Tourism agency Turespaña kicked off the first ‘Spain Travel Market North America 2026’ workshop in Montreal on 11 May, bringing 60 Spanish suppliers face-to-face with 78 U.S. and Canadian tour-operators focused on high-end travel. The initiative comes as Spain enjoys unprecedented trans-Atlantic connectivity: 44 non-stop routes will operate this summer, 17 of them with Canada alone. The Ministry of Industry and Tourism wants to shift Spain’s positioning from sun-and-sand mass market to premium experiential tourism centred on gastronomy, wine, golf and the Camino de Santiago. U.S. visitors already out-spend other segments—€1.7 billion in Q1 2026, up 14 % year-on-year, with a €300 daily spend. For corporate travel managers, the surge in air capacity translates into more seat inventory on key city-pairs (e.g., New York-Madrid, Toronto-Barcelona) and potentially softer business-class fares outside peak dates. Destinations such as Mallorca, San Sebastián and Jerez are gearing up with new five-star inventory and meeting venues, widening options for incentive trips and executive retreats. Spanish regions hope the move will diversify demand seasonally and geographically, bolstering year-round employment. However, consultants warn infrastructure at smaller airports and luxury-service talent pipelines must scale quickly or perception gaps could erode the segment. Turespaña will replicate the road-show in New York and Los Angeles later this week and plans co-marketing campaigns with Delta, Iberia and Air Canada targeting affluent millennials and remote workers on “workation” packages.
Source: Europa Press
