According to data from the Santiago de Compostela Tourist Office, almost 263,000 pilgrims come to the city each year (in jubilee years, that number doubles to half a million). Of these, half are foreigners from across all continents. 85% are European, half of whom are Spanish, from every region, but mainly from Madrid, Andalusia and Catalonia. More than 90% go on foot, with the rest going by bicycle (9.6%, around 25,000 people), on horseback (326 people), and a small number in wheelchairs (71 in 2015). They all get their “compostela” or accreditation, for reaching their goal, which is issued by the Pilgrim’s Office. To get their certificate, pilgrims must travel the last 100 kilometres on foot or horse, or 200 kilometres by bike, and prove their achievement with the stamps that they receive for each stage, the only requirements needed to consider their journey complete.

This journey started in the Middle Ages, when the remains of St. James the Greater were discovered in the 9th century near the city. According to history and legend, this follower of Jesus preached in the land that we now know as Spain –a fact highlighted by scholars such as Beatus de Liébana– and then subsequently travelled to Palestine, where he was martyred, with his remains finally arriving in Galicia at the campus stellae, or field of the stars –whose name comes from the mysterious lights that attracted its discoverers– which, it is believed, gave ‘Compostela’ its name. When the Muslims invaded the peninsula, with the exception of the Kingdom of Asturias, the devotion to the Apostle quickly grew, and he was soon considered the patron saint of Spain.

Together with Rome and Jerusalem, Santiago became a great centre of Christian spirituality. The rise of pilgrimages, journeys with a sense of penance, the atonement for sin, fit with the medieval mindset in which spirituality was present in all areas of daily life. This was also in line with the concept of homo viator, human beings as “pilgrims” in earthly life, in transition to a spiritual and internal life that can only be attained by the cleansing of sin. So much so that forcing prisoners and criminals to go on the Camino de Santiago became a standard sentence in some European courts of the Middle Ages, although the pilgrimage was made by people of all social classes, including nobles, some of whom commissioned others to walk the route on their behalf.

These days the profile of the travellers is much more varied, and ranges from true pilgrims who more than anything are seeking an inner experience, to tourists, adventurers, and curious types, as well as every other possible combination. As a result, although participation in the Camino is free, there are many companies that offer all kinds of services –transport and storage of backpacks, suitcases and bicycles– and tourist packages that, in addition to walking sections, also include guided tours, airport, bus or train transfers, riding on horseback and even donkeys, hotels, gastronomy, etc.

And as was the case centuries ago, the Camino itself is an economic engine and cultural itinerary of the highest order, offering boundless artistic and natural riches. Although, in many cases, the routes leading to Santiago already existed before the discovery of the tomb of the Apostle, they prompted the entry and dissemination of cultural currents from the rest of Europe. After reaching its peak in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Camino went into decline, and it was not until the 1980’s that it started to regain its value, going on to become the huge phenomenon that it is today.

While the “French Route”, which crosses the Pyrenees through Roncesvalles, is the most popular route to reach Compostela from Europe, chosen by more than 66% of the pilgrims, there are more than a dozen routes throughout Spain. Virtually every region has its Jacobean route, many of which were forgotten and have been rediscovered thanks to the work of associations and scholars. In 2015, UNESCO expanded its ‘Heritage of Humanity’ classification, which the French Route had held since 1993, to include four other routes to the north of the country: the Coastal Route; the Inland Route of the Basque Country and La Rioja; the Liébana Route and the Camino Primitivo, which together total 1,500 kilometres.

At the same time, Spanish associations of friends on the Camino de Santiago –34 in total–, have studied, revived, and marked 12,000 kilometres of routes with yellow arrows, throughout Spain since the late 1980s, in addition to recruiting 700 volunteers known as “hospitaleros”, to work in around 40 free hostels, which were referred to in the past as “hospitales”. The pilgrims also have a further 400 places of paid accommodation managed by parishes, municipalities and other entities and institutions.

