Editing Tourism in Spain (section)

== Cultural tourism, business tourism ==
{{See also|List of World Heritage Sites in Spain}}
[[Image:Guggenheim Bilbao 2008 1.jpg|thumb|177px|left|[[Guggenheim Museum Bilbao]].]]
[[File:Plaza Mayor de Madrid 06.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Plaza Mayor, Madrid|Plaza Mayor in Madrid]]]]
[[File:Cuenca - Catedral de Cuenca 01 2015-11-17.jpg|thumb|177px|The 12th century Cathedral in [[Cuenca, Spain|Cuenca]]]]

As a crossroads of several civilisations, Spain offers a number of historical cities and towns. Major destinations include Spain's two largest cities: [[Madrid]] and [[Barcelona]], which stand as two of the leading city destinations in Europe. Both offer a matchless number of attractions and their importance in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, sports and arts contribute to their status as two of the world's major global cities.
Fifteen Spanish cities have been declared [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage Cities]] by the [[UNESCO]]:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ciudadespatrimonio.org/presentaciondelgrupo/index.php|title=Ciudades Patrimonio de la Humanidad|access-date=9 June 2015}}</ref>
[[Alcalá de Henares]], [[Ávila, Spain|Ávila]], [[Baeza, Spain|Baeza]], [[Cáceres, Spain|Cáceres]], [[Córdoba, Spain|Córdoba]], [[Cuenca, Spain|Cuenca]], [[Ibiza (town)|Ibiza]], [[Mérida, Spain|Mérida]], [[Salamanca]], [[San Cristóbal de La Laguna]], [[Santiago de Compostela]], [[Segovia]], [[Tarragona]], [[Toledo, Spain|Toledo]] and [[Úbeda ]]. As of October 2016, Spain has 45 total sites inscribed on the list, third only to [[List of World Heritage Sites in Italy|Italy]] (51) and [[List of World Heritage Sites in China|China]] (50).<ref>[http://www.europapress.es/sociedad/noticia-cuales-son-bienes-espanoles-patrimonio-humanidad-20160820120932.html ¿Cuáles son los bienes españoles Patrimonio de la Humanidad?], [[Europa Press (news agency)|Europa Press]]</ref> Of these 45 sites, 40 are cultural, 3 are natural, and 2 are mixed (meeting both cultural and natural criteria), as determined by the organization's [[World Heritage Site#Selection criteria|selection criteria]].<ref name=spain>{{cite web |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/es/ |title=Spain – Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=17 September 2010}}</ref>
Other first-class destinations are [[Seville]], [[Granada]], [[Santander, Spain|Santander]], [[Oviedo]], [[Gijón]], [[Bilbao]] and [[San Sebastián]]. All of them with historical landmarks and a lively cultural agenda.

[[File:Σαγράδα Φαμίλια 2941.jpg|thumb|177px|[[Sagrada Família]] in Barcelona.]]

=== Student programs ===

Besides hosting some of the most renowned business schools in the world such as [[IE Business School]], [[ESADE]] or [[IESE Business School]], Spain is a popular destination for students from abroad. In particular, during the 2010–11 academic year Spain was the European country receiving the most [[Erasmus Programme]] students.<ref>[http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/11/28/inenglish/1354114165_335994.html Why Spain is Top for Erasmus students|In English|EL PAÍS]</ref>

=== Religion ===
{{See also|Holy Week in Spain}}
[[Image:Domingo de ramos astorga.jpg|thumb|220px|Holy Week in [[Astorga, Spain|Astorga]]]]
Spain is an important place for [[Catholicism]]. In fact, some of the holiest places for the Catholic Church are in Spain: city of [[Santiago de Compostela]] in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]] (North-West Spain), the third holiest place after the [[Vatican City]] in Rome and [[Jerusalem]]. It is also the terminus of the [[Way of Saint James]]. [[Santo Toribio de Liébana]], [[Cantabria]] (also in North Spain) is the fourth, followed by [[Caravaca de la Cruz]] at the South-East, (fifth holiest place). These places attract pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.
Religion also has found its artistic expression through the popular [[Holy Week]] processions, which become important in almost every town, [[Seville]] arguably holds some of the most elaborate [[Holy Week in Seville|processions for Holy Week]].<ref>Webster, Susan Verdi (1998). ''Art and Ritual in Golden-Age Spain: Sevillian Confraternities and the Processional Sculpture of Holy Week''. Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|978-0691048192}}</ref>

=== Festivals ===
{{See also|Fiestas of International Tourist Interest of Spain}}
[[Image:Encierro cuesta de Santo domingo.jpg|thumb|210px|left|The [[running of the bulls]] in [[Pamplona]]]]

Most festivals turn around patron saints, legends, local customs and folklore. Among the most singular ones stand out the [[Seville Fair]] (Feria de Abril in Spanish), the [[Romería de El Rocío]] in [[Almonte, Spain|Almonte]], [[Province of Huelva|Huelva]], the world-famous [[Festival of San Fermin]] in [[Pamplona]], the [[Falles]] in Valencia, the [[Tomatina]] in [[Buñol]], [[Valencian Community|Valencia]] and the [[Fiestas del Pilar]] in [[Zaragoza]].

The [[Carnival]] is also popular all over Spain, but especially in the [[Canary Islands]] ([[Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife]]) and [[Cádiz]]. 
There are renowned movie festivals all over the country, the most recognizable being the famous [[San Sebastián International Film Festival]], the [[Málaga Film Festival]], the [[Seminci]] ([[Valladolid]] International Film Festival), the Mostra de Valencia and the [[Sitges Film Festival]], the world's foremost international festival specializing in fantasy and horror movies. Music festivals includes the [[Sónar]], the [[Festival Internacional de Benicàssim|FIB]], the [[Festimad]], the [[Primavera Sound]], the [[Bilbao BBK Live]], the Monegros Desert Festival and the SOS 4.8 Festival.

Several cities have hosted international events: the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition, the [[1929 Barcelona International Exposition]], the [[1992 Summer Olympics]], all in Barcelona, the [[Seville Expo '92|Universal fair of 1992]] in Seville, the [[2007 America's Cup]] in Valencia, and the [[Expo 2008]] in [[Zaragoza]]. In addition, some Spanish cities have been or will be [[European Capital of Culture]]: Madrid in 1992; Santiago de Compostela in 2000, Salamanca in 2002, and San Sebastián in 2016.