HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY ANDALUCIA.COM!
On 17 April 2017, we at Andalucia.com are delighted to celebrate our 21st birthday. Back in 1996, Chris Chaplow was a true internet pioneer in setting up an online guide to the region. Last year we celebrated our 20th birthday with a full day of events and activities in the area around our head office in Estepona.
In the past year, Andalucia.com's English version has received over 11.6 million page views, with 5.2 million visitor sessions and 3.7 million users.
Our certified Alexa rank has risen to 28,155, meaning Andalucia.com is the 28,155th-most popular website in the world (there are more than 1 billion websites in total). We are proud to be currently ranked 4th in the most-visited Geographical Domain Websites in the world.
Here we offer you some celebratory remarks about the website from significant people in the website's history, and from key players around Andalucia.
21 Quotes for OUR 21ST Birthday
What makes Andalucia.com stand out from other websites about the region? We focus on writing for the international tourist, rather than simply selling the destination, which is more effective as a long-term strategy.
I would like to personally thank all our loyal web visitors, the team and contributors at Andalucia.com, and in particular the sponsors who continue to support this project. Here's to the next 21 years!"
Chris Chaplow, Co-founder and Director, Andalucia.com
Ana Manzano, Sales and Marketing, Andalucia.com
José Luque García, Director General, Fuertegroup Hotels
Although I still have so much more to learn about the region, my work writing and editing pages for Andalucia.com, as well as training work experience students in editorial skills, has taught me an enormous amount, as have Chris and Michelle, who are in part mentors to me, as well as colleagues and friends. Thank you Andalucia.com, and happy birthday!"
Fiona Flores Watson, Contributing Editor and Chief Blogger, Andalucia.com
Arturo del Pino Ruiz, Director, Alcazaba de Almería
Berta Gonzalez de Vega Dávila, Journalist El Mundo
In addition, as I became more involved with the website, so I understood its "family" approach to the region. This was not about selling, but informing a wider audience of the beauty of Andalucía and the benefits of living here. And so after 21 years, Andalucia.com is now a well-established semi-household name in Southern Spain, with followers from around the world."
Chris Wawn, Director, Andalucia.com
Annie Bennett - Spain Expert, Telegraph Travel
"I can't believe that it has been 21 years! I remember being fresh out of university, moving to the Costa del Sol, and joining this unknown company called Andalucia.com. It was a great opportunity for me to get involved in a company at such an early stage, and I thoroughly enjoyed working closely with Chris, meeting clients, building websites, and learning about hosting and domain names. No two days were ever the same, and I loved the integrity and grit with which Chris made sure that every project was finished to the highest standards.
The experience gave me a solid grounding to pursue my online advertising career in London two years later. I also loved the fact that I got to know Andalucia really well through visiting a wide variety of places, meeting different people, and just exploring the wonders of the region. Viva Andalucia y Viva Andalucia.com! Great memories made in a great company."
Mike Cartwright, Head of Ad Operations at Immediate Media, London
Gonzalo Del Río y Gonzalez-Gordon, Director, Gonzalez Byass
Isabel de la Rocha, GM, Casa Numero 7, Seville
"Recently I met some new residents who were delighted with help they'd received from Andalucia.com Forum members. They told me that they had saved money and, most importantly, had been guided away from the typical traps that newcomers can so easily fall into. Having followed the Forum for some years before moving to Spain, by using advice and information gathered from both the Andalucia.com Forum and the main Andalucia.com website, they planned their holidays and eventually found their dream home, all without any major hiccups. This success confirmed my own belief that Andalucia.com.really is a one-stop shop for help, information and advice - not only for Andalucia, but for Spain and beyond."
It is quite amazing how much information and help is available from the Forum members, who come from such a variety of backgrounds, and have so much life experience in general. Congratulations to Andalucia.com on 21 years of providing such an informative and helpful site."
'Benidorm' (aka Gordon), Andalucia.com Forum Guru
Saskia Kristina Biguzzi Mier, Writer, Andalucia.com
"I am proud to have been a member of the Andalucia.com Forum for many of those 21 years. One thing that has stood out over that time is the wealth of knowledge offered by its members and their willingness to share that knowledge with other members. Someone is always able to come up with an answer to every question asked. Here's to another 21 years!"
'Beachcomber', Andalucia.com Forum Moderator
Tony Bryant, Flamenco Author & Journalist
"Congratulations on the 21st anniversary of Andalucia.com, you've come a long way since the site was set up. It's not always been an easy path, but you have both worked hard to make it an invaluable resource both for newcomers to the region and for long-term residents like myself. Here's to the next 21 years! "
Joe Cooper, British Honorary Consul in Seville
Andreea Gherasim, Tax Consultant, Price Waterhouse Copper
"The stated objective of the Andalucia.com Forum is "Sharing information and discussions about Andalusia." I have been a member for over 10 years and can categorically state that it continues to achieve those objectives successfully. Most of the active members either live in Andalusia or visit frequently, and between them they have a wide knowledge and experience of all things relating to Andalucia and Spain in general. That knowledge is especially useful to new members, who often struggle initially with such a change in their environment."
'El Cid', Andalucia.com Forum Moderator
Sarah Gatward, Web development, Andalucia.com
""When I first started going to Andalucia 15 years ago, I always visited andalucia.com to get information on areas I wanted to see. So it has been a pleasure to write regular wildflower profiles to help others who visit their site. Here's to the next 21 years"
Tony Hall, Manager, Arboretum and Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Fernando Gallardo, Journalist and hotel critic El Pais, Keynote speaker, Founder of Hoteles Con Encanto, and Founder and CEO of Notodohoteles.com.
"Andalucia.com is like our baby, the birth was a dream, we have cared for her throughout her childhood and the challenging teenage years that coincided with the recession in Spain. Now she is a fully-fledged adult, an authoritative guide to the region, continually nurtured and encouraged, and with so many plans for the future."
Michelle Chaplow, Co-founder and Director, Andalucia.com