Meetings Industry in Spain 13

WHY SHOULD WETAKE ADVANTAGE OF

SUSTAINABLETOURISM INSPAIN?

Spain is one of theEuropean countrieswhich has wageredmost on this tourismmodel in the last fewyears. The Alto Nalónin Asturias makes anexcellent example ofthis kind of tourism.

13MEETINGS INDUSTRY IN SPAINCONVENTION AND TRADE SHOW SPAIN® #13. FOURTH QUARTER ‘10

®

EVENTS IN SPAINTHE GOURMET INCENTIVEFew countries can offer such acomplete schedule of gourmetevents as Spain. The calendar isspread throughout the territoryand features everything fromprofessional events to popularfestivals.

DESTINATIONSENCOUNTERS IN GALICIAThe latest campaign from thisSpanish Autonomous Region isparticularly focused on the M.I.,putting on display its powerfuloffering able to satisfy anydemand.

INCENTIVES TRIPSBEING A COWBOYThis exciting experience offeredby the Grup Activa Company isbased on reviving the livelihoodof herding, such as driving theflocks to better pastures.

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La Rambla, 51-59 08002 Barcelona Phone +34 93 485 99 29 Fax +34 93 485 99 18 www.liceubarcelona.cat [email protected]

More than 150 years organising operas.

The Gran Teatre del Liceu offers its facilities for the organisation of all kinds of events. Now you can take advantage of a unique setting – one of Barcelona’s most emblematic venues – in which to stage your business, cultural or social functions. Our hallmark is excellence, the fruit of more than 150 years’ experience in successfully organising that most complex of productions: opera.

EDITOR’S LETTERTHE IMPORTANCE OF A SURE VALUEIn these hard times, budgetary issues have come to take on great importance, especially in the business world.

Particularly considering all those having the same results when discounted or cut back as when you paid

more for them. Such simplification, in the Meetings Industry, is not nearly so simple, as in the process of

supply and demand in this tourist segment, there are multiple factors that come into play which makes every-

thing much more complex.

Few are the agencies or professionals in our industry that have been unscathed by cutbacks in the amounts

earmarked for carrying out events. The vast majority have received warnings from their clients that only

such and such amount has been set aside (always less, of course), many of them taking it on the chin with

total resignation, much to their dismay, as a logical measure in the face of what has been happening from

an economic point of view. Nevertheless, there also are plenty who, when faced with these types of notices,

also receive the order (which sometimes means taking on a significant challenge) that the services being

contracted must be similar or the same to what they had before the crisis.

Undoubtedly this tune will sound familiar to more than one of you, and unfortunately, according to the ex-

perts, the forecast says there will be more of the same for a few quarters more. Therefore we must get used

to swallowing this bitter pill of doing and achieving the same for less. In the face of such a situation, in this

industry there are many such destinations which are accepting this very real trend, rolling up their sleeves

and getting all their partners and suppliers used to the idea that this is an undeniable question of not want-

ing to lose a client and thus keeping the invoices flowing.

But much like in mathematics where two plus two equals four, in the business world – and everyone who

gets a contract when an event is being organized is in business – the costs involved in a certain class of serv-

ice or the specific quality of a particular banquet are unquestionable, and no substitutes are allowed. Or in

other words, quality has a price.

So it as at this point when, undoubtedly, the importance of a sure value comes into play, such as that of con-

solidated destinations, those countries with proven security, great social stability, with a notable level of in-

frastructure, an excellent degree of training or a well-cared-for natural environment; each of these have been

specially intended to form a powerful option that cannot be easily matched, one that ensures success. But if,

in addition, it has enough experience as a top-notch destination, one used to a fight in this battle called tourism,

and it has the capacity to adapt to the demand without skimping on quality, then it is a proposal well worth

keeping in mind. And that is exactly what many Meetings Industry agencies and professionals the world

over have experienced in Spain over the last few years. It is logical, on the other hand, as the only thing that

these professionals do not do is play with fire; they bet on a sure value.

JOSÉ ALARCÓN, editor

Honorific Editor: Juan Robles • Director: José Alarcón • Technical Director: Martin Robles • Adversiting: Antonio Melchor, Teresa Serra • Art Director: SofíaAlonso • General Coordination: Marta Muela • Administration: Manuela Fuster • Editorial Council: José Alarcón, Sofía Alonso, Francisco de A. Carrió, PereCamprobí, Estrella Díaz, Alberto Díez, Fernando Martorell, Joan Molas, Pau Morata, Fermín Pérez, Joaquim Sagués, Ramzi Shuaibi, Santiago Soteras, AndréVietor, Antonio Wangüemert. • Writers: Marta Muela, Luis Vigil, Jesús Díaz Gámez, Daniel Bra, Jorge Gutiérrez.

www.meetingsindustryinspain.com

Editorial Production: Publications & Meetings Industry, S.L. • COVER PHOTO: from JAG. Concejo de Caso (Asturias) MEETINGS INDUSTRY IN SPAIN® #13. Barcelona (Spain) 2010 • Legal Deposit: B-47.057-2007

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SUMMARYNews CoverSustainable tourism in Spain gainsstrength as a great complement to the M.I.

