German Porras gets started as Spain’s tourism secretary

The Spanish Council of Ministers appointed German Porras as the country’s new secretary of tourism to replace Juan Jose Guemes. Mr. Guemes resigned earlier this week to run as a full-time candidate for he Popular Party’s office in Madrid now headed by Esperanza Aguirre.

Mr. Porras belongs to the corps of state civil administrators and has served several stints in tourism management, including Chief of the Spanish Tourism Office in London, Director General of Tourism and Head of Turespaña since 2002.

Since June 16, 2001, Mr. Porras was elected to serve a three-year term as head of the European Tourism Commission, an institution dealing with cooperation in tourism promotion between Europe and major markets in other continents.

The news of Mr. Porras’ designation to head the Tourism Department soon sent a favorable ripple effect all over the Spanish leisure industry.