The city council launches Madrid’s new tourism promotion campaign in London

Starting this week, London’s streets are full of images of Madrid as part of the city council’s campaign to promote the capital’s tourist offerings in 2024. The Tourism Department chose this strategic market for the launch of its new promotional campaign, with which it continues to seek to convey Madrid’s enormous appeal as a global tourist destination, and to promote top-of-mind awareness of the Spanish capital as a first-rate city destination among travellers all over the world.

The creative concept behind this promotional campaign was to showcase the little pleasures which arise during a visit to Madrid. Six graphics and audiovisuals were developed, each one capturing unique moments associated with life in the capital. These are presented in the form of snapshots and reflect the added value offered by the destination of Madrid and the special memories created during a visit to the city.

Snapshots of Madrid

These snapshots of the city show some of the Madrid’s main tourist attractions. Its unique heritage, exceptional artistic and cultural offerings, charming green spaces, delectable cuisine, vibrant nightlife and exclusive hotels present the city as a one-of-a-kind, welcoming and sustainable place: the ideal destination to enjoy with family or friends and the perfect place for treating yourself to something special, one of the principal motivations for travellers today.

The campaign reintroduces the marketing claim developed by the city council two years ago: ‘If life were a city, it’d be Madrid’. “We are launching the 2024 Madrid tourism campaign with the same slogan, as it perfectly encapsulates our essence and forms part of our DNA,” explains Almudena Maíllo, the Councillor for Tourism. “By continuing to use the claim, Madrid reaffirms its commitment to a strategy based on highlighting its distinctive lifestyle and the unforgettable experiences it offers, which are only possible in a city like Madrid”.

Campaign launch in the United Kingdom and targeted promotion on Lastminute

The material designed to promote Madrid as a tourist destination is currently being displayed on 50 London cabs as well as on 200 bus shelters in key neighbourhoods across the British capital. This external initiative is expected to have a reach of 4.1 million people.

To maximise visibility, a wide-ranging digital campaign is also underway in British media outlets, it will include the publication of editorial content, four newsletters about Madrid, banners on the website of the prestigious travel magazine Wanderlust, and promotional material in several other British publications specialised in travel, lifestyle, culture and shopping. A video campaign will also be carried out on Instagram and is expected to result in two million impressions and 800,000 views.

In addition, in an initiative aimed not only at promoting Madrid as a destination but also at attracting tourists who want to travel during Easter, a targeted campaign is underway via the online travel site Lastminute. A specific microsite was created allowing visitors to search for and book the best accommodation options and can’t-miss experiences in Madrid. It also provides detailed information about life in the city.

In 2023, the United Kingdom emerged as Madrid's fifth largest inbound tourism market. Maíllo highlighted their importance, stating “last year we welcomed nearly 300,000 British tourists, with an average stay of almost two and a half days and a total expenditure of 424 million euro, as per the Tourist Expenditure Survey EGATUR. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), total in-destination spending exceeded 520 million. What’s more, 68% of visitors from the United Kingdom chose high-end hotels (four- and five-star establishments) for their stay in Madrid”.

The United States, Latin America and Asia: upcoming target markets

Following its launch in the UK, the promotional campaign is set to expand into other markets of key importance to the Spanish capital. They include the United States, its top inbound tourist market, Canada, a market which grew 49% last year with respect to 2022, and Latin America, a region where three countries (Mexico, Brazil and Argentina) rank among Madrid’s top ten international inbound tourist markets. The Latin American market also stands out for the high level of daily expenditure per person, which is the highest of all regions monitored by EGATUR. Naturally, the campaign will also target Asia, which has very high growth potential. Promotional efforts will focus in particular on South Korea and on China, which grew 153% with respect to 2022 and is Madrid’s tenth-biggest international tourist market. /