Promotional initiatives in nearby markets

Seventeen tourism organisations and companies from the Girona area take part in the Easter Cattle Market (Fira del Ram) in Vic, offering a cohesive yet diverse image of the destination.

The Patronat de Turisme Costa Brava Girona, representing the overall tourism offer of the Costa Brava and the Pirineu de Girona, and presenting several new tourism products and services for visitors, took part in the fair for the second time, offering tourism information and tastings of local food products at an 80 m² stand (20 m² larger than on the previous occasion), accompanied by the towns of Blanes, Calonge-Sant Antoni de Calonge, Palafrugell, Begur, L’Escala, Castelló d’Empúries-Empuriabrava, Figueres, Roses, Llançà, the county councils of La Selva, El Gironès, El Baix Empordà, El Ripollès, the Tourism Association of L'Alt Empordà, the Vall de Núria ski and mountain resort and the Apartment Tourism Association.

The Girona exhibitors were grouped together under the Costa Brava and Pirineu de Girona brands at the Vic Easter Cattle Market, where they presented the new additions to their offer of cultural activities. They also organised competitions, prize draws for holiday breaks, activities and meals, along with tastings of local food (dairy products, beef and Catalan flat bread from El Ripollès, anchovies from L'Escala), offering visitors the chance to discover new aspects of the destination.

"We have participated in Vic as a single area with different destinations," stated Dolors Batallé, Director of the Patronat de Turisme, after the fair, adding that it makes sense to target the nearby market with so much diversity in terms of products and tourism services.

According to data published by the Catalan Tourism Observatory in March, in 2010, 62.3% of the trips made by Catalan tourists were within Catalonia. It is worth noting that almost three quarters of Catalan tourists have travelled within Catalonia for leisure and holiday purposes (73.7% of the total), followed by trips to visit relatives and friends (17.6% of the total). As regards modes of transport, most Catalan tourists travelled by car on their trips within Catalonia (91.5%).

Impevic, which organises the Vic Easter Cattle Market, stated that in 2010 the market received 200,000 visitors, of whom 60% came from the county of Osona and 40% from other parts of Catalonia. These figures, together with those provided by the Catalan Tourism Observatory, show how important the Catalan market is for the Costa Brava and Pirineu de Girona destinations.