Madrid Perfect Destination For 2016 Olympics

Madrid Perfect Tourist Destination For 2016 Olympics

16 December 2008 - A major conference in the Spanish capital of Madrid promoting tourism through the internet has provided a showcase for the city’s 2016 Olympic bid.

The bid’s Managing Director Antonio Fernandez Arimany told the TravelThink event in Madrid that the city would be the perfect Olympic host for visitors from around the world.

He said: “For tourists Madrid provides a feast of culture with 133 museums and with the three most famous, the Prado, Reína Sofia and Thyssen all within six minutes’ walk of each another. Three world word heritage sites are within an hour of Madrid and the city’s nightlife is also unparalleled with over 3,000 restaurants to complement many bars, theatres, nightclubs and shops.”

Spain is the world’s second most popular tourist destination, within easy reach of the rest of Europe in less than three hours. Madrid itself has over 65,000 hotel rooms – set to rise to 80,000 by 2016 when it hopes to host the Olympics. Hotel rooms are part of the IOC’s award criteria which Madrid meets easily with these facilities. Its Metro system is the most modern in Europe with journeys priced at €1, and the city has 15,000 taxis. Barajas Airport is the fourth busiest in Europe with an average 142,000 passengers every day passing through Richard Rogers’ new extension via 98 airlines.

Antonio Fernandez Arimany added: “Madrid already has the infrastructure in place to host the Games and 70% of the venues are either already built or underway. The Spanish capital has the experience of hosting more than 100 international events during the past 10 years along with the successful 1992 Barcelona games. And 93% of Spaniards want the event to come to Madrid, ensuring a warm and hospitable welcome.

“Madrid is one of Europe’s great historic capitals and has everything to offer people wishing not only to enjoy a great sporting event but also a wonderful life experience of culture and fun.”

The conference was told how the Madrid tourist office has teamed up with internet search engine Google to promote what the city has to offer to travel operators and professionals.

ENDS

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