Andalucía is coming off the back of an incredibly successful 2023, where the region celebrated its art and culture during the 'Year of Picasso' and showcased its growing sports proposition as host of the prestigious golfing tournament the Solheim Cup.

In 2024, Andalucía is set to continue to celebrate its cultural heritage with UNESCO commemorations in both Granada and Cordoba and its new flamenco museum opening in Jaen; as well as new flight routes, the World Triathlon Championship and new hotels set to attract an influx of tourism to the region.

As 2023 European Capital of Smart Tourism, Seville is also making firm progress in its commitment to innovative, sustainable tourism and pursuit of climate neutrality by 2030.

CULTURE:

2024: A YEAR OF UNESCO RECOGNITION AND CELEBRATIONS FOR THE REGION

Andalucía boasts 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In 2024, some of these

most iconic sites will celebrate their 40-year anniversary, with notable commemorations planned to mark and recognise the occasion. 

Among them, lies the iconic Alhambra, Albaicín, and the Generalife Garden in Granada, and the Great Mosque of Cordoba, which all earned their place on the World Heritage List in 1984.

Adding to the list of potential UNESCO recognitions, the Mar de Olivos, a sprawling olive forest covering 1.5 million hectares across southern Spain, is a candidate for 2024. This vast olive forest serves as an economic engine for 300 towns and embodies the heritage and culture of Andalusia. If approved, it will become Spain's 51st World Heritage site and the ninth in Andalusia, underlining the region's historical and cultural significance.

https://www.unesco.org/en/countries/es

ANDALUCIA FLAMENCO MUSEUM TO OPEN IN JEREZ

In 2024, Jerez de la Frontera is set to unveil the highly anticipated Andalucia Flamenco Museum.  Recognised as one of the primary strongholds of Flamenco, Jerez's cultural identity is intricately intertwined with the art of Flamenco, wine, and horses.

Hailed as a "first-class" cultural institution by the regional government, the museum will spotlight the city's rich Flamenco heritage, focusing on its preservation, documentation, and promotion of its extraordinary historical and heritage value that symbolises Andalucia's identity worldwide.

Flamenco, as an art form, has been acknowledged by UNESCO since November 2010.

https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/flamenco

SUSTAINABILITY

SEVILLE: EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF SMART TOURISM

Seville was awarded European Capital of Smart Tourism by the European Commission in 2023, solidifying its position as a leading global tourism destination. This accolade recognises Seville's exceptional growth, its status as Spain's third most-visited city, and its commitment to innovative, sustainable tourism. 

Seville's winning theme, "Sharing is smart," highlights the city's dedication to innovation and sustainability through the sharing of experiences, spaces, and ideas. Following on from its robust programme of activities throughout 2023, the city will continue to progress its smart city initiatives to promote smarter and more energy efficient buildings and city environments, aligned with its long-term vision to become a climate neutral city in 2030.

Key examples include the pilot project #eCitySevilla, a public-private partnership initiative led by the Andalusian Regional Government, Seville City Council, the Cartuja Science and Technology Park (PCT Cartuja) and Endesa. This seeks to develop an open, digital, decarbonised and sustainable ecosystem city model on the island of La Cartuja by 2025. The Horizontes Sevilla Inteligente project is also under way, wherein the city has converted 264 public buildings into smart and energy-sustainable buildings (€5 million investment) and is working on state-of-the-art solutions to deal with high temperatures, in both public space and public buildings by the means of the LIFE WATERCOOL project.

smart-tourism-capital.ec.europa.eu 

SPORTS:

WORLD TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP HEADS TO MALAGA IN 2024

Malaga is to play host to the World Triathlon Championship Finals in 2024. This prestigious event, often referred to as the "crown jewel" of World Triathlon's championship series, sees top athletes travel to iconic cities around the globe to compete in biking, swimming and running races to accumulate the ranking points. Malaga will also serve as the ultimate showdown destination for Elite, U23, Junior, and Para triathletes.

The announcement that Malaga will host the Finals in 2024, not only solidifies the country's stature on the international triathlon scene but also showcases Malaga as a prime destination for sports enthusiasts and travellers, emphasising the city's growing importance as a global sporting hub.

https://malaga.triathlon.org/

AIR CONNECTIVITY

NEW FLIGHT ROUTES CONNECTING BIRMINGHAM AND ANDALUCIA

In 2024, Easy Jet will launch a new direct flight route connecting Malaga and Birmingham, making it easier for British tourists in the Midlands to visit one of Europe's most popular beach destinations and exciting culture hubs. The flight route will run twice weekly starting on 31 March 2024. Packages including flights, 23kg of luggage and transfers, are already available for customers looking to book a holiday to Malaga next year.

This comes after Ryanair launched its new 2023/2024 winter schedule with a new flight route connecting Birmingham with Andalucia's capital city, Seville, at the beginning of October 2023.

This route will enable more British tourists to visit Seville throughout the winter months, a city-break destination which experiences average winter temperatures between 10-20 degrees, and runs one of Spain's best Christmas markets from 25 November to 23 December 2023.

TWO MAJOR AVIATION CONFERENCES TO BE HOSTED IN ANDALUCIA

The CAPA Airline Leader Summit will be hosted in Granada on 7-8 March 2024 and Routes Europe will take place in Seville on 7-9 April 2025.

The 2024 edition of the CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Airlines in Transition is set to explore the ever-changing business models of airlines around the world, with deep dives into best practices for a sustainable future. Granada is home to Granada International Airport and plays an important role in the connectivity of the region, with over 90,000 passengers per month flying through the airport over this summer season (2023).

Routes Europe 2025 will be hosted by The Regional Ministry for Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Government of Andalucia. Seville's integrated vision, combining infrastructure, public and private initiatives, and international events, has led to Spain's third-largest city being recognised as a hub for tourism innovation. By hosting Routes Europe 2025, Seville will showcase the progressive projects already underway to decision makers from the region's leading and fastest-growing airlines.

HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS

COSTA DEL SOL EXPANDS LUXURY HOTEL OFFERING

With a multitude of accommodation options spanning apartments, campsites, hostels and paradors, and luxury boutique hotels both inland and on the coast, the Costa del Sol is perfectly suited to every type of traveller. Amidst the Costa del Sol's 2024 hotel developments, the area is expanding its luxury hotel offering aimed at more discerning travellers. This includes:

• W Marbella, a five-star luxury hotel near the Real Zaragoza Beach. It will offer 240 rooms, 140 of which will be residential, a spa with a beauty salon, a restaurant, swimming pools and five rooms with a surface area of 1,000 m² and a covered terrace for events.
• ME by Melia Hotel, a five-star luxury hotel in the historic centre of Malaga. The hotel will be located on the Calle Victoria, next to the Plaza de la Merced, with views of the sea and the impressive Alcazaba fortress. The hotel will offer a large convention centre and a gym, alongside 128 guest rooms. The rooftop will have a large, heated infinity pool with a sundeck, bar and restaurant, destined to offer an enviable rooftop experience in Malaga.

https://www.visitcostadelsol.com/

ENDS -

• Images available via Dropbox. Photo credit: Andalucia Tourism.
• For further information, visit: https://www.andalucia.org/en/home
• For any enquiries, please contact Lauren Clifton (lauren.clifton@wearelotus.co.uk)