DestinationsAn encounter in Galicia

IncentivesCowboy for a week

Hotels Hotel San Roque

Hotel Pago de Cirsus

Wellness & SpaHotel Balneari Font Vella

Events in SpainSpain, the gourmet incentive

Co. Events Useful guide

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News06

THE AVE MAYCREATE A“FLAT RATE”FOR

T he Asamblea de Ciudades AVE, ameeting between cities along Spain’s

high-speed rail network, was held at LaLlotja Convention Centre in Lleida. The as-sembly, which is formed by around twentySpanish cities, debated the possibility ofcreating a sort of flat rate that would allowforeign tourists visiting the country to trav-el on the high-speed trains at an exclusiveand highly competitive rate. It would besold as a kind of inter-rail pass, but only with-in Spanish cities. The AVE City Network isbacked by Turespaña, which is committedto internationally promoting cities with high-speed rail. Now only RENFE, the national railcompany, has to approve the notion forthe initiative to get under way.

CETA, THESCHOOL OF TOURISM,CELEBRATESITS 40THBIRTHDAY

CETA, an adjunct school to theUniversity of Girona, celebrat-

ed its 40th birthday last June. Thecelebration was held at the PalauCasades, home of the Il·lustreCol·legi d’Advocats of Barcelona(the city bar association), andpresided by Luis de Borja Solé,president and founder of CETA. Thecelebration featured the presenceof the Planeta Award winner Fran-cisco González Ledesma and JoanMolas, the president of the Spanishconfederation of hotels and touristaccommodations. The act came toa close with the awarding of “spe-cial 40th anniversary prizes” to for-mer students who have led a distin-guished career in the business aswell as the handing out of diplomato the class of 2007-2010.

Such a reading can be deduced from the business re-sults presented by the Barcelona Turisme Convention

Bureau, despite 2009 being a difficult year in general, par-ticularly in the meetings industry and above all in the cor-porate sector. It is quite plain to see from the business sum-mary for meetings in Barcelona, that although the numberof meetings had an overall drop of 25% in all areas in re-spect to the previous year, the number of congress goersheld here rose, however timidly, by 0.7%. Companies,much more vulnerable to adverse economic conditions,have reduced their business meetings by 37%, many ofthem cancelled at the last minute. These are the overallfigures for the year: a total of 1,857 meetings of over 40

delegates who have stayed over at least one night in thecity, making for a grand total of 576,157 attendees andan economic impact of 1,121.73 million euros. As forwhat type of meetings these were, 62.7% were internation-al, the majority being British, and 12.6% were large-scalecongresses. Hotels continued being the predominant sites(70.3%), while private convention centres and auditoriumsplayed a larger role (11.6% and 10.2% respectively). Med-ical, pharmaceutical, and health care congresses in gen-eral were the main protagonists of 2009. The report endsby indicating the contribution of the Barcelona ConventionBureau (BCB) to congressional activity was figured at 8.6%,twice that of 2008.

BARCELONA REMAINS THE TOP CITY IN HOSTING CONGRESSES

The hiring of people with disabil-ities and integration in the

workplace led by the Seville’s FIBESconvention centre and exhibitionhall has been worthy of its recogni-tion as a socially responsible com-pany by the National Confederationof Special Employment Centres(CONACEE). The integration of peo-ple with disabilities into society in or-der to also obtain them a place inthe world of work is a responsibili-ty of which some companies are be-coming more and more aware. Thisis the case of FIBES, which has ad-hered closely to regulations regard-ing the disabled and voluntarilymakes an effort to encourage thisintegration in the workplace as partof their policies of corporate socialresponsibility.

CONACEE RECOGNIZESTHE WORK OF FIBES

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07

I n October, the Valencia Fair Events Centrehosted the European Congress of the Eu-

ropean Association of Interventional Radiology(CIRSE) and the Congress of Cardiovascular Ill-ness (SEC). These two large events flooded thecity with over 7,000 experts, who discussed

the most significant research being done with-in their medical specialities. The Valencia Fair-grounds thus became the headquarters fortwo large gatherings that have topped the yearoff at 61,150 congress goers who have strolledthrough the fairground gates.

