Meet the Spanish icon celebrating its 40th anniversary

Spain has long been a top holiday destination for Britons and this year the Mediterranean country celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Turespana logo, The Miró Sun.

Commissioned in 1983 by Ignacio Vasallo, general director of Turespana, the Spanish tourism agency, the logo was created by Barcelona-based artist Joan Miró.

The artist, renowned for his abstract style using primary colours, insisted on creating it free of charge for his king and country. Taking inspiration from two existing works, he combined the star and sun from a poster he made in 1967 for a tribute exhibition to Picasso with the word "Spain", taken from a poster he designed to represent Spain in the 1982 World Cup.

One of a kind

As the first work of art to be used as a logo to identify a country, Miró’s sun represents Spain’s values and its many highlights.

First launched in 1984 with the advertising campaign "Spain. Everything under the sun", the logo has been used ever since by Turespana in all of its international campaigns.

It symbolises what makes Spain a must-visit destination far beyond its warm and sunny climate; its art, creativity, hospitality, gastronomy, cheerful people, culture and resourcefulness. Over the years, Spain has used the logo in different campaigns to promote these values, thanks to which it has become the fourth most-visited destination in the world.

Now welcoming more than 80 million visitors a year, many repeating time after time, Spain is popular for its pleasant weather, unique way of life as well as its diverse art, culture and nature.