MALAYSIA, 13 MARCH – MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA Madrid has announced the launch of its global creative campaign “Only in Madrid” in Malaysia. The campaign aims to promote the city and the greater region of Madrid to a global audience establishing it as a must-visit travel destination.
It has also added influencer Ayana Moon, entrepreneurs and actors Raffi & Nagita, and actor Yang Dong-Geun as the newest ambassadors of the Madrid brand, in their second ever ambassador appointments. The initiative is part of the Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Influencer Marketing Campaign that is being carried out to promote Madrid in Asia. MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA MADRID is a joint project of the Regional Government of Madrid, Madrid City Council and IFEMA Madrid to promote Madrid as a tourist destination in international outbound tourism markets, as well as to strengthen the Madrid brand internationally.
The “Only in Madrid” campaign highlights the distinctive mix of art, culture, gastronomy, shopping, vibrancy, and unique lifestyle that has propelled Madrid to become a must-visit city in Europe.
Madrid is home to the largest Royal Palace in the world and other beautiful landmarks such as Plaza Mayor, El Prado Museum and Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium. Each neighbourhood of Madrid is distinct and unique, from funky-alternative Malasaña to chic and high-end Salamanca where visitors can indulge in the glamorous world of shopping, dining and Flamenco. Beyond the glitz and bustle of the Spanish capital, is the lesser-known but no less fascinating side of Greater Madrid. Just a short drive away is lush countryside, steeped in history and culture, where quaint mediaeval towns, picture-perfect wineries and scenic parks are a welcome change from city life.
The area of Greater Madrid is also home to the UNESCO heritage triangle of Alcalá de Henares, San Lorenzo de El Escorial and Aranjuez, located less than an hour’s drive from the city centre. And within only 30 minutes from the city is the equally stunning rural beauty of Patones, Chinchón and the vineyards of San Martín de Valdeiglesias.
Madrid will have more than 2,700 luxury hotel rooms by the end of 2023, up 50% from a decade ago according to a report by JLL. The city has 33 new hotels in the pipeline, half of them in the upscale segment. Madrid’s hotel investment came to a record 802 million euros in 2022. Most recently, The Four Seasons Hotel opened near the central Puerta del Sol boasting a 1,500 square metre complex that includes a shopping mall for luxury brands including Dior and Hermes and the nearby Ritz has recently been upgraded to the luxury Mandarin Oriental Ritz brand.
Home to the world’s most luxe labels and fast fashion – from Loewe, Balenciaga and Manolo Blahnik to Zara and Mango – these foundations and their history make Madrid one of the most influential international fashion capitals in the world. Even for those who prefer to veer away from the glitz of high fashion, shoppers can still expect to find locally produced garments and articles in Madrid’s atelier routes of extraordinary quality that are relatively affordable compared to international brands.
The famous atelier routes consist of small and medium-sized firms that work in line with the values of ‘slow fashion’, and that focus on making timeless designs, using local labour, exquisite tailoring, and quality materials and fabrics. In fact, Spain is one of the few European countries that preserves the craft of artisanal fabric, celebrating generations of craftsmen and is the quintessential destination to discover, enjoy and consume Spanish fashion.
As much as Madrid is synonymous with fashion, gastronomy and cuisine permeates all aspects of culture and life. Be it traditional Sunday lunch with family, tapas crawls with friends, or hours spent at the markets picking up the freshest local produce, Madrid’s culture revolves heavily around food.
Only in Madrid can you eat at the world’s oldest restaurant, Restaurant Botin, a historic gem that dates back to 1725 serving some of the best examples of traditional cuisine that Marid has to offer.
The MICHELIN Guide Spain recently announced the Michelin-star awarded restaurants in Madrid for 2024. The foodie paradise now boasts 28 restaurants with 36 stars, confidently climbing the Michelin ranks and settling as one of the world’s top gastronomic destinations. MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA MADRID is an initiative promoted by the Regional Government of Madrid, Madrid City Council and IFEMA MADRID to position Madrid as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations in long-haul outbound markets. Its objective is to position Madrid as a major leisure destination, the world’s largest cultural destination and a benchmark capital in luxury and high-impact tourism, consolidating lifestyle as a major differentiating aspect of Madrid with respect to its competing destinations.
