Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)SPAIN’S most celebrated chef is to front its latest tourism campaign in a bid to win back tourists.
Famed maestro Ferran Adria – who runs Michelin-starred El Bulli on the Costa Brava – has been selected as the man to help revive the struggling sector.
Adria will be the face of the “I need Spain” campaign – which is hoped to be seen by 400 million people in 40 countries.
The tourism ministry announced in a statement: “”The essence of the campaign is the Spanish lifestyle, which attracts more than 50 million tourists a year.
Last year, Spain suffered an 8.7 per cent drop in tourists due to the global slowdown, its second straight year of falling visitor numbers.
Meanwhile, famous chef Adria also revealed that his acclaimed restaurant will become a non-profit foundation in 2014.
El Bulli, which overlooks the Cala Montjoi bay on the Costa Brava, plans to offer 25 scholarships annually for chefs and other industry professionals.
Owner Ferran Adria explained that he hopes his restaurant would become “a breeding ground for new ideas and for new talents”.