VALENCIA INVADED BY RADIOLOGISTS AND CARDIOLOGISTS

T he hiring of people with disabilities and integration in theworkplace led by the Seville’s FIBES convention centre and

exhibition hall has been worthy of its recognition as a socially re-sponsible company by the National Confederation of Special Em-ployment Centres (CONACEE). The integration of people with dis-abilities into society in order to also obtain them a place in theworld of work is a responsibility of which some companies arebecoming more and more aware. This is the case of FIBES, whichhas adhered closely to regulations regarding the disabled and vol-untarily makes an effort to encourage this integration in the work-place as part of their policies of corporate social responsibility.

CONACEERECOGNIZES THEWORK OF FIBES

DOLCE HOTELS&RESORTSREWARDS CUSTOMERS WITH A DISCOUNT CAMPAIGN

Afew months ago this hotel chain kicked off a new promotion that offered a 5% discounton meetings that had been booked before July 15, 2010 and were held before March

31, 2011. With these types of campaigns the chain hopes to make some headway and “un-derscore the added value given to meetings held at Dolce thanks to the enormous numberof comforts and services we offer our customers at no additional cost,” in the words of itsvice-president of sales, Thibault Ruffat. This is not the first time the chain has made waveswith campaigns like “It’s Included”, so it is wise to pay attention to future campaigns whichallow companies to reduce their costs.

T he Granada convention centre took part in a workshop organisedby the ICCA (the International Convention and Congress Associa-

tion) to position Granada as a preferred destination for events and con-ventions and extend ties with appealing international destinations suchas Helsinki. Granada seeks to stir up new business opportunities and isbacked by the over one thousand events that have taken place at itsconvention centre over the last five years. The city’s participation in thisworkshop was considered by Camino Ocaña, member of the conven-tion centre’s sales and marketing department, as an “excellent oppor-tunity to discuss possible future partnerships face to face with impor-tant European clients”.

GRANADA MAKESCONTACTS IN HELSINKI


News08

ULTRAMAR TRANSPORTUNVEILS ITS CORPORATE

T he new company website for UltramarTransport (www.ultramarexpress) of-

fers its customers improved and much nim-bler service when soliciting estimates. Thecommitment to their customers and quali-ty service is the main objective of the newcorporate website, which offers visitors amap explaining all the services the compa-ny provides: shuttles, circuits, specific golf

services, cruises or professional tourism.The press room and blog, the other new fea-tures, convert Ultramar Transport into asteady source of information that includesdossiers and press releases to stay on topof the company’s day-to-day. Links to twit-ter and facebook can also be found so cus-tomers and the company can keep in con-stant touch.

PUERTO ANTILLAGRAND HOTELSHOWS ITS MOSTEXECUTIVE SIDE

T his beachfront four-star hotel located on the Playa de laIslantilla in Huelva is doted with a congress centre with

capacity for 1000 people, offering congresses and businessmeeting at the seashore at a good price. The aim is to displaythe hotel’s business facet and capability of organizing profes-sional congresses in addition to having a variety of leisure op-tions in a superb natural setting right on the seashore. The com-petitive prices are intended for business customers who canenjoy special packages that start from 85 euros and includeaccommodation, work meal, meeting room and discounts atthe spa, among much more.

M iguel Martínez, President of Parador Hotels, closed aboutthe Spanish Gastronomy Seminar with a conference at the

headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, specifically in theHuman Rights Hall, below the famous cupola painted by MiquelBarceló. Before a packed crowd and the exceptional setting, MiguelMartínez presented the tourism model of Parador Hotels, a mod-el which pursues three fundamental objectives: to preserve and re-store Spain’s historical heritage and be the image of Spain and itstourism within its borders and abroad. Parador Hotels has a cleardedication to cultural and sustainable tourism that is respectful tothe environment, a formula which all countries should adopt, as noone wants to “miss the train to the future”.

PARADOR HOTELSPRESENT THEIRTOURISM MODELIN GENEVA

THE VALENCIA CONVENTIONCENTRE IS AWARDED

T he International Association of Conven-tion Centres (AIPC) has awarded the

Valencian centre with the award for theWorld’s Best Congress Centre, its most pres-tigious international award. With such a dis-tinction, the AIPC recognizes the excellenceof the Valencia convention centre’s man-agement, facilities, equipment, service, ac-cessibility and hotel capacity. Edgar Hirt,president of the association, bestowed theaward at a gala dinner held this year in Liv-erpool. José Salinas, general manager of thecentre in Valencia, expressed his satisfac-tion with the award because “it rewards theeffort we made for attaining excellence andongoing improvement in order to positionour centre as a superb setting in the inter-national market”.


