LONG known to be a tourist haven, Spain has found its niche in the economic realm with the government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Right after celebrating New Year at the heart of Madrid with massive fireworks for a very grateful tourism and consumer spending turnout in 2007 as well as a vibrant credit industry here as compared to the United States, Zapatero started the year right with lots of forging stronger ties with other countries. The recent one is meeting with Peruvian President Alan Garcia Perez. Of course, the two countries share history together as Peru was a former colony of Spain. Now, the relationship between the two countries is cemented with the signing of several economic agreements which are advantageous to both.

Repsol YPF SA, a joint Spanish-Argentine oil venture, has recently found massive oil deposits in Peru which can sustainably supply the country for 40 years. This discovery has a very big good impact on the Spanish economy as we inherit the revenues coming from Repsol YPF SA when our Peruvian brothers and sisters buy oil from them. Although it takes millions of dollars in capital to invest in Peru, this investment is really worth it. That is one of the good news pieces that Garcia has reported in his meeting with Zapatero. Remember that what Repsol YPF SA has found is a total of three trillion cubic feet of oil deposits. Isn’t that amazing?

Of course, Zapatero’s government is likewise busy preparing for reelection on January 9 but even the opposition bloc here in Spain has admired Zapatero’s indefatigability in dealing with other heads of state to secure deals advantageous to the country. Already, Zapatero is compared to French President Nicholas Sarkozy who is also equally indefatigable in meeting with various heads of state since the start of 2008. But even the opposition bloc in Spain admits that Zapatero has used public money for public welfare unlike his French counterpart who has mixed his political soirees with personal ones and is often seen dating model Carla Bruni in elaborate and exotic locales as the Disneyland resort in Paris as well as Jordan and Egypt.

Just last Friday, the 23rd Portugal-Spain summit was inaugurated with Zapatero himself shaking hands with his Portuguese counterpart Jose Socrates. This is a very relevant yearly summit as Spain and Portugal has to work together in all aspects of governance because they are neighbors and they are located in only one peninsula – the Iberian Peninsula. The Iberian Peninsula is located side by side with the Mediterranean and numerous English tourists troop there depending on where they like – in Spanish or Portuguese territory. Besides, Spain and Portugal have both maintained healthy competition since 500 years ago, sponsoring expeditions to the New World and beyond. This year, they have to abandon competition at least on the economic side to band together for a credit crunch that has threatened to envelop Europe like a menacing dark cloud you only see in sci-fi comics. And Zapatero is there not to make it happen.

SPAIN is one hot destination for avid tourists worldwide this year and especially during summer as there will surely be a lot of festivals here, Spain being a predominantly Catholic country. The earliest feast will be the commemoration of the Sto. Niño celebration which happens the next Sunday after Epiphany. Statuettes and images of the Child Jesus will be paraded around key streets in various cities and towns in Spain as a religious procession starting and ending up at their respective parishes. If you want to go to the most religious place in Spain, then hike up to the northern end of the country to Mt. Garabandal as this was the site of a reported Virgin Mary apparition in the past four decades or so.

Or if what you want is a life in partying, then gear up your wheels and go to any of the islands in either the Balearic or the Canary archipelagoes. And I really meant it when I said gear up your wheels. There are lots of ferry trips going to Ibiza or Palma de Mallorca every day from mainland Spain or in the case of the Canary islands of Tenerife and Las Palmas Gran Canaria off the coast of the Horn of Africa, there are also ferry trips coming in from mainland Spain although because of its farthiness from the Iberian Peninsula, you will need to have an overnight stay at these ships. However, excellent Mediterranean meals are on board and there are theaters and hip joints for your pleasure while your car is being garaged belowdeck. Some of the favorite servings include grilled baby squid, lamb cooked in various forms, mussels, goat cheese, clams, Mediterranean fish stew, grilled salmon, grilled pork tenderloin, braised lamb shank, among others.

There are lots of things to look forward to in Spain this year especially in the city of Valencia which is gearing up in preparation for next year’s America’s Cup which will be having a stopover here. Other destinations worth savoring this summer are the nudist beaches springing everywhere in the Mediterranean coastline of Spain. If you want to have an evening of skinny dipping on a moonless night where no one else will bother looking at you, then do it at a nudist beach and you will see glowing planktons illuminating your body. Just make sure not to stray far because these beaches aren’t usually patrolled by lifeguards or the Guardia Civil.

Another destination to look forward seeing this year is Salamanca. Salamanca will be portrayed in a major Hollywood thriller which will be released this year and starring no less than Lost’s Matthew Fox as the villain. Oh, it talks about a botched assassination of the US President in an international meeting of heads of state in Salamanca so you bet this movie will really be doing good in Spain. If you are not yet contented with that, then there are lots of real life international conferences in Spain this year, the earliest of which is the World Congress on Mobile Telephone Systems to be held in Barcelona this March.