The Vice-president of the Principality, Gimena Llamedo, today opened the Asturias stand at Fitur with the presentation of the new Ave al Paraíso campaign, with which the region will promote itself in markets connected by high-speed rail, and by highlighting the excellent figures for the sector, which beat all records in 2023. «This year marks an unprecedented revolution in tourism connectivity and will be the year of our consolidation as a quality destination without borders,» said Llamedo. «With more air connections than ever before and the incorporation of high speed, Asturias is at the top of the offer of routes with national and international markets», she added.
The regional minister highlighted the constant progress of the region. In just the first ten months of 2023, the record number of visitors was broken and the year closed with more than 2.8 million travellers and 6.6 million overnight stays. This is the first time in history that hotel stays exceeded four million. International tourism continues to rise, with more than 600,000 people, an increase of 36% compared to 2022, and more than one million overnight stays. The Principality is also positioned as the regional leader in hotel revenue growth, 26%, which exceeds that recorded by the Balearic Islands and Galicia, according to Exceltur.
In addition, estimates of gross value added (GVA) have risen to 11.9%, a figure reached for the first time, and employment also grew last year in a sector that generates nearly 52,000 jobs.
«The new connectivity will allow us to accelerate the deseasonalisation, one of our main challenges, which will position us as a destination 365 days a year,» said Llamedo, who also noted that the largest percentage increases in visitors are occurring precisely in low season months. «With more than double the number of weekly seats and six daily AVE frequencies, this year we will be three hours from Madrid by train or two hours by plane from the main cities», he added. In order to make the most of this situation, the Government of the Principality of Asturias is engaging in a dialogue with the sector, which has already resulted in several agreements with Renfe and Otea. «We will seek and take advantage of every opportunity to make the most of this new connectivity», said the Vice-President.
With regard to air connections, she insisted that the Principality «is and will be prepared to face the internationalisation of the tourism sector». The airlines have programmed 8.5% more seats for this year and the regional government is already working on opening new markets in Central Europe, Switzerland and Scandinavia.
The Vice-President referred to cycle tourism, one of the niche markets of the Asturian tourism strategy, which seeks to place the region at the forefront of this sport, for which she is already working on a specific guide on the resources available. «Asturias is an oasis for sport and competition, another niche market on which we are focusing, given its seasonal nature and its great return, just as we are doing with congress, meeting and incentive tourism (MICE)», added Llamedo.
AVE to Paradise
The AVE al Paraíso campaign presented today seeks to launch a direct, accurate, easy-to-remember message in line with the values of the Asturias Natural Paradise brand: connection with nature, authenticity and timelessness.
The design extols the beauty of Asturias and the charm of travelling by train, while focusing on the speed of this means of transport that blurs the landscapes and turns them into canvases, into works of art to be contemplated through the window. To deepen this artistic concept, the campaign’s graphics include small poetic texts that refer to the essence of the community and the emotions aroused by its natural environment. AVE al Paraíso has an exclusive space at Fitur, where the public can have their photo taken behind a photocall in the shape of a train and take part in a draw to win a trip for two to Asturias.
From today, the campaign is also present in social networks, at the entrance of Ifema and in the most effective space to capture the Madrid public who travel by train: Madrid’s Atocha station. From next week, the promotion will be extended to other areas of the station, such as the mythical corridor designed by Rafael Moneo, the lifts and fences in the AVE arrivals area and three giant screens, as well as the windows of the office that will reopen Asturias in the capital.
The Nuevos Ministerios interchange, a network of municipal buses in the centre of Madrid, the Plaza de Callao, Gran Vía, and the train stations of León and Valladolid, will be other locations for the campaign, which will also reach magazines, radio and television, for which it has more than one million euros invested for its diffusion in the media.