Book surveys La Liga history, culture for Chinese readers

Turespana, the agency that promotes Spanish tourism, and the Spanish Football League (La Liga), recently unveiled the Chinese version of Welcome to La Liga at the Spanish embassy in Beijing.

The book introduces all aspects of La Liga, such as key clubs, players and matches, with photos, aiming to arouse Chinese visitors' interest in the country's football culture and tourism.

Maria Llinares, tourism counselor of the Spanish embassy in China, said in her speech Chinese fans of La Liga and Chinese who want to travel to Spain are mainly males between the ages 25 and 45. Many of them are well-educated, with higher incomes, and travel is a vital part of their leisure lives. Such fans of La Liga are potential travelers who are willing to visit Spain in the future.

All Chinese travel agencies have suspended the organization of group tours to outbound destinations since late January 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Turespana has shifted its promotion on Chinese social media to cultivate potential visitors. It has invited Chinese living in Spain to livestream at local scenic spots such as Barcelona's Casa Mila, designed by architect Antoni Gaudi, to present "on-site travel" via a mobile screen.