09

TUNISAIR, DIRECT TO TOZEUR

T he leading airline in Tunisia resumes direct flights to Tozeur,the capital of the Tunisian desert, doing so with a promotion-

al rate of just 100 euros round trip, valid until the end of March 2011.Madrid once again is closely linked to the southern portion of thisAfrican country, thanks to two direct flights weekly, on Thursdaysand Sundays, which allow for escapades to this exotic oasis set atthe very gates of the desert. The fine reception the route receivedlast year is what led Tunisair to resume the connection to boost traf-fic between the two destinations and improve the airline’s compet-itiveness. The route offers plenty of possibilities as Tozeur has bud-ding tourism options that are perfect for adventure and team buildingtrips, not to mention being a sizable target for the MICE industry.

T he daily flight covering Madrid-Dubai is to bedraped in luxury. Passengers flying in Business

class will have a private limousine at their servicewhich shall pick them up where they like (only with-in a 40-km radius of Barajas) and await them uponarrival in Dubai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Sydney orany Emirates destination. Exclusive check-in coun-ters, a 40-kilo free luggage allowance per person,and onboard service to match the best businessclass around will make the seven-hour Madrid-Dubaiflight seem a pleasure. A personal screen in everyseat, the option of sending and receiving e-mails andmobile phone messages, and a food service selec-tion prepared by Chef Santi Santamaría rounds upthis top-class flight package.

ASIAN LUXURYFROM EMIRATES

W BARCELONA, EXTERIORARCHITECTURE PRIZE

T he mythical Palace Hotel in Barcelonareopened its doors this past autumn af-

ter over a year of renovations. Since Octo-ber, the common areas, banquet halls and atotal of three floors of guestrooms have beenopen to the public, if indeed work has con-tinued on other parts of the establishment.The renovations form part of a plan to returnthe Palace to all the former splendour of itsgolden years, when the hotel became theBarcelona home of the highest-ranking roy-alty and the beautiful people. Thus the facadeof the Palace has been completely redone indue respect to the original, with the railings,mirrors, windows, walls, and ceilings having

recovered the appearance they had whenthe hotel first opened in 1919. Even the fur-niture is a replica of the old pieces used atthe turn of the century. When renovation iscomplete, the Palace will have 125 gue-strooms, 42 of which will be suites and jun-ior suites, all equipped with the highest tech-nology available. The hotel will once againfeature eight halls for all types of events,while its renowned Caelis Restaurant, serv-ing a wide range of culinary delights, willhave the company of the remaining cateringservices including the New Bar Hall and theüber-famous Scotch Bar in 2010. A Barcelonaclassic has returned.


News10

FIBES IS PROMOTING ITS NEW FACILITIES

Seville Conference and Exhibition Centre, FIBES, is now going throughthe organization of different commercial actions aimed at promoting

its new facilities and the new Conference Centre.For instance, FIBES organized a Fam Trip in Seville last June for a groupof local directors and decision makers of the medical-scientific sector. Oneof the key elements of the trip was the visit to FIBES facilities and the ex-pansion works.The main aim was to show FIBES, as well as the works to expand its fa-cilities and premises, to this group of directors, as they are consideringholding their conferences and conventions, both national and European,at the facilities of Seville Conference and Exhibition Centre in the next years.The aim of the trip was also to get a general view of the excellent supplyoffered by Seville to congress tourism. To continue with this commercial line, María del Mar Carnero, Seville Con-ference and Exhibition Centre’s Congress Department Director, was alsopresent at ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) Work-shop, held in Helsinki from September 2nd to 4th , attended by 11 ven-ues and 11 clients. In this same line, FIBES is planning to carry out a number of commercialactions during the last term of the year aimed at bringing congress andconference events for the next years. Besides, FIBES is carrying out other actions, such as customized visits tomedical-scientific and academic societies, among others; participation inprofessional workshops for the association and corporate markets; visitsto PCO’s and Event Agencies; more active participation in the profession-al associations FIBES belongs to; monitoring and research work in the fieldof the meeting market for selecting potential congress and conferenceevents to be held at FIBES; organization of ad-hoc verification visits forevents with a high potential and implementation of strategic policies for

events with the goal of adding value (CSR) to them. It is also worth point-ing out the new opportunity opened by the recently-created Seville Con-vention Bureau, which will mean a new engine for a major boost of the cityas a meeting tourism destination.In this way, Seville Conference and Exhibition Centre is getting ready towelcome the enlargement of its building. The new, sustainable auditorium,one of the three areas of the new architectural ensemble, will surely be-come a social meeting point for human relations. Large spaces, luminos-ity and polyvalence are its main characteristics.This auditorium has been designed in such a way that 3,557 seated per-sons can enjoy the performances on stage. It has a central area with 2,000seats and then different stalls and levels up to the total capacity, cover-ing all the range of possible setups: 350, 450, 800, 2,000, 3,000 and3,557 persons, as well as the possibility of holding several events simul-taneously by means of a mobile closing system. Its three levels will havespace for translation booths, cafeteria, cloakroom and three VIP’s rooms.The catering area will offer the possibility of serving dinners and mealsfor large groups, above all those who attend congress and conferenceevents.FIBES and Seville are looking forward to this new phase with high expec-tation because it will not only provide Meeting Tourism with new, multiplepossibilities for conferences and conventions, but it will also open a rangeof exceptional options in the field of musical productions and shows on alarge scale, such as operas, theatre plays, concerts, musicals, festivalsand so on.

