Catalonia wants to move from focusing on more tourists to increasing the value of each visit. After around 20 million international tourists last year, the region will give greater priority to culture, gastronomy and local experiences – and Nordic travelers are being identified as a strategically important target group.
The new direction was presented by the Catalan Tourism Board at an industry event with representatives from, among others, Catalonia's tourism industry, the Spanish embassy and the Catalan government.
According to the presentation, Catalonia received around 20 million of Spain's total of 97 million international tourists last year. However, the strategy going forward is less about maximizing the number of visitors and more about the value that tourism creates.
The ambition is, among other things, to spread the economic effects of tourism to more industries and local communities.
The Nordic region is strategically important
The Nordic markets are particularly highlighted in the new strategy. According to the Catalan Tourism Board, the reason is that Nordic travelers tend to stay longer and travel for a larger part of the year.
This is in line with the ambition to spread tourism both geographically and across the seasons.
Barcelona will also serve as a gateway to the rest of Catalonia. The region wants to promote areas and experiences outside the city to a greater extent, from the Costa Brava and the wine regions to the Pyrenees.
Culture, architecture, gastronomy and wine are central parts of the initiative. The Catalan identity, with its own language, food culture and traditions like the human towers castellers, will also be given more space.
Catalan companies and destinations presented their offerings
Around ten companies and destinations participated in the presentations and showcased different parts of Catalonia's tourist offer.
Montserrat was presented as a cultural and pilgrimage destination about an hour from Barcelona. The more than thousand-year-old Benedictine monastery is known for, among other things, the Black Madonna and the Escolanía de Montserrat boys' choir.
Costa Brava Tourist Board highlighted the region's combination of nature, gastronomy and culture. The area stretches from the French border to Barcelona and has seven natural parks. During the presentation, it was also stated that the area has restaurants with a total of 20 Michelin stars. Salvador Dalí's connection to the region is another part of the tourist offer.
Catalina Travels presented its business as a DMC, Destination Management Company, with travel experiences throughout Catalonia. The company also uses its own interactive travel planning system.
Derby Hotels Collection is a family-owned hotel group with 22 hotels in Barcelona and Madrid. A characteristic of the business is that the hotels have their own art collections.
Torres Family presented its winery operations south of Barcelona and visitor experiences with a focus on wine tasting, local gastronomy and sustainability.
H10 Hotels is another family-owned hotel operator that participated. The group has 70 hotels internationally, of which 15 are in central locations in Barcelona.
MICE, theme parks and coastal tourism
Catalonia's range of meetings and events was also presented.
Olympic Congress Center on the Costa Brava has extensive conference facilities and a total of 793 hotel rooms. The facility was also said to be the first in Spain to receive Biosphere Tourism Business Certification.
PortAventura World, about an hour from Barcelona, combines holiday and conference activities. The resort has a large congress centre, six themed hotels and three theme parks, including Ferrari Land.
Salou Tourism presented the coastal destination south of Barcelona with a focus on families, sports tourism and senior travelers. The destination also highlighted its hotel range and sandy beaches.
Also participating at the event was a DMC with more than 30 years of experience in MICE and leisure travel in Spain. The company works with the premium segment and was stated to be the official ticket agent for football clubs such as FC Barcelona, among other things. The company's name is not disclosed in the documentation.
Major sporting events ahead
Catalonia also sees major international sporting events as part of the region's future attractiveness.
Among the upcoming events highlighted during the presentation are the Tour de France Grand Départ and the Ryder Cup 2031.
The overall ambition is to use Catalonia's wider offer to attract visitors who stay longer, travel during more parts of the year and spend within more parts of the local economy.
