Home

The Regime’s Promotion of Tourism Opposite the Social Reality

In 1959, the Spanish government ended its autarchic system to embark upon the Economic Stabilisation Plan, which would require IMF and OEEC approval. Its main goal was to restructure the Spanish economy and lower the high rate of inflation, leading to the implementation of a series of economic measures that would be followed by the Development Plans that gave rise to the occurrence of “developmentalism”.

Promoting the Regime

The Rambla of Flowers, Barcelona . Series Spain is Different. Spain’s National Tourist Board, 1958. Source: Collection of the Spanish Tourism Documentation Centre, Spanish Institute of Tourism: www.tourspain.es

In 1964, just a few years later, Spain celebrated 25 years of peace since the end of the Civil War, with the country finding itself on the cusp of a new era in which foreign tourism was front and centre owing to the propaganda programme created by Manuel Fraga as the Minister of Information and Tourism. Fraga was also the person who returned to and capitalised on the slogan Spain is Different.

The posters under this slogan would mark a new trend, both in formal appearance and in iconography, particularly in light of what had gone before. In terms of design, due largely to the work of José García Ochoa, special emphasis was placed on the photographic image, with photography playing a key role in highlighting the wealth and diversity of Spain, certifying the plethora of tourist motifs and vindicating “difference” as a key characterise that could be tapped into for tourist purposes.

Costa Brava. Spain Is Different series. Spain’s National Tourist Board, 1950. Source: Collection of the Spanish Tourism Documentation Centre, Spanish Institute of Tourism: www.tourspain.es.

Cudillero, Asturias. Spain Is Different series. Spain’s National Tourist Board, 1962. Source: Collection of the Spanish Tourism Documentation Centre, Spanish Institute of Tourism: www.tourspain.es.

Bullfighting in Chinchón, Madrid. Spain Is Different series. Spain’s National Tourist Board, 1964. Source: Collection of the Spanish Tourism Documentation Centre, Spanish Institute of Tourism: www.tourspain.es.

Estepa, Seville. Spain Is Different series. Spain’s National Tourist Board, 1962. Source: Collection of the Spanish Tourism Documentation Centre, Spanish Institute of Tourism: www.tourspain.es.

Cargando...

From Exile

España hoy, Paris: Ruedo Ibérico, 1963. Cover illustration by Antonio Saura. Holdings from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Documentation Centre (RESERVA 4746).

As the Franco regime celebrated 25 years of peace, the publishing house Ruedo Ibérico, from its Paris exile, became consolidated through its dissidence, setting forth a critical vision opposed to official interpretation.

españa hoy, Paris: Ruedo Ibérico, 1963, p. 63. Holdings from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Documentation Centre

Cargando...

GALICIA HOY, Buenos Aires: Ruedo Ibérico, 1966. Cover illustration by Luís Seoane. Holdings from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Documentation Centre (RESERVA 4172).

GALICIA HOY, Buenos Aires: Ruedo Ibérico, 1966. Ilustración by Luís Seoane, pp. 98–99. Holdings from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Documentation Centre.

GALICIA HOY, Buenos Aires: Ruedo Ibérico, 1966. Illustration by Raimundo Patiño, pp. 138–139. Holdings from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Documentation Centre.

Cargando...

Related Works

Opposing the promotional image of modernity and prosperity disseminated by the Franco regime, Estampa Popular works acted as counter-propaganda, revealing the social reality in which the local population lived and of which most tourists visiting the country were unaware. Joan Rabascall and Xavier Miserachs also worked along the same line with their series Spain Is Different and Costa Brava Show, respectively, employing irony to reflect the Spain of aperturismo (opening out) and the development of official campaigns.