I Need Spain – Campaign To Promote Spanish Culture

As is the case for so many countries, the current economic recession has inevitably taken its toll on the tourist industry in Spain’s Costa del Sol region, although it has to be said that the effects have been far less acute here than elsewhere.  Nevertheless, tourism chiefs have come up with a new campaign called ‘I Need Spain’ to promote the country as a first-class cultural and gastronomic destination for those looking to holiday in Spain.

Owner of El Bulli restaurant which has been awarded three Michelin stars and been voted the best restaurant in the world for four years running, Ferran Adria has been chosen as the face of the new campaign which is designed to show the world that Spain and the Costa del Sol have more to offer its visitors than cheap package holidays.  In presenting the world with a different view of the country, the leading lights in the tourism industry have certainly chosen a man who is considered to be a great innovator and it is hoped that Mr Adria’s input will lead to a new perception of Spain as being a much more upmarket and exclusive destination.

The 7.5 million euro campaign will highlight, amongst other areas, the Basque Country to the north, which is already well known for its excellent cuisine, the La Rioja wine-growing region and the more southerly cities of Sevilla, Grenada and Cordoba.  As Ferran Adria’s own restaurant, which is set on an isolated beach close to the town of Roses on Spain’s north eastern coast, manages to book every seat within an hour of opening its new diary for the year, it is certainly not hard to see why he was such an obvious choice to promote the gastronomic treats that the country has to offer.