Refresh your knowledge of Spain with a visit to STEPS 2008 (the Spanish Tourism Exchange for Professionals).
STEPS 2008 will feature more than 100 stands from tourist boards, hotel groups, transport companies, travel agencies and theme parks that operate or specialise in Spain.
Venue: The Royal Horticultural Halls and Conference Centre, London
Date: March 26 and 27
Read our top 10 tips on how to get the most out of STEPS.
1: Mix seminars with exhibitor stands
Seminars will be held in the main hall alongside the exhibition, so you can flit between them and the exhibitor stands.
Overseen by travel writer and Travel Weekly columnist Simon Calder, the seminars will focus on Spain’s tourism market and hot topics.
2: Find out where Spanish tourism is heading…
Look out for Spanish Tourist Board director Ignacio Vasallo, who will discuss 2008’s trends, focusing on cultural tourism – Spain is looking to promote itself as a historical, cultural and gastronomical centre of interest.
3: …and where it was in 2007
Spanish Tourist Office market analyst Carmen Hernandez will kick off the seminars at 10am on Wednesday with the presentation ‘Spanish Tourism Year and the UK Market 2007’.
The presentation will look at how the industry fared and how agents, operators, hoteliers and airlines can make 2008 more successful.
Sharing the time slot will be Mintel senior tourism analyst Richard Cope, who will speak on Spain as a cultural destination.
4: Go face-to-face with Monarch Airlines
Monarch Airlines managing director Tim Jeans will have a face-to-face with Ignacio Vasallo in the Thursday 10am slot entitled ‘The Monarch Philosophy – Value and Service’.
The session will explore Monarch’s business model and look at the airline’s expansion into the southern Mediterranean region and the Canaries. The session will also look at consolidation of air routes.
5: Try some Spanish cuisine
Visitors to the show will be treated to some Spanish tapas lunches served by Melia White House in the lower-ground-floor restaurant.
There will also be taste points dotted around the exhibition, showcasing the variety of Spanish cuisine.
6: Get networking
On the second day there will be a pre-lunch informal drinks session for visitors and exhibitors to network and swap information.
7: Hear what Gran Canaria will bring to the ABTA Convention
A session on this year’s ABTA convention in Gran Canaria will look at how the destination plans to host the event, and showcase what Gran Canaria has to offer.
The session take place at 11.30am to 12.15pm on Wednesday, with samples of local food and wine served afterwards.
8: Discover the Ribeiro region
The session ‘Aquatic Sports, Hot Springs and Wine in the Heart of Galicia’ will focus on the Ribeiro wine-producing area of northeast Spain.
Situated in the province of Orense, the 3,000-hectares region is home to 102 vineyards, which produce 130,000 hectolitres of wine a year.
Galicia is also well known for its hot springs and abundant water sports. Visitors will have the chance to savour some of the area’s wine and local delicacies after the presentation, which takes place at 1pm on Wednesday.
9: Join the rail vs flying debate
The environmental advantages of rail travel over flying will be tackled in a talk between RENFE general director of high-speed trains and long-distance operations Abelardo Carrillo and Ignacio Vasallo.
Carrillo will tell delegates about the increasing sophistication of the rail product in Spain. The session takes place on Wednesday at 11.30am.
10: Spain and the cruise industry
The final seminar will look at what Spain can offer the cruising industry. At the time of going to press panellists had not been confirmed – the session begins at 10am on Thursday.
