Officials of the Guangdong Tourism Buream and the Spanish Tourism Office pose for the opening ceremony.
With the emergence of a large number of wealthy citizens in Guangdong, the province is seeing an increasing amount of outbound tourists. An obvious sign of the interest that these new consumers arise is the opening of the new Spanish tourism office in Zhujiang New Town in Guangzhou. Attached to the Spanish Consulate General, this is the second tourism office Spain opens in China to promote the country's abundant travel resources. The first office being in Beijing, the new one will serve all south China including Hong Kong and Macau.
Mr. Joan Mesquida Ferrando, the Spanish Vice Minister of Tourism attended the opening ceremony and commented that with a population of 45 million, Spain is now the second leading tourist destination in Europe and the third in the world. With famous cultural relics, outlandish sightseeing, easy shopping and great delicacies, 85% of tourists return to Spain for a second trip. "To travel is to pursue happiness, and that can be found in Spain" Mr. Ferrando remarked in his address.
As a little window in China opening onto Spain, the office hopes to promote and help Chinese citizens discovers the beauty of a country famous for food, wine, and music. In addition to the tourism office, a new visa section will be opened next year to render it easier for south Chinese travelers to apply for a European visa.
Source: www.lifeofguangzhou.com
