Promotional initiatives

50 Russian travel agents and 16 international journalists visit the Girona area on theme-based familiarisation trips.

Thanks to the contacts made at the MITT fair in Moscow by the Catalan Tourism Agency, the Patronat de Turisme and Lloret Turisme, the top 50 salespeople of Natalie Tours, the Russian tour operator, visited the Costa Brava on a five-day familiarisation and incentive trip.

During their stay in the area, organised as a tailor-made familiarisation programme, the travel agents visited Lloret de Mar (the Costa Brava's top destination in terms of the number of Russian tourists), Girona, Besalú, Figueres, Tossa de Mar and Palamós. The promotional initiative was aimed at publicising the attractions and tourism offer of the Costa Brava destination beyond sun and sand. As such, the programme incorporated visits of cultural and gastronomic interest, along with nature and nightlife activities.

In addition to this familiarisation trip aimed at the Russian market, a specific familiarisation trip was organised for the French tour operator Nomade Aventure, dedicated to active tourism.

Moreover, three theme-based press trips also took place this month for a total of 16 international journalists from the Benelux countries, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Austria, Germany and France. For three days, a group of four Scandinavian journalists visited a number of destinations and sustainable tourism establishments in the area, while at the same time a group of five golf journalists from several European countries visited golf clubs and courses on the Costa Brava. Finally, a press trip was made by a group of Flemish journalists focusing on the Jewish quarters of towns and cities in Catalonia, which included visits to Besalú, Castelló d’Empúries and Girona.

The press and familiarisation trips scheduled over the coming months will focus on showcasing the Costa Brava and Pirineu de Girona destination through the segmentation of products.