05.11.18 News Catalonia looks inland
Catalonia (EU400) is using this year’s WTM London to boost visitor numbers to the non-coastal parts of the region.
“About 90% of tourists stay on the coast of Catalonia, with only 10% travelling inland. We need to redress this balance – to encourage visitors to travel beyond the beach and explore the rest of our beautiful region,” said Aicard Guinovart, director UK and Ireland at Catalan Tourist Board. Catalan Tourist Board will also promote its Year of Cultural Tourism 2019, including the launch of six tourism products and six cultural routes, developed to explore Catalonia’s art and gastronomy, as well as its medieval and Roman heritage, ranging from the Mediterranean coastline to the Pyrenees in the far north. The tourist board’s current tourism marketing strategy, which runs from 2018 to 2022, is focused on encouraging greater “regional dispersal” of holidaymakers, increasing visitor spending and
IRONMAN FOCUS Sport tops Bahrain agenda
Sporting events are at the forefront of Bahrain’s promotional events during WTM London with leading cyclist Vincenzo Nibali attending the show to promote the Ironman championship. The Italian, who rides for UCI World Team Bahrain-Merida, will be on the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) stand (ME650) today to talk about the Ironman triathlon taking place in the Gulf state on December 8.
Promoting sport has been a key part of Bahrain’s marketing efforts over the past decade – the kingdom became the first Middle Eastern country to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2004 and next year’s race
Bahrain will host the Ironman triathlon
will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit, March 29-31. The tourist authority is looking to improve the quality of tourist services by launching a training programme for 100 tour guides in September. Hesham Al Sake, director of facilities and tourism services at BTEA, said: “The training programme comes as part of the BTEA’s strategy to develop the kingdom’s tourism, shifting this vibrant sector to be one of the main contributors to the national economy. “We aim to increase the number of tour guides in the kingdom to 200 to meet market needs. By having well-qualified tour guides, we aim to further promote the kingdom as the ideal tourist destination,” he added. Bahrain is seeing significant hotel development with the opening of a beach at the Four Seasons Bahrain Bay in the capital Manama, while the all-suite Merchant House Hotel, part of Campbell Gray Hotels, is located next to the city’s Bab al-Bahrain souk.
Germany’s tourist offi ce will focus on lesser-known cities such as Magdeburg CITY DESTINATIONS Germany shifts attention
Promoting the attractions of Germany’s (EU1442) smaller cities will be one of the goals of the country’s tourist office in 2019. The Germany’s Summer Cities campaign has already included a consumer pop-up event in London this autumn, highlighting historic but lesser-known destinations such as Trier, Magdeburg and Mannheim. Beatrix Haun, UK and Ireland director of the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), said: “It’s easy to see why Germany’s big cities are so popular, but there are so many undiscovered jewels.
From Hanseatic cities in the north to the cultural hotspots in the east, Germany’s cities can be explored by the story they tell.
“Germany’s smaller cities are teeming with different and surprising travel possibilities and it is this we want to promote.”
Other campaigns for next year will include events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the iconic Bauhaus school of design, as well as a focus on Germany’s nature, national parks and biosphere reserves, plus its palaces, castles, parks and gardens.
05.11.2018 09 Singer Steve Smith tours Catalonia in the promotional fi lm Route of Fate
attracting more arrivals during the low season.
As part of this drive, the tourist office plans to work with the travel trade to develop new cultural products and programmes to lesser-visited areas.
“This is important to deliver sustained economic benefit to businesses in the region,” said Guinovart.
Catalonia continues to be Spain’s most popular inbound
destination, despite the ongoing dispute over independence for the region, ahead of the Balearic and Canary islands, which rank second and third respectively for international arrivals.
Last year, the region welcomed 19 million international visitors – up by 5% on the previous year, even though there was a dip in the final three months of 2017 following the independence crisis. “The process of independence
has been ongoing in Catalonia for the past few years. From a tourism point of view, since 2012 we have had a year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals, both from the UK market and other international markets,” added Guinovart. During the first eight months of 2018, there were 13.4 million visitors to Catalonia – neighbouring France was the top inbound market with a 31% share, followed by the UK, which accounted for 11.4% of visitors. Although overall numbers to the region were down by 2.7% on the same period in 2017 compared with a fall of just 0.1% for Spain as a whole.
Catalan Tourist Board will also highlight the Route of Fate film at WTM London, featuring Australian singer-songwriter Steve Smith taking a tour of Catalonia to experience the region’s diverse culture. To promote the film, Smith will be giving a live musical performance on the Catalonia stand as part of WTM Festivals at 5pm tomorrow.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92
