On the occasion of Paris Major 2025 Spanish Tourist Office once again took advantage of the event to promote Spain as a leading destination for padel holidays. Present at Roland-Garros, Maria Jose Gomez, director of the Spanish Tourist Office in Paris, returned to Padel Magazine on the ambitions of this approach.

Padel, a reflection of the Spanish way of life

“We immediately saw that padel suited our way of being. It’s friendly, fast-paced, easy to play, and it makes for great times. In our role of promoting Spanish tourism, we place particular importance on developing off-season tourism, and padel is an excellent way to contribute to this by inviting the French to come and discover it here.”, explains María José Gómez.

For the past two years, this initiative has been attracting a growing audience: “We noticed that there were more and more French people wanting to play padel in Spain. So we created links between travelers and local businesses, and today it’s a real success.”

María José Gómez: "Spain has become the number one destination for discovering padel with family or business" - Spanish Tourist Office

Padel tennis, an asset for business tourism

For the director, padel goes beyond the simple framework of leisure. “This year, we welcomed many more companies and agencies specializing in corporate and MICE events. The idea is that padel can start as a business experience and continue in a club, with good coaches, for a friendly sporting discovery.”

The top 3 reasons to choose Spain

According to María José Gómez, three factors explain Spain's appeal for padel training camps:

  1. The quality of the coaches and academies : "Spain has a long history in this sport and today boasts some of the best coaches, accessible at all levels."
  2. The ease of access and the variety of infrastructure : courts available in many clubs but also in hotels, allowing you to discover padel during classic holidays or seminars.
  3. The culture of conviviality : "What we call the post-padel, the famous third half. After the match, we get together for tapas. It's a natural extension of the game and it reflects our culture."

A sport to practice all year round

Beyond the sporting experience, the Spanish climate represents a major advantage: “Padel is ideal off-season. Unlike other sports, it can be played almost all year round, especially in destinations like the Canary Islands where conditions are excellent twelve months a year. This perfectly aligns with our strategy of ensuring the continuity of sports tourism.”

A dynamic that is set to strengthen

With rapidly expanding infrastructure, an ever-increasing range of training opportunities and growing enthusiasm from the French public, Spain confirms its role as a leader in padel tourism. "The success of these matches proves that Spain will continue to promote this sport. Padel is more than just a sport; it's an experience of sharing and cultural discovery.", concludes María José Gómez.