Today, the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella, presented the revamped version of esMADRID.com (www.esmadrid.com), the best online introduction to Madrid. The official tourism website for the Spanish capital ?is a permanent and up-to-date window open to the world, enhancing the promotion, attention and services Madrid offers its visitors so that the positive performance in the numbers of tourists to Madrid this year may not only continue, but also increase,? stated Botella. At the event she was accompanied by Pedro Corral, councillor for the Arts, Sports and Tourism Department, and by Alberto Merchante, the managing director of the local authority-owned company Madrid Destino.

The new version of the website, which was first launched in 2004 and is managed by Madrid Destino, boasts a fresh, clear and intuitive design and an innovative content structure providing greater visibility to the tourist attractions of Madrid. In line with the latest trends and technological advances, it is an indispensable tool that has evolved into the best vehicle for promoting the Spanish capital nationally and internationally.

Info for every step of your journey
esMADRID.com is now divided into four sections, Discover Madrid, Things to do, What?s on and Plan your trip. It features useful information adapted to satisfy the needs of all types of visitors who can use the website to plan their trip or consult it during their stay in the city.

Ana Botella stressed that there is ?Information to meet the needs of all kinds of visitors among the millions that visit Madrid each year: from tourists travelling with their family to those interested in Madrid?s Premium attractions. All visitors will find information of interest on this website for every step of their journey?.

The new website contains information about 4,500 tourist resources, including hotels, restaurants, sport, shopping, places of interest, and parks and gardens, as well as a complete guide to what?s on, with over 6,000 cultural and entertainment events each year.

International character
Madrid?s official tourism website is now even more international, with versions available in nine languages: Spanish, English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese and Chinese. German, Italian and Portuguese are the three new languages that have been added to the six existing ones to further promote the image of the Spanish capital in target markets.

Official tourism products and hotel and restaurant bookings
One of the big advantages of this new website is the possibility it offers to purchase tourism products, as it enables visitors to buy the services that are most in demand, such as the Madrid Card tourist pass, the Madrid City Tour bus ticket, the Bernabéu Stadium tour, and tickets for shows.

In addition, thanks to an agreement with El Tenedor and restaurantes.com, it will soon be possible to book a table at most of the capital?s eating establishments. This facility will also shortly be extended to hotels once the evaluation of various potential platforms, which is being conducted in collaboration with Madrid Hotel Business Association (AEHM), has been completed.

Another of the notable innovations on the website is its virtual assistant, a chat service staffed by tourist information providers who speak several languages. ?This channel provides almost instantaneous communication between tourism experts and visitors, wherever they might be,? the mayor explained. She also mentioned the powerful search tool on the new website, which uses a predictive system based on registered searches, a planner allowing users to organise their trip according to their preferences, and a geo positioning system for Madrid?s tourist resources.

Mobile friendly
This version of esMADRID.com adapts to any mobile device and is completely integrated into social media networks, allowing followers of Madrid on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to stay informed at all times.

Top tourist destination
Ana Botella reminds us that ?Madrid still tops the table for Spanish tourism, since it is the most visited urban destination in Spain. In the first months of 2014, 5.4 million visitors to the capital were recorded, 12.3% more than for the same period in the previous year?. This growth has been accompanied by an increase in hotel occupation. More than 10.6 million tourists, 12.4% more, stayed in the city between January and August this year.

?Madrid has established itself not only as the best destination for leisure tourism, but also as an important location for business meetings. The city of Madrid is ranked second in the world and first in Spain for conference tourism,? Botella stated.