LaLiga joins hands with Turespaña to promote Spanish tourism through football

In a landmark move, Indian fans will have the opportunity to dive into the heart of Spain's rich culture.

Spanish football league LaLiga, in collaboration with the Tourism Office of the Spanish Embassy (Turespaña) and Instituto Cervantes, announced last week an initiative at aiming at creating cultural and human connections between Spain and India, using football as a conduit. With a focus on enriching regional ties, the partnership strives to bring Indian fans closer to the richness of Spanish culture through innovative tools facilitating tourism connections, breaking language barriers, and providing immersive football experiences. LaLiga, committed to harnessing the transformative impact of the beautiful game, seeks to drive change beyond sports, acting as a catalyst for meaningful connections across football, business, social, and cultural spheres.

[Left To Right] Elena Perez-Villanueva Del Caz - Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Spain, Òscar Pujol - Director Instituto Cervantes in Delhi, Elisa Robles - Director, Turespaña and Aakriti Vohra - LALIGA Global Network Delegate, India (LaLiga)

Elisa Robles, Director of Turespaña, attended the event and expressed enthusiasm about the initiative, highlighting its potential to build bridges between Spain and India through football. She emphasized the universal language of football as a means to cultivate cultural understanding, providing Indian football fans with an opportunity to explore Spanish culture.

“Turespaña is thrilled to embark on this fantastic initiative alongside LALIGA and Instituto Cervantes. Our collaboration aims to create a bridge between Spain and India, using the universal language of football to foster cultural understanding. This alliance not only enriches the experience for Indian football fans, but also opens doors to explore the vibrant tapestry of Spanish culture, ultimately allowing the Indian travelers to truly explore and experience the beautiful destination that is Spain,” she said.

“LaLiga is not just a league; it's a cultural bridge, and we are excited to once again showcase 'The Power of our Fútbol' as a catalyst for positive change and meaningful connections in the Indian subcontinent,” she said.

At the sidelines of the event, Vohra also talked about queries from Hindustan Times over the current operations of LaLiga in the country, following the depature of Cachaza. ""Jose is very difficult to replace. I'm working harder than I used to! India still remains a strategic country for LaLiga. Currently, I'm overseeing LaLiga's operations in India. We have the Dubai office that also supports us," said Vohra.

When asked on whether there could be potential arrivals of LaLiga giants like Barcelona and Real Madrid for scouting programmes, Vohra stressed on LaLiga's ongoing pan-India program through football schools. "We have a pan-India programme through LaLiga football schools. One of our national team players, Kajol d'Souza, she plays for India and came from LaLiga schools. She is currently at the ESC Madrid Centre.

“It is on India to start generating talent that can be scouted. Our grassroots development programmes need to enhance We are on the journey. It is a long process. Once our grassroots grow, the clubs would come and scout,” she said.