A report titled Food Tourism 2014, which has been put together after consulting almost 400 professionals in the tourism sector, has named Spain as the first European destination when choosing where to visit for the quality of its food and gastronomy.
So, Spain is in the enviable position of not only offering the tourist the best in beaches, weather, culture, architecture and beautiful scenery, but now its cuisine and top-quality food have also been added to the list.
And, 82% of those surveyed agreed that Spain is at the top of the list when it comes to naming an attractive destination for what it has to offer in terms of gastronomy. Spain beat other countries including the UK, Germany, Italy and France.
Amongst some of the most popular culinary attractions that Spain offers its visitors, according to the survey, are Serrano ham, cheese, paella, wine, seafood, olives and the simple Spanish omelette.
The best in Spain
Narrowing things down even further, the region of the Basque Country has been voted the best in the country when it comes to good food, and the 3 Michelin-starred restauranteur Martín Berasategui was an extremely popular choice of chef.
The Basque Country is followed by the region of Madrid, Cataluña and Andalucía.
And it is difficult not to be swayed by the regional delights that these places have to offer, which include tasty dishes such as the ‘cocido madrileño’, ‘el gazpacho andaluz’ or the traditionally made ‘fuets’ and ‘butifarras’ from Cataluña.
Gastronomic capital
The gastronomic capital of Spain for 2015 is Cáceres, which is situated in the region of Extremadura, supposedly the poorest region in Spain.
Nevertheless, the fact that this city has been bestowed with this prestigious title, taking the crown from the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, last year’s winner, will surely attract a greater number of visitors to the region. This is due to the fact that according to statistics, 50% – 70% of tourists base their choice of holiday destination on the food that is served in that part of the world.
Even the New York Times has listed Cáceres as one of the 52 must-see cities to visit in 2015 across the globe – Cáceres was the only Spanish city to feature in the list!
Not only that but Cáceres, Málaga and Lanzarote are featured in The Guardian’s “Holiday Hotspots: Where to go in 2015” supplementary special.
Tourism on the increase
The tourism sector in Spain is one of the most dynamic of the whole country, and tourist numbers and spending increase year after year to exceed all expectations. Figures have revealed that more than 12%, that’s over 7 million, were attracted to Spain last year because of its gastronomy.
In fact, every single region in Spain saw a rise in the number of visitors in 2014, with the most significant increases in the Canary Islands, Madrid and Andalucía.
Source: www.blog.anida.es
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