Three pillars of differentiation
HECTOR CORONEL , DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AT MADRID CITY COUNCIL , SAYS DIGITALISATION , SUSTAINABILITY AND MARKETING THE DESTINATION AS AN EXPERIENCE ARE THE THREE MAIN STRATEGIES MAJOR DESTINATIONS ARE USING TO DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES
A t a time when the tourism sector is on a firm path to recovering pre-pandemic levels of business , destinations are making a strong push with campaigns to promote themselves and to attract new events and meetings with a view to in-person attendance and reconnecting with medium- and long-haul markets .
The re-establishment of flight connections , vaccination , the end of travel restrictions and the resulting growth in the number of events held by companies and associations have contributed to the fact that , in 2022 , major destinations – including Madrid – are talking about promotional plans that combine international fairs , fam trips and in-destination presentations . Furthermore , given the change in demand that has occurred in the past two years , destinations are seeking to differentiate themselves , through three strategies in particular : digitalisation , sustainability and marketing the destination as an experience . These three pillars define and design the goals and plans for attracting future meetings and congresses . And it ’ s the last two in particular – sustainability and presenting the destination as a differentiated experience – which , in Madrid ’ s case , shape the roadmap .
Aspiring to be a sustainable destination It might seem absurd to speak of
Above : Madrid ’ s Retiro Park compatibility between ‘ city ’ and ‘ sustainability ’, and even more so when it ’ s an aspiration being voiced by the tourism and event organising sector , whose negative impact on the environment is undeniable .
In Madrid , however , the joint efforts of institutions , companies and the sector in general will enable a real trend towards offsetting that negative impact . In this regard , tourism organisations have an important role to play in terms of dissemination , training and providing the sector with the tools necessary to aspire to that neutrality .
Working through Madrid Convention Bureau , Madrid City Council ’ s Tourism Department recently launched a digital platform called PLUS ( see below ), which organisers can use even before their events are held in the city to work on all of the facets with room for improvement with respect to environmental , economic and social sustainability .
Feasible propositions like ‘ paperless is more ’ or the use of zero-mile products that significantly reduce the negative
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