Barack Obama visits Seville as guest speaker at world tourism summit
The former US president spent the morning visiting the city, where his daughter Malia lived for a few months
The most eagerly awaited guest at the global summit of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) arrived in Seville at midnight.
Former US President Barack Obama spent the night at Hotel Alfonso XIII, drawing attention from local residents and the press. In 2016, a scheduled visit by Obama to the Andalusian capital was cancelled due to a shooting in Dallas.
The former US leader spent the morning on a private visit to the Reales Alcázares, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before returning to his hotel. Soon after 2pm, he left again for the convention center Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos, which is hosting the international event on April 3 and 4.
After meeting privately with around 50 summit attendees, Obama delivered an address that was not streamed on the WTTC website live feed.
After his speech, Obama was scheduled to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for around 20 minutes inside one of the center’s private rooms. It will be their second one-on-one after their meeting last year in Madrid.
Although this is Obama’s first trip to Seville, he has ties to the city because his daughter Malia lived there for a few months.
English version by Susana Urra.
