natural areas, but at the same time make it possible to develop a kind of sustainable tourism that is in harmony with the locals and the local environments."
Hear more about the recent AITO conference in Asturias, including the destination's "familiar whimsy," here.