Spain is the third most popular tourist destination in the world in terms of revenue and for another year it has beaten its own record by exceeding 68 million visitors in 2015, three million more than the previous year. According to all of the analyses carried out, a factor that has benefited the sector is the situation of political instability from 2011 in Mediterranean destinations such as Tunisia, Egypt and Turkey. They all compete with Spain, which mainly receives European tourists: seven out of ten are British, French, German or Italian although, in relative terms, the increase in arrivals from the US and Asian countries is notable. According to Turespaña data, almost 80% of the total number came by air (half on a low-cost airline); a determining factor in this figure is that the Balearic and Canary Islands, for example, which are amongst the most touristic destinations in the world, are islands. As such, in 2015 all of the 46 airports in Spain registered more than 207 million passengers, 5.9% more than the previous year.

During 2015, eight out of ten visitors came to one of the 46 Spanish airports

Besides the two major Spanish airports, Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat, which between them accounted for 41.7% with 86.5 million, more than 101.7 million passengers –49.1% of the total– were counted in the 14 airports classified as “touristic”, coinciding with the most touristic destinations: the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca; the Valencian community, with Valencia and Alicante airports; Andalusia, with Málaga and Seville; the Canary Islands, with the airports of Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and La Palma; and Catalonia, with Girona and Reus airports.

They all underwent processes of improvement and enlargement in the 2000s in order to increase their capacity, closely linked to the growth in tourism, known as the Barajas Plan, Barcelona Plan, Levant Plan, Málaga Plan, Canary Islands Plan, etc. During this time, Ineco has provided its services to the Ministry of Development and Aena in the planning and execution of the activities. Since 2008 it has also been in charge of the Traffic Forecast Office, which plays a key role in airport planning. A few times a year, a team of engineers and technicians updates the forecasts, and this is carried out with a macroeconometric model called PISTA (Integrated Prognosis of Air Traffic Systems), also developed by Ineco, with a specific methodology based on the concept of a ‘network’ and independent models for the national and international segments, based on significant economic variables. Furthermore, in preparing the specific forecasts for each airport and for the short-medium-term, other factors are taken into account such as competition from other means of transport (mainly AVE), the existence of other airports in the area of influence, changes in offers from airlines (new destinations, greater frequency, new models of airplanes used, etc.), special events (sports competitions, summits, etc.) and others.

Since 2008, Ineco has also been in charge of the Traffic Forecast Office, which plays a key role in airport planning

Not only are volumes of passengers, operations and goods for each airport in the network forecast, but the design values (DHP, design hour passengers; and DHA, design hour aircraft) that are essential for adequate planning of the infrastructure are also considered, since they allow detection of the needs that airports will have and, furthermore, when it will be necessary to carry out the activities. The results of the traffic forecasts are used to prepare Aena’s business and investment plans, as well as to design commercial strategies in airports and, as such, they are very important.

Accommodation is a vital part of the experience of any tourist and it often affects the choice of the destination. Spain has 16,000 hotels, 14,000 rural tourism establishments, 150,000 holiday apartments and more than a thousand campsites, with offers that stand out due to their exquisiteness and originality. According to a recent study by the Trivago search engine, Spain, with 335 establishments, is the seventh country worldwide in terms of number of five star hotels, only surpassed by China, Turkey, Mexico, Italy, India and Greece. Luxury is a booming sector all around the world and accommodation in this category has found new ways to offer the absolute best to customers, including elements such as architecture, interior design, landscape and signature cuisine.

Michelin star hotels

Contemporary haute cuisine is one of the great features of the five star Spanish hotel sector. In fact, a significant number of restaurants distinguished with five Michelin stars are found in hotels: in Madrid, Ramón Freixa, in Hotel Único; DiverXo of David Muñoz, in the NH Collection Hotel; Santceloni of Óscar Velasco, in Hesperia; or Kabuki of Ricardo Sanz, in Hotel Wellington. In Barcelona, Abac hotel-restaurant of Jordi Cruz; the creative restaurant of Sergi Arola, in Hotel Arts; or that led by the team of the Chef Martín Berasategui (who has seven Michelin stars), in the new and exclusive Monument Hotel.

Spain has 16,000 hotels, 14,000 rural tourism establishments, 150,000 holiday apartments and more than a thousand campsites

This successful symbiosis between signature cuisine and the hotel sector also occurs in the Hard Rock Hotel in Ibiza: for around 1,500 euros per person a maximum of 12 diners can enjoy ‘Sublimotion’, an interactive and multisensorial gastronomic show designed by Chef Paco Roncero. In Sardón de Duero in Castilla­ León, there is the Abadía-La Retuerta gourmet hotel, under the leadership of Chef Andoni Adúriz, with its triple dining options.