For further information: Raquel Martínez ArijaFIBES Press Office. Tlph: 00 + 34+ 954 47 87 48


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A GREAT COMPLEMENTTO THE M.I.

SUSTAINABLETOURISM IN SPAIN

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by J. Alarcón photos JAG

There has been a lot of talk about sustainability in the tourism industry in thelast few years. And of course, as Spain is a top-ranking tourist destination whosemodel has been questioned on more than one occasion, the country could notafford to be left behind in such matters. This is why for some time authoritiesand professionals have been hard at work in favour of making sure this tourismventure for the future becomes an ideal and most viable path to follow for themany tourist areas and regions across the Spanish territory.

According to tourism experts, “developing an area in a way thatsatisfies the needs of the current generation without compro-mising the capacity of future generations to satisfy their own

needs” is what can be understood by the concept of sustainability, orhow sustainable development can be applied to tourist activity. In oth-er words, respecting what surrounds us and safeguarding the customs,culture and values of a community will enable us to promote the posi-tive interchange between residents and visitors. But it also means therelationship of tourists with the communities they visit should be fair andthat the benefits that this activity generates should be shared equally.And some would add that the tourists and the community welcomingthem should have a participatory attitude during their trip experience. These are the broad strokes outlining the main premises that define thistourism model called Sustainable Tourism so in vogue these days.In practice, it is an alternative way of putting a halt to the outlandish andoften indiscriminate tourist activities that can be found in countless des-tinations worldwide, which led to the awareness thereof at the famousSustainable Tourism World Conference in 1995 in the Canary Islands.Here was written the so-called Charter of Lanzarote, which states “withtourism being a powerful development tool, it can and must actively takepart in sustainable development strategies. The proper managementof tourism, therefore, requires guarantees of sustainability for the re-sources on which it depends”.

Spain: the land of abundant examples

After years of indifference on the matter, and in the face of an onslaughtof criticism, the Spanish government finally seems to be backing a pol-icy of sustainable tourism where not only are economic profits can beobtained, but above all, caring the environment has come to the fore-front. Currently, there are no less than 50 innovative projects in the tourismindustry in the form of AEI’s, Innovative Business Groups, which re-ceived a total of two million euros in aid in 2009, although there weremany more requests, all in all 123 applications. And it is proven that thenature of sustainable tourism, in addition to preserving the natural en-vironment and caring for domestic and international flora and fauna, bringsin money, thus benefiting both interests. There is more and more sup-port for environmental policies, although an optimal level has not yetbeen reached. Not long ago, there were few who knew of the existence of this type oftourism, yet now there are many who practice it. This sector still mustsee some growth, although it is worth mentioning that its prognostic isfavourable as tourism of this nature is beginning to appear in vacationpackages. With the aim of giving this growth a boost in terms of de-mand, the M.I. industry must begin adding its little grain of sand, at leastso this type of tourism can get consolidated even more quickly. And ifthis was not reason enough, one must keep in mind that our industry isnot far removed from these concerns and has long hoped, especiallyin these times, sustainability would be the guiding principle behind everyMICE activity.

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In Spain there are numerous examples of sustainable tourism; areas,places or enclaves whose wager on this model has since strengthenedthem into veritable destinations which can stand up fairly well againstother models based on very different proposals. Among such examples, it is well worth highlighting cases like that ofLes Mans dels Ports. A cultural revival project encouraging the spreadof traditional occupations and activities in the Dels Ports region in theautonomous Community of Valencia, tourists coming here are offeredan entire series of group visits on an ethnographic tour of a sustain-able nature that unites 17 villages. (Here, native values are what givethe territory its personality and uniqueness).Another example, also in the inland Mediterranean area, is the regionof El Matarranya, which has been called the Tuscany of Spain. In thiscase, the project involving the cultural and natural landscape of theregion has been developed, re-evaluating its own resources within asetting where the landscape has been preserved nearly intact for along period of time, one combining the traits of a border region withthat of a more Mediterranean nature. (On this occasion, the landscapebecomes the region’s sustainable management facet). Spain has ar-eas that have placed their bets on the sustainable tourism concept,ones for all tastes and budgets and located in nearly all of its au-tonomous regions, but perhaps the areas where this is most widespreadare the Community of Valencia, Andalusia and Castile.On the other hand, and serving as an example or candidates aspiringto obtain the prestigious European Charter of Sustainable Tourism(CETS), it is worth mentioning the Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac,

