Stateside summit

Palomares nuclear accident in Almeria. The meeting comes at a significant moment in relations for the two countries after Spain recently agreed to a migration deal with the US, meaning that it will welcome refugees from several South and Central American countries to help the US deal with its border crisis.

Spain and Canada have both agreed to house processing centres for refugees to submit asylum applications. Other topics on the agenda included the conflict in Ukraine, climate change, EU and US relations and global democracy.

Before meeting with the President, Sánchez first headed to the Spanish Ambassador’s residence where authorities held a ceremony in honour of the former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

Business travel boom

SPAIN’S corporate travel industry has experienced a remarkable surge according to a report released on Friday, May 12, doubling its revenue in 2022 and setting its sights on surpassing pre­pandemic figures in 2023.

The barometer report by Braintrust for the Spain Convention Bureau estimates a revenue total of more than €12.1 billion for 2023.

The report found that more than 80 per cent of business meetings are expected to return to in­person formats during 2023, with the country’s meeting spaces projected to have an average annual occupancy rate of more than 75 per cent.

The report also found that the average daily spending per business traveller reached €335 in 2022, surpassing the 2019 figure of €319.