Architecture and landscape

Another concept of luxury is that of the space and the environment: some establishments choose to offer the visitor their unique architecture as another element of the landscape, whether it is natural or urban. Examples of these include Marqués de Riscal hotel, designed by the architect Frank Gehry (architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao), surrounded by vineyards, or Hotel W in Barcelona, an ultramodern skyscraper in the form of a sail. Hotel Viura in Villabuena de Álava combines a modern building with historic surroundings. In other cases, it is the building itself that has a monumental value, such as Villapanés Palace in Seville; the former fortress that is home to Cap Rocat hotel in Mallorca; or the 96 Paradores Nacionales, 45 of which are located in castles, monasteries, palaces or historic sites.
At the other end of the spectrum there is the Spanish chain Room Mate, which has avant-garde interior design, new technologies –it provides free Wi-Fi and iPad hire, amongst other services– and, above all, central locations in each city. Aimed at a young urbanite public, it is present in Madrid, Barcelona, Oviedo, Granada, Málaga and Salamanca, as well as in Miami, New York, Mexico City, Florence, Amsterdam and Istanbul.
Ecology and luxury go hand-in-hand in the Vivood Landscape Hotel (Alicante), a ‘landscape hotel’ that combines its sustainable architecture integrated into the environment with exclusive services and activities in the natural setting. In Les Colls Pavilions (Girona), the guest sleeps in a glass cubicle without furniture in the middle of the forest; but those who prefer a desert landscape can opt for just as unusual accommodation such as Aire de Bardenas (Navarra), or Hotel Cueva, with its underground bedrooms, in the middle of the Monegros Desert (Aragon). Lastly, Hotel Consolación (Teruel), offers its avant-garde ‘kubes’ located next to the 14th century shrine that gives it its name, in a wooded oasis of pine, almond and olive trees.

The luxury of wellbeing

Although beauty, health and relaxation treatments are services that are traditionally available in hotels, the current trend is moving towards making them the number one feature of the establishment and the customer’s experience .This is the case for Sha Wellness in the Alicante town of Altea, or Jumeirah Port Soller in Mallorca, owned by the group that manages the famous Burj Al Arab in Dubai, which is, to date, the only seven star hotel in the world.

Glamping

Even the camping sector has an offer that goes beyond convetional, which ranges from establishments with services and facilities that are more typical of a luxury resort, such as Marjal Costa Blanca in Alicante –awarded as the best in Spain– to others that are part of the glamping trend, a portmanteau of glamour and camping: enjoy nature without abandoning comfort. There are many options: treehouses –Cabañas en los árboles, in Zeanuri; Basoa suites, in Navarra– Bedouin tents or Mongolian yurts –Casa de Laila or Cloud House, in Malaga; Refugio Mames, in Alicante or Lanzarote Retreats, in the Canaries–, bubbles for seeing the stars –Mil Estrelles, in Girona–, safari cabins, former railway carriages or gypsy wagons –Casa del Mundo, in Alicante; Vagón Rural, in Murcia– and even caves or huts with contemporary decoration and equipment: Braña La Code, in Asturias; or Casas Karen, in Cádiz.

In our first issue of 2016 we have made way for news articles and reports regarding major projects that are key to the future of Ineco and other companies from Spain. Both the study for the construction of a high-speed railway between New Delhi and Kolkata as well as the waste management contracts in Panama and Ecuador exemplify the headway made in overseas markets as a result of the years of training, work and rigour that Spanish engineering has brought to fruition in various infrastructure-related fields.

The value of these studies lies not only in their irrefutable technical and financial magnitude, but also –and almost more importantly– in the role they play in the socio-economic development of the countries where they are carried out in addition to the unique, exclusive experience that, having been designed for and applied to the Spanish market, is proving to yield excellent results in countries all around the world.

