Enjoy Madrid with free activities celebrating World Tourism Day
This is the week to visit Madrid. The city has organized free guided tours, distribution of promotional gifts and audiovisual guides to mark World Tourism Day on Thursday, September 27th. Madrid has been the perfect site for the World Tourism Organization’s headquarters (UNWTO) since 1976, as tourism is one of the city’s major industries, and a driving force behind economic, social and cultural development (it makes up 10% of the city’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and employs 9% of the workforce).
Activities
Special World Tourism Day visit: Philip II and Madrid: from Town to Court
Organized by Madrid Tourism Board on Thursday 27th (12 am and 6 pm in Spanish and English).
A special visit to learn about the numerous changes that underwent Madrid as a result of Philip II’s decision in 1561 finally to make the city the capital of the Spanish monarchy, the permanent residence of the Court and the central bodies of government.
Discover Madrid Programme of visits
Organized by Madrid City Council on Thursday, 27 September.
Meeting point. Madrid Tourism Center (Plaza Mayor 27). These visits are
1.Iglesias de Madrid (en español): 10:00 h.
2.Madrid´s Churches (en inglés): 10:00 h.
3.Madrid de los Austrias (en español): 16:00 h.
4.Walk through the Art in Madrid (en inglés): 16:00 h.
5.Las huellas de Don Quijote (en español e inglés). Visita teatralizada: 20:00 h.Punto de encuentro. Centro de Turismo de Madrid. Plaza Mayor, 27.
Distribution of promotional gifts
To celebrate World Tourism Day, Madrid City Council would like to offer visitors something to remember the event by. Throughout the day a team will be travelling round the city’s main tourist areas, presenting visitors with flowers specially designed for the occasion.
The distribution times will be 10 am-2 pm in the morning and 3 pm-7 pm in the afternoon and the distribution areas will be: Prado - Recoletos Route (around the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía museums; Plazas Cánovas del Castillo, Cibeles and Colón) and the central area: Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa and Plaza de Oriente.
esMADRIDtv practical audiovisual guides
Throughout the week, the Madrid Tourism Centre (Plaza Mayor, 27), the Colón Tourism Centre and the giant screen on the Plaza de Callao will be presenting 9 audiovisual guides entitled Advice to Visitors, produced by esMADRIDtv, the City of Madrid’s promotion channel for tourism, culture and entertainment.
Download the official guide here.