in Terrassa, a city quite close to the city of Barcelona, The CETS is aninitiative promoted by the EUROPARC Federation, an organizationgrouping together protected areas in Europe: the national parks, na-ture reserves, regional parks and Biosphere reserves located in 38European countries with the common goal of protecting the unique va-riety of fauna, habitats and landscapes in Europe. The charter is a contractual and voluntary commitment among the agen-cies involved in the tourist options available in a particular protectednatural area and its surroundings in order to work conjunctively to de-fine a strategy and plan of action to sustainably develop tourism there.The awarding of the charter to the Sant Llorenç del Munt y l'Obac Na-ture Reserve means the third such agreement for a protected area inCatalonia. The first was the volcanic region of La Garrotxa, which wasobtained in 1996, and the second in the Ebro Delta in 2003. The CETScertificate is renewed every five years.

The Alto Nalón (Asturias), the paradise ofparadises

I recently took a trip to one of those areas whose caretakers and in-stitution aspire to sustainable tourism and of which they devoutly de-fend. In fact, the area is well worth giving special mention from mypoint of view, as I am convinced that, once having seen for myself theresources that they have and the manner in which they are working,the basic principles of sustainability have been scrupulously compliedwith, of which I now remind the reader: the appropriate use of natural

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With the aim for the continued growth in the demand for sustainable tourism, the M.I. segment must begin to add its grain of sand, at least so this type of tourismcan get consolidated as quickly as possible.


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There are areas, places or enclaves which have wagered on thisform of tourism and gained solid footing as true destinationswhich can stand up well against other well-known regions.

resources, respect for socio-cultural diversity and employing appro-priate business practices. So, the region to which I am referring is Alto Nalón, located in the hillsof the Principality of Asturias and composed of the municipalities of La-viana, Sobrescobio and Caso. This is a vast territory of undeniable val-ue that stretches over 500 km2, three-quarters of which are protect-ed. There are no more than 17,000 inhabitants who are distributed among204 tiny hamlets that are largely rural in character, except for Pola deLaviana, which acts as the regional capital and the main service base.This is a region with natural areas whose principal economy is basedon traditional livestock raising and rural tourism, as well as other activ-ities such as farming, hunting, fishing, or woodcrafts. Bucolic valleysand towering mountains shape a spectacular landscape where one canenjoy the purest form of nature along carefully marked routes and itin-eraries to the delight of any active form of tourism and making for per-fect settings to carry out exciting team-building activities or the moststrenuous of outdoor training sessions. It is truly worth taking an excur-sion there or staying there for a length of time, as there is more thanadequate infrastructure for the type of tourism it represents. It seems


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to me that this region and its natural settings, whosegreatest symbol is the famous Redes Nature Reservein the municipality of Caso, make an ideal complementto a meeting, convention or congress being held in theAsturian capitals of Oviedo or Gijón, as the region liesjust fifty something kilometres away. If you so decide,you will not regret the outing you opted for, as you willdiscover such an intense range of sensations that it willnot be long before you visit the area again, perhaps ona private visit, to finish exploring and enjoying the longlist of experiences that the valley of the upper leg ofthe Nalón River has to offer.The municipality of Laviana is crowned by Peña Mea(1560 m), a uniquely shaped peak that dominates theentire township. Traditionally a farming and livestockcommunity, with the arrival of the Industrial Revolu-tion in the 19th century the municipality was trans-formed and these traditional activities coexisted withcoalmining. The town of Pola de Laviana emanatesthe undeniable air of a large population, having mostof the services and accommodations in the area, suchas the Albancia Hotel, or the Canzana, just one anda half kilometres from the town centre offering an en-viable panoramic view of the entire valley.Another municipality is Sobrescopio, also forming partof the Redes Nature Reserve, one of the most treas-ured natural areas in the Principality of Asturias, de-clared a World Biosphere Reserve. Plenty of water, thickwoods, challenging peaks, unique hamlets and friend-ly villagers; all share this one-of-a-kind proposal that vis-itors or travellers may encounter in this enclave.

THE REASONS FORSUSTAINABLE TOURISM:FROM A DREAM TO REALITY

By José Luis Soler (tourist technicianand director of the company Servitur)

