The mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz, leads an institutional mission to Montreal to negotiate a direct air connection with Canada and meet with tech and hotel companies.
Seville wants to add Canada to its map of direct destinations. Mayor José Luis Sanz will travel next week to Montreal at the head of a municipal delegation with the aim of negotiating a direct flight between the Andalusian capital and the Canadian city. The mission, which includes meetings with airlines and tech companies, also seeks to attract investment and luxury tourism.
The delegation, which will also include the Tourism and Culture delegate, Angie Moreno, has a busy agenda of meetings planned. The first focus will be on air connectivity: the City Council wants to explore new routes linking Seville airport with Canada, a market considered key due to its high purchasing power and interest in southern Europe.
More than tourism: technology and luxury hotels
But the trip will not be limited to discussing planes. The Seville delegation will meet with companies from the Canadian tech sector, one of the most dynamic in the country. The aim is to attract investment and technological development to Seville, according to municipal sources. A meeting is also planned with the Four Seasons hotel chain, a Canadian company that is finalising the opening of its first establishment in Andalusia, right in Plaza Nueva in Seville.
“This commercial mission responds to a very clear strategy: to go out and seek opportunities for Seville, attract investment, generate employment, and continue consolidating our city as one of the major economic, technological, and tourist capitals of southern Europe,” stated José Luis Sanz.
“Canada represents a market with enormous potential for Seville. We want to strengthen our economic and institutional relationships, open new avenues of collaboration with leading companies, and continue advancing so that Seville has more international connections.”
The focus on premium tourism is a constant in the local government's strategy. The arrival of Four Seasons to Plaza Nueva is, for Sanz, proof that Seville has become an attractive destination for major international brands. “We want to take advantage of this trip to continue generating new opportunities that drive economic growth and the international projection of Seville,” added the mayor.
A growing North American market
Canada is not a new target for Seville airport. The outgoing airport director, Sergio Millanes, already pointed out weeks ago that North America was one of the priorities for expanding long-haul connections. Currently, Seville airport lacks direct flights to Canada, although it does offer connections to the United States and Istanbul.
For the Seville traveller, the arrival of a direct flight to Montreal would mean a considerable time saving and would open a direct door to one of the most stable markets in North America. Moreover, Canadian tourists are among the highest spenders per visit in Spain, according to sector data, which aligns with the municipal strategy of attracting quality tourism.
The mission will last several days, and the City Council expects to close collaboration agreements with Canadian entities. An immediate announcement of the route is not expected, but municipal sources are confident that the discussions will bear fruit in the medium term. Meanwhile, the mayor has already made it clear that his team will continue “fighting” for new connections that place Seville on the global map.
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