On November 22nd, the "2023 Spain Tourism Board Football Carnival" was held at the training base of the Guangzhou Football Club. Sergio Sestelo, a current football coach and former player of Real Madrid from Spain, kicked off a fun-filled football match with a group of tourism professionals and media.

During the event, Ms. Ana Lafuente, the Tourism Counselor of the Consulate General of Spain in Guangzhou, mentioned that Spain has won its first-ever championship of the Women's World Cup this year, making itself the second country in the world to have won both the men's and women's World Cups. The stadiums scattered throughout major cities in Spain serve as both the stage for football games and as symbols and landmarks of Spanish culture.

She also expressed her warm welcome for the citizens of Guangzhou to embark on a wonderful journey to Spain, where they can visit stadiums, watch football matches, savor delicious cuisines, admire beautiful scenery, and experience the passionate football culture of Spain.

It is reported that outbound tourism from China to Spain is steadily recovering. During this year's "Golden Week" holiday, Spain became the second fastest-growing overseas destination on Ctrip, an online platform for ticket selling, second only to Switzerland. Compared with the period before 2019, Chinese tourists' spending on trips to Spain increased by 30% in 2023, with an average per capita expenditure of 3,100 euros in July.

Currently, with direct flights available from South China to Spain, including the Shenzhen-Barcelona route of Shenzhen Airlines and the Hong Kong-Madrid route of Cathay Pacific Airlines, it is more convenient for Guangzhou citizens to travel to Spain. In December, the air capacity between Spain and China will reach 28 direct flights per week and is expected to exceed that level in 2024.

It is also worth mentioning that this Spanish football journey will cover multiple iconic locations. The first one is the newly renovated Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (Madrid). Over the past century, this stadium has become a "sanctuary" in the world of football. After being refurbished, it will be grandly unveiled on December 23rd, capable of accommodating 82,000 spectators.

In addition to the Bernabeu Stadium, there is also the Spotify Camp Nou Stadium (Barcelona), the "largest stadium in Europe". The same as the Bernabeu Stadium, the Camp Nou Stadium is also under refurbishment and is scheduled to be completed by 2026. At that time, its capacity will be increased from 99,000 to 105,000, accompanied by a more comprehensive and grand-scale "Barça Space."

Apart from the above-mentioned stadiums, other places worth visiting include the Mestalla Stadium (Valencia), which ranks second in the list of "Europe's greatest stadiums" put forward by The Daily Telegraph, and the San Mamés Stadium (Bilbao) that is known as the "best sports building in the world".

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

足球嘉年华燃点激情！西班牙国家旅游局在穗力推经典足球之旅

11月22日，“西班牙国家旅游局2023足球嘉年华”活动在广州足球俱乐部训练基地举行，来自西班牙的足球教练、前皇家马德里队球员塞尔吉奥-塞斯特洛（Sergio Sestelo）带领一众旅游同业和媒体进行了一场趣味足球赛。

活动中，西班牙驻广州总领事馆旅游处旅游参赞安娜（Ana Lafuente）女士提到，今年西班牙首夺女足世界杯冠军，成为全世界第二个同时拥有男女足世界杯冠军的国家。遍布西班牙各大城市的体育场既是西班牙足球的舞台，更是西班牙文化的象征与地标。

她盛情邀请老广前往西班牙深度游，参观球场、看球赛，品美食、看美景，感受西班牙热情的足球文化。

记者了解到，中国游客前往西班牙的出境游正在稳步恢复。在今年“十一”黄金周假期，西班牙成为携程旅行增长第二快的海外目的地，仅次于瑞士。与2019年前相比，2023年前往西班牙旅游的中国游客消费额增加了30%，7月份的人均消费额达到3100欧元。

当前，广州市民前往西班牙更加方便，目前华南地区直飞的航班包括深圳-巴塞罗那（深圳航空）和香港-马德里（国泰航空）。12月，西班牙与中国之间的航空运力将达到每周28个直航班次，并将在2024年超过这一水平。

据悉，西班牙足球之旅涵盖多个代表性地点。首先是新圣地亚哥·伯纳乌球场（马德里）。百年来，这座体育场已成为足球世界的“圣殿”，翻新后的伯纳乌球场将在12月23日盛大揭幕，届时可容纳8.2万名观众的球场将焕然一新。

除伯纳乌球场外，“欧洲最大的球场”Spotify诺坎普球场（巴塞罗那）也不容错过。与伯纳乌球场一样，诺坎普球场也开始了翻新计划，预计2026年竣工。容量将从9.9万提升到10.5万，与之配套的是功能更齐全、规模更宏大的“巴萨空间”。

除上述两座球场外，值得到访的还有在英国《每日电讯报》“欧洲最伟大球场”排名中高居第二的梅斯塔利亚球场（瓦伦西亚）以及“世界最佳体育建筑”圣马梅斯球场（毕尔巴鄂）。

文丨记者 刘星彤 通讯员 卢玉晶
图丨西班牙国家旅游局提供
翻译丨洪婷
责编丨古司祺
校对丨周勇