The concept of sustainability has abroad significance that responds tomany definitions and a wide range ofapplications. Regarding the tourismindustry, the development of proposalsand destinations related to it pointstowards the need to convergecompetitive advantages andsustainability criteria.To do so, the key lies in havingsustainable tourism activities which arestrategic tools that stimulate theeconomy of a determined territory andgenerate a new scenario that offersopportunities and challenges. The model must adjust to reality,considering that there is no universallyapplicable model for sustainabletourism, as each location has a series ofendogenous factors that are key toguaranteeing this implication and alsoshape the very personality of a specificdestination.Sustainable tourism is firmly advancingin what is available for tourists andeven forms part of the tourism brandimage for many such destinations.Significant examples can be found inthe Galapagos (Ecuador), Costa Rica,Lanzarote (Canary Isl.) or Taramundi(Asturias) where sustainability criteriais applied to all the elements of whatthey have to offer, from maintainingtraditional architecture in theiraccommodations to providing serviceswithout losing their native traditions,even to limiting the capacity of thetourist influx. The tourism competitiveness of adestination is evaluated from the pointof view of its sustainability and capacityto create its own products that are bothunique and appealing, causing aprogressive comparison between touristdestinations which compete in an evermore globalised market which is alsobecoming ever more personalized.Today’s reality is heading towardsoffering messages which are less vagueand empty and ones with more andbetter tourism products based oncultural, ethnographic andenvironmental values, ones which canrespond to the new demands from amore demanding and sustainabletourism market.

Alto Nalón is an example of a perfectcomplement to a business meeting orconvention held in Oviedo or Gijón.

And to finish, just a few brushstrokes regarding thethird municipality within the region of Alto Nalón, thatof Caso, with its main town of Campo de Caso. Un-doubtedly this is one of the largest townships in As-turias, highlighted by its rugged topography, itslofty and leafy forests, hidden valleys, rushing riversand abundant springs and famous cuisine. The nat-ural surrounding invite you to discover the beautyand unparalleled natural resources, also worthy ofbeing included in the Redes Nature Reserve and fea-turing attractions as different and fascinating as athought-provoking interpretative centre, a charmingbut eye-opening museum dedicated to wood, orunique accommodations such as La Reserva Lodge.This is without mentioning such peculiar enclaveswith great tourism potential as Vega de Brañagal-lones, a group of sheepherder’s huts where one canlive a genuine rural experience in full contact withnature and native fauna. This is a place where it isstill possible to hear complete silence, always sur-rounded by the watchful eye of the peaks toweringover this impressive natural enclave. I have said, anarea that represents a clear example of how Spaincan understand what sustainable tourism is has tobe, if not paradise, a place as idyllic as this.


Turgalicia has launched a new promotion campaign for Galicia as ameeting tourism destination. Using a superb pamphlet and a seriesof flash-format videos, Galicia’s main cities and several merchandis-ing items have been presented in a new press release that under-scores Galicia as a diversified tourist destination with several out-standing proposals.

SEA, HISTORY, FORESTS, RELAXATION…

by T.G. photos of TURGALICIA

Destinations18

GALICIA AN ENCOUNTER IN

018-023-DESTINATION:Maquetación 1 10/12/10 12:27 Página 2

The campaign frames the Galician congressional options intofour different areas, the dividing lines forming around meet-ings that can take place along the coast, in historic settings,

in spa facilities or in the heart of nature. The destination’s image campaign confirms the notable growth thatmeeting tourism in Galicia has seen over the last few years. It alsorecognizes the convenience of the ongoing promotion of this type oftourism and tapping into its enormous potential. Meanwhile, the in-creased number and improvement of facilities continues. Along withmore hotel beds and the building of new convention centres, there hasbeen the rise of specialized companies and the constant inaugurationof specific facilities intended for holding events and conventions.As a souvenir of this new press release, Galicia receives its visitor withopen arms. When recent arrivals walk through its doors, they enter anew universe. The sea, history, relaxation, the forests; the campaigninsists that upon choosing Galicia as a meeting place, there must havebeen the desire to encounter the region as well, to discover the tra-dition, culture, art, gastronomy, nature, its people, rest and relaxationoptions, and the way of life there: by no means a short list.

The sea and beyond

One thousand three hundred kilometres makes a whole lot of coastline.The Atlantic Ocean has carved a rugged shore that stands out for theunique presence of the rias, arms of the sea that penetrate deep inland.From the Atlantic to the Cantabrian Sea, from A Guarda to Ribadeo, theGalician coast seems as endless as the ocean itself. Ports and docks,islands and islets, beaches and shores, seaside towns and village canbe counted by the hundreds. As can the proposals available to visitors.Among them is the cuisine, with its seafood and Galician wines as theirbadge of honour. The Parador Hotels of Baiona and Ribadeo, A Toxa Is-land with its aristocratic Grand Hotel on its headlands, the modern con-vention centres of A Coruña, Vigo and Pontevedra, the tradeshows ofFerrol, and the ample hotel options of Sanxenxo are just some of thebetter options that meeting tourism on the coast has to offer.


