Singapore Airlines And Spain Tourism Board Sign MOU
20 June 2011 (Joint Release with Spain Tourism Board) - Singapore Airlines and Spain Tourism Board have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at boosting tourist arrivals to Spain.
Under the agreement, both parties will jointly explore and implement activities to promote tourist traffic to Spain, by way of Singapore Airlines’ services between Singapore and Barcelona. Both have agreed to commit funds through to the end of this year to support advertising and promotional campaigns, as well as familiarisation programmes for trade and media, among other plans.
Spain is an important part of Singapore Airlines’ network and its growth in recent years has been promising. Since launching thrice-weekly flights to Barcelona in 2006 with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, the service has been increased to seven times weekly, using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with the Airline’s newest cabin products. Beyond Barcelona, Singapore Airlines customers can connect to the Spanish cities of Bilbao, Madrid, and Palma de Mallorca on codeshare partner Spanair’s services. In March 2011, Barcelona also became Singapore Airlines’ gateway to its first South American destination – Sao Paulo.
“This agreement underscores our confidence in the potential and allure of Spain, as well as our commitment to developing and promoting tourism from Southeast Asia and other parts of the Asia Pacific to Spain,” said Mr Tan Chik Quee, Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President Marketing.
Mr Tan added: “With its rich culture and heritage, world-renowned cuisine, and the warmth and friendliness of its people, Spain is a very attractive destination for both business and leisure travellers. We are pleased to play our part in growing the market.”
“The signing of this MOU means a lot to us since it’s the first of its kind signed by Singapore Airlines with a European destination to cover several target markets,” emphasised Ms Angela Castaño, director of the Spain Tourism Board. “We hope that it will encourage people from Southeast Asia and other parts of the Asia Pacific to travel to a destination where they can enjoy what they love most, culture, food and shopping. This is an important step that encourages us to promote Spain more than ever in Asia Pacific.”
Key target markets under the agreement include Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore.
About Singapore Airlines
When Singapore Airlines was formed in 1972, it operated a modest fleet of 10 aircraft to just 22 cities in 18 countries. With a commitment to fleet modernisation, product and service innovation and market leadership, the Airline quickly distinguished itself as a world-class carrier.
Today, Singapore Airlines operates a modern passenger fleet of more than 100 aircraft and its network, including Singapore Airlines Cargo and SilkAir destinations, covers a total of 101 destinations in 40 countries.
In October 2007, Singapore Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, made aviation history as the first to fly the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380.
About Spain Tourism Board
The Spain Tourism Board opened its doors in Singapore in 2000. Since then, it has been responsible for promoting and marketing Spain in various South East Asia countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines) along with Australian and New Zealand markets. The Spain Tourism Board organises travel trade and consumer events, arranges press trips and implements online promotions to highlight the most relevant aspects of the country as a tourist destination. In order to increase awareness of Spain as a tourist destination and encourage travellers to visit the European country, the Spain Tourism Board works closely with the Autonomous Regions of Spain, local entities and the private sector to reach that goal.
