Eloise HorsfieldSPAIN is rebranding itself after being labelled ‘uncool’ by young British travellers.
The country is making a desperate bid to revamp its image, after it emerged that UK under-30s are turning to Turkey and Croatia for ‘hipper holidays’.
The tourist board is likening Spain to Microsoft in its increasingly tough battle with competitor Apple.
Its tourist chief Enrique Ruiz explained that it was also like the under-30s not wanting to buy Levi jeans because they are worn by their parents.
“We need to refresh our brand,” he told UK trade magazine Travel Weekly.
He added that Spain would be working with youth music channel MTV more closely next year, as well as trying to encourage British travellers to look at different areas apart from the usual Costas.
Why Spain is definitely still cool
Looking for the hip things to bring a whole new generation of young Brits to Spain?
Well, you can start right here in Andalucia at the Sierra Nevada Ski Resort which has just unveiled a new half-pipe for snowboarders.
Meanwhile wind sports such as kitesurfing continue to attract an energetic and bohemian crowd to Tarifa.
Cabo de Gata is a classic cool ‘hideout’.
Music festivals such as Benicassim, Sonar and Creamfields see youngsters descend on Spain in their droves each summer, while Ibiza continues to boast some of the best clubs in the world.
Then there are the Thyssen and Picasso museums which have proved to be extremely popular recent editions to Malaga’s cultural landscape, and Pamplona teems with a young, international crowd looking to follow in Hemingway’s footsteps during San Fermin.
Architecture remains a massive boon with not only the Gaudi buildings in Barcelona, but the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao and the recent winner of the World Building of the Year award.
Of course Spain is cool, it’s far out man. It’s just that Croatia And Turkey are cheaper and everyone is counting the pennies nowadays, even the yoof.
“The tourist board is likening Spain to Microsoft”
What, constantly breaking down and needing upgrades?
If it’s the under-30’s, I am not too sure that promoting architecture is the way forward, is it appealing to them? Also with the music festivals, most of the acts which appear tend to be on “festival tours” in the summer and will play UK gigs.
I really think that Spain has been priced too high and is out of a lot of people’s budgets now. 10 years ago it was a good, cheap destination where you could buy fags, booze and a good meal out for not a lot of money. Not so these days.
The culture aspect is still here, as it always has been. But the overall cost of a stay here is not competitive with non-eurozone countries.
Croatia is a wonderful country too which oozes with culture, stunning national parks and architecture. I think the price is the deterrent.