The Hindu Business Line : Spain looking for direct air connectivity

Spain with a new airport terminal Barajas, capable of handing more passengers, is looking for a direct connectivity from India to cash in on the fast growing outbound tourist flow.

It has started the process with the Indian Government for an agreement while expecting Air India and Jet Airways and Iberia, the Spanish private airlines to take the call.

Indicating this here on Wednesday, Mr Enrique Ruiz De Lera, Director of the National Tourist Office of Spain (South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and India), told newspersons that currently the outbound tourists from India were mostly using the gateways of Frankfurt, Heathrow or Paris. Air traffic from India to Europe had almost quadrupled to 4.3 million seats in the last five years.

Priority market

Stating that Spain had identified India as the priority market from the emerging markets, he said air connectivity would help his organisation achieve the target of 10-20 per cent annual growth of Indian tourist flow to Spain, he said adding his country was keen to tap the growing potential of outbound tourism to Europe, which was expected to maintain a 15-20 per cent increase till about 2010.

Spain was also planning to open a consulate and a tourist office in Mumbai for visa processing and information on its destinations to build on the growing traffic from India, he said.

Spain saw a 10 per cent increase last year to 83,214 visitors from India.