- The Regional Tourism Authority is seeking to position Madrid as the destination of choice for Chinese tourists through a series of campaigns under the slogan ‘More than 88 hours in Madrid’.
- The capital is being promoted on the social media platform Mafengwo with a branding campaign expected to reach nearly 2 million impressions.
- A campaign has also been launched across three online travel agencies in China to increase the length of stay and average spend in Madrid.
- China is the eighth-largest source market for international tourism to the capital, with 99,710 visitors in the first half of 2026.
- Asian tourism helps to spread visitor numbers throughout the year, promotes employment stability in the sector and reinforces the model of quality tourism.
Madrid City Council is promoting the capital as a preferred tourist destination for Chinese travellers during ‘Golden Week’, the holiday period celebrated in China between 1 and 7 October, which accounts for a significant proportion of the country’s long-haul international travel. With this aim in mind, the Department of Tourism has launched several campaigns this summer under the slogan ‘+ 88 hours in Madrid’, a phrase that plays on the symbolic value of the number eight in Chinese culture – associated with prosperity – and encourages visitors to extend their stay in the city beyond three and a half days.
The Councillor for Tourism emphasised that “this Asian market helps us to spread tourist activity more evenly throughout the year, which translates into stable employment for the sector and a strengthening of Madrid’s model of quality tourism”.
The strategy aims to reach travellers at different stages of their journey, from inspiration and information-seeking right through to booking, and focuses on Madrid’s cultural, gastronomic and experiential offerings. As the Councillor for Tourism, Almudena Maíllo, points out, “China is a market with its own digital ecosystem, and the City Council is working on these platforms to offer a highly attractive experience to these audiences”.
Campaigns on Mafengwo and major booking platforms
Madrid has launched a branding campaign on Mafengwo, one of China’s leading platforms for travel inspiration and planning. This digital community, with a predominantly young audience, is fuelled by user-generated content, featuring millions of travel guides and reviews, and also allows users to book flights and hotels and manage visas. The campaign, with an expected reach of around 2 million impressions, aims to attract potential travellers to Madrid’s official profile on the platform and convert their interest in the destination into bookings.
The Regional Tourism Authority is also running a conversion campaign with Ctrip, Fliggy and Hotelbeds. Specific sections dedicated to Madrid have been set up on these companies’ platforms, featuring information about the city and the option to book flights, accommodation and experiences. The campaign will be complemented by the sending of newsletters and the publication of banners. In addition to these initiatives, there is another campaign with Petal Ads, which channels bookings through the online agency Tongcheng Travel. All of these initiatives have a dual objective: to extend the average length of stay and to increase travellers’ spending in Madrid.
Similar campaigns were run last year, coinciding with a 22.7 per cent increase in overnight stays by Chinese travellers in October and a 21.4 per cent rise in visitor numbers compared with the same month in 2024.
China, the eighth-largest source market for international tourism
China is the eighth-largest source market for international tourism to Madrid. In the first half of 2026, the capital welcomed 99,710 travellers from China – 1.7 per cent more than in the same period the previous year – who generated 198,962 overnight stays, up 0.5 per cent, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE).
This long-haul market is also characterised by a high level of spending whilst at the destination. Last year, Chinese visitors spent a total of 155 million euros, with an average spend per person of over 901 euros and an average daily spend of 220.96 euros. Furthermore, Chinese travellers recorded the highest average spend per tax-free purchase, at 1,137 euros.
Source: Press Office MADRID CITY TOURISM