During the first year of the campaign launch, promotional actions have been implemented in 16 countries, including Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Korea and Japan. The project includes; major B2B and B2C digital marketing campaigns, campaign sites in 11 languages, the development of branded content pieces in major general and economic media, co-marketing actions with paid media and TTOOs, key opinion leaders (KOLs) and influencer marketing campaigns, presentations at the long-haul inbound markets, and the production and generation of content for the #onlyinmadrid campaign – all aiming to fortify Madrid’s presence as a top tourism destination for Asian travellers.
Within this framework, MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA MADRID has appointed four Asian celebrities of particular relevance in Indonesia, Malaysia and Korea, as new International Ambassadors of the Madrid brand. These celebrities have been invited to discover the cultural, social, gastronomic, historical and leisure richness of the Madrid Region.
IFEMA Madrid´s Managing Director, Juan Arrizabalaga, and the Director of Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid, Yolanda Perdomo, presented these appointments to the new international ambassadors, together with what has become the symbol of these awards, the Spanish capes designed by the firm OTEYZA. They were accompanied by Lara Benito – known as Lara in Korea – a Singer, model and actress of Madrid origin, famous in South Korea for her affluent television appearances.
South Korean influencer Ayana Moon, current brand ambassador for Dyson and Wardah Cosmetic; Indonesian entrepreneurs, musicians and actors Raffi & Nagita (Rans), brand ambassadors for Grab, Alfamart and Si Cepat; and the South Korean actor, rapper and dancer Yang Dong-Geun, star of the second season of the popular series ‘The Squid Game’, have been appointed Ambassadors of Madrid Turismo, which will help to promote the Madrid brand in their areas of influence.
This will also help to foster it as one of Europe’s preferred tourist destinations, highlighting its lifestyle, gastronomy, cultural and leisure offerings, as well as its rich heritage. The new Ambassadors were able to learn about these and other aspects of the region throughout their visit to Madrid, during which they visited emblematic places and important landmarks in the capital. They were also able to attend various shows of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid catwalk.
Relevant celebrities with a big impact in Asia.
Ayana Moon is the current brand ambassador for Dyson and Wardah Cosmetic. A native of South Korea, but a resident of Malaysia, Ayana Moon passionately promotes cultural understanding through her social media profiles and shares her faith through her content. She has over 1.7
million followers on Instagram.
Raffi Ahmad & Nagita Slavina are a couple of Indonesian entrepreneurs, musicians and actors with 71 million followers on TikTok, 75 million followers on Instagram and 25.4 million followers on their YouTube channel. They have won awards for their work as presenters in Asia including SCTV Awards 2021 and 2022, and RCTI+ Indonesian Digital Awards. In addition, they received the World Cultural International Forum Award 2023 for their great success in social media in Asia. Yang Dong-Geun is a popular South Korean actor and artist, famous for playing the lead role in the second season of the hit Netflix series ‘The Squid Game’. He has also appeared in other TV shows such as ‘Moving’ and ‘Cheer Up’.
Fostering air connectivity with Asia.
MADRID TURISMO by IFEMA MADRID has signed an agreement with Iberia framed in the new route between Madrid and Doha to connect Asia and Spain, which in turn offers connectivity from 44 destinations in Asia, 29 in Africa and 26 in the Middle East to the Spanish capital. This new route is estimated to generate an economic impact for the Madrid region of €55 million in the first year.
In July, last year, Iberia joined the world’s largest airline joint business created by British Airways and Qatar Airways and, thanks to this alliance, in December, it operated its inaugural flight to the Qatari capital city. This flight is added to the two daily flights offered by Qatar Airways. The combined schedule offers morning, afternoon, and evening departures for travellers between the two capital cities, and hundreds of connections in each hub.
The Iberia´s aircraft operating this route is the Airbus A330-200, a twin-engine which is 15% more efficient, with a capacity for 288 passengers, 19 in Business Class and 269 in Economy, which means that this year, the Spanish airline will offer more than 210,000 seats between both capitals.
