The Hainan Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports recently hosted a tourism promotion seminar at the China Cultural Centre in Madrid. The event sought to enhance cultural and tourism exchanges between Hainan, China, and Spain, attracting over 30 local cultural and tourism enterprises, travel agencies, and industry associations.

Key figures at the seminar included Yang Changqing, Director of the China Cultural Centre in Madrid, and Aranzazu Urbina Álvarez, Deputy Director for Sustainability and Tourism Development for the Community of Madrid. Both emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation in culture and tourism. Yang highlighted the seminar as a crucial opportunity for Spanish travel operators to gain insights into China’s inbound tourism market, whilst Álvarez expressed her eagerness to explore Hainan’s tourism sector.

The seminar follows a year of significant progress in cultural and tourism exchanges between Hainan and Madrid, marked by events such as Hainan’s Food Week in Madrid. This year, Hainan established a tourism promotion office in Madrid, further facilitating connections between cultural and tourism enterprises from both regions.

Wang Yuechuan, Director of the International and Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan Market Promotion Division of Hainan’s Department of Tourism, announced plans for a direct flight route from Madrid to Haikou. Additionally, efforts are underway to enhance infrastructure, including international payment systems and multilingual services, to offer European tourists a more convenient experience.