Although it was only a short time ago that we were strategizing how to export the technological capacity of the Spanish High-Speed Rail (AVE), we can now talk about some real-life examples. We are not only working in Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Turkey, but over the last few months, Ineco has also begun to carry out studies for the implementation of this sophisticated rail technology in both Egypt and India. We are backed by more than 30 years of experience –the first high-speed railway in Spain was inaugurated in 1992– a rail network spanning 3,100 kilometres and a series of challenges that we have successfully overcome. The work that we are carrying out in India is featured both on our front page and in an article including an interview with the managing director of the HSRC, the body responsible for the development and implementation of high-speed rail projects in this Asian country.

We are not only working in Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and Turkey, but over the last few months Ineco has also begun to carry out studies for the implementation of this sophisticated rail technology in both Egypt and India

Tourism and air transport are also activities that carry an important weight in Spain. This is apparent in the record seen by the tourism industry with a total of 68 million visitors in 2015, wherein eight out of ten tourists arrived to Spain via one of the 46 Spanish airports. We are grateful for the participation and opinions of the secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in an article covering this topic. The aviation section of this issue also features another article which addresses the technical challenges faced in the design of control towers. Finally, I should like to mention the pages that we have dedicated to the colossal engineering project that spanned the 155 kilometres of the Atlantic Axis, crossing over rugged Galician terrain: 37 tunnels and 32 viaducts highlight the enormity of this project that has now become a reality.

With these and other articles, as well as an updated design, I am certain that we are conveying the high quality standard of Spanish engineering to our clients and readers without neglecting, of course, to inform and entertain.

To what extent does improved transport infrastructure influence tourism demand?

Infrastructure not only related to transport, but also to electricity and water, amongst others, have a vital relationship with the quality of tourism of a country. The extent thereof is linked to access to the country and to the services that tourists who visit it can enjoy. As such, both investment in the development of new infrastructure and the maintenance of already existing infrastructure is a strong determinant of the competiveness of the tourism sector.

In Spain, 80% of international tourists travel by airplane. Does AVE have any opportunity to gain prominence?

Not only AVE, but also the whole Spanish rail network, which is of a high quality. This is particularly evident in terms of the diversification of demand throughout Spain and the promotion of segments such as sports and ski tourism or cultural and gastronomic tourism.

What is Spanish tourism’s strength?

It is difficult to highlight just one strength when there are so many that deserve to be mentioned. I think that the first point is the training and professionalism of the individuals and institutions within it. In Spain, these individuals and institutions are responsible for a tourist who visits Spain for the first time coming back again and again in the future. This is an achievement that few countries have managed. The work carried out in recent years to diversify traditional beach tourism in other segments such as rural or cultural tourism is also a milestone that deserves to be recognised.

What do you think we should invest in?

There is always room for improvement. In this regard, continuing to work on developing segments such as gastronomy or maintenance and integration of infrastructure to make the experience of tourists more comfortable are areas that deserve continuous attention.

Spanish tourism is strong thanks to the professionalism of individuals and institutions

Will we lose tourism when stability is recovered in the north of Africa and the Middle East?

It is very unfair to think that the development that Spanish tourism has experienced has anything to do with the potential crises that other destinations are experiencing. Spain has devoted itself to tourism, it has done its work well for various decades and, as such, it has obtained these notable results that improve every year. The recovery of the area would be good news for all and would not harm anyone in any way. The slogan of the tourism sector is: “what is good for my neighbour is good for me”.

Do you see Spain as an upmarket and even a luxury destination?

I see Spain as a top destination in many segments that are consolidated, such as luxury tourism, but also in more recently appearing segments such as shopping tourism.

Do you think it is feasible to put limits on mass tourism in order to avoid the degradation of destinations?

There is nothing that we could call mass tourism, only the arrival of many tourists and the inability to manage it. We must develop appropriate strategic tools that help to avoid decongestion in accordance with which areas and, of course, measures guarantee the protection and sustainability of the natural and cultural heritage, as well as making the sector profitable for the local populations.

Which new areas in the world do you think will gain outgoing as well as incoming tourism?

According to our Barometer, Europe continues to be the most visited region with a 5% increase. Asia and the countries of the Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East are growing at a rate of 4%. This reflects the fact that emerging countries have significant expectations to consider for the future. In fact, China is now the first country in terms of outbound tourists.