The Madrid City Council has just been recognized with two awards from Virtuoso, the global network specialized in luxury travel. The Delegated Tourism Area has received the Virtuoso’s Most Engaged Partner Continental Europe award during its continental Europe forum, which took place from March 19 to 21 in Lucerne (Switzerland) and the Virtuoso’s Most Engaged Partner Greater China award, at its regional meeting held in Shanghai (China) on March 11 and 12.
This double recognition is the result of a strategy initiated following the institutional trip to New York by the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, in 2022, where relations were strengthened with the global network of high-end tourism professionals Virtuoso, which brings together over 22,000 travel advisors in 1,100 locations in more than 50 countries, with a strong presence in the United States. A strategic market for Madrid that has become the top international tourism emitter to the capital.
The Delegate Councilor for Tourism, Almudena Maíllo, has valued this double recognition as «a demonstration of Madrid’s commitment to a tourism model based on excellence, sustainability, and quality.» According to Maíllo, «being an active part of the Virtuoso network has allowed us to position Madrid as a leading destination for high-impact tourism, generating economic impact and greater well-being for the city.»
In the European edition of the Virtuoso awards, which were in their first edition, Madrid prevailed over the other nominees: Belmond Trains, Crystal, IC Bellagio Italy, and Intercontinental Phuket Resort. In the case of the regional awards for China (second edition) and North and Southeast Asia (first edition), the capital shared the award in its category with Charlotte Travel and JTB Corp. Global Assistance.
Maíllo also emphasized that «these awards encourage us to continue working to consolidate Madrid as a city that offers unique, authentic experiences and meets the expectations of the world’s most demanding travelers.» The awards also demonstrate the dedication and work carried out by Madrid as a member of Virtuoso. A collaboration that, for example, successfully hosted the Virtuoso Latin America and Caribbean Forum 2024 in the capital, which took place outside its original region for the first time.
Boosting High-Impact Tourism with Virtuoso
The strategic alliance with Virtuoso promotes high-impact tourism in the capital, in line with Madrid City Council’s quality tourism model. According to a report prepared by the network, the number of Virtuoso travelers choosing Madrid as a destination has increased by 88% since 2019. The spending of these visitors is 3.9 times higher than the average. Virtuoso has had an economic impact on Madrid of 184.3 million euros.
Last year, these travelers recorded 73,000 room nights, 21% more than in 2023, with an economic value of 64.8 million euros. Nearly 30% of overnight stays are in hotels not part of the network, accounting for 15.4% of total bookings. The average stay was 3.1 nights.
As part of this strategy of excellence tourism, Madrid has recently launched the Madrid Unique Destination high-impact tourism product club, a platform to continue positioning the city in international channels and facilitate collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Regarding trends for this segment, the Virtuoso’s Luxury Travel Trend Watch: 2025 report reveals the importance travelers place on well-being and experiences that include tailored plans based on their mood. It also highlights the growing interest in solo travel by women, the search for spontaneous and fun proposals and activities, the practice of racket sports on vacation, or the need to document their trips to be the protagonists of their own documentaries. The study also points out the relevance of multigenerational tourism, noting that this year seven generations will travel simultaneously for the first time in human history.