Destinations Galicia20


21

A journey into history

The city of Santiago de Compostela, the Roman walls of Lugo and theTower of Hercules in A Coruña, have all been declared World HeritageSites as has the Camino de Santiago. These top the long list of his-torical sights, towns and cities with extraordinary patrimonial value.The history of Galicia is notched in the magnificent stonework of itscathedrals, monasteries, and country houses called pazos... Todaysome of these historic buildings have been transformed into uniqueaccommodations and meeting halls.History can be felt in the Parador Tourism Hotels and many other his-torical buildings and monumental hotels, some of them gathered un-der the name of Pazos of Galicia. All whisk their guests back to thesplendour of other times at the same time they contain the ideal con-ditions for hosting celebrations. Counting on them is not only a guar-antee of a successful event, but also a contribution to the preserva-tion of these authentic historical treasures.

One thousand three hundred kilometres makes a whole lot ofcoastline. The Atlantic Ocean has carved a rugged shore thatstands out for the unique presence of the rias.


Destinations Galicia22

Hhistoric buildings, like cathedrals, monasteries, andcountry houses called pazos... have been transformed todayinto unique accommodations and meeting halls

The culture of water and relaxation

With nearly three hundred mineral springs and dozens of spas, tha-lasso centres and baths, Galicia is the leading destination on thepeninsula for hot springs tourism and one of the richest regions in theworld in terms of the variety and quality of its water. The spas, tradi-tional resorts full of lively social activities, have expanded and mod-ernized their facilities, improving year after year their invitation to re-lax. Water has once again become therapy, fun and pleasure: a perfectpretext and another way of understanding an incentive trip, congressor conventions. The grand spa resort and thalassotherapy centre on A Toxa Island andthe historic Balneario de Mondariz Spa top a list that is spread aroundthe four Galician provinces. In Pontevedra, along with the two previ-ously mentioned spas, there are the modern spas of Sanxenxo andthalassotherapy centres such as those in Oia and Moaña. In Ourense,there is a long tradition of baths in Outariz, A Chavasqueira and oth-er towns: Lobios, A Arnoia, Laias, Allariz. In Lugo, there are the Ro-man baths of the capital and those in Augas Santas, Río Pambre andGuitiriz. Finally in A Coruña, there are spas such as the one in Com-postela and hotels with spa like A Quinta da Auga, in Santiago.


23

The spas, traditionalresorts full of livelysocial activities, haveexpanded andmodernized improvingtheir invitation to relax

The spell of the forest and nature herself

Woods are an inseparable part of the Galician landscape. From Celtictimes, in the clearings amidst the oak forests and chestnut groves,the inhabitants of this land have built their forts, hamlets, monaster-ies... The pazos, the most authentic example of noble architecture,often blend right into the natural surroundings as they sit in the fieldsat the forests’ edge. Some of these singular homes have been restoredto their former splendour and transformed in unique accommodations.Along with the pazos, farmhouses, rectories and castles have adapt-ed their traditional uses while they cling fast to their conditions as re-treats or meeting places. Some monasteries, such as those in San-to Estevo de Ribas do Sil, San Clodio and Aciveiro are today ParadorHotels and Historic Hotels. The former cells for the monks are nowcomfortable rooms with a mountainviews, old refectories are nowrestaurants to sample the essential local cuisine, the capitulary hallshave been turned into ideal spaces for hosting conventions or busi-ness meetings.


Incentives24

There are undoubtedly as many ways to provide incentives as there areideas that occur to professional companies ready to carry them out andmake them a reality. With the current proposal in mind, such ideasseem to have intensified to such a point that many of these professio-nals and agencies have entered a never-ending spiral to offer the mostoriginal and exciting incentive trip possible. Presented here is one of the most recent examples, where one not onlytakes part in the incentive but also works and lives through what setsout to be a truly motivating experience, as those participating in thistrip will for one week become a true cowboy.

LIVING A HERDER’S LIFE

COWBOYFOR AWEEKby Jesús Díaz Gámez, photos from JAG and Grup Activa

024-031-INCENTIVES:Maquetación 1 10/12/10 12:31 Página 2

AnyonThis incentive trip is based on one of the obligatory tasksof herders, the migration to better pastures. This centuries-old activity consists off moving the herd (bovine or ovine) on

foot or horseback to richer areas to pasture, depending on the season.In general, there are two animal migrations, one taking place in the springfrom their place of origin (the valley or lowlands) to the greener pas-tures of the high mountainsides. Another is in the fall, coinciding withthe first snowfalls, which means rounding up the herd and leading it onceagain to the farms and lowlands where they came from. So we stand before a seasonal incentive trip, a proposal whose truecharacter lies in an experience that can only be done twice a year. Thissuggestion in particular, a first in our country, takes place on the live-stock trails of Girona, called “carrerades” in Catalan, along a sectionbetween the towns of Avinyonet de Puigventós and Llanars, which canbe done in a week. Travel is by horseback the type of animal being herd-ed is sheep.

When reality tops fiction

According to Xavier Navarro, the manager of the Barcelona companyGrup Activa, who has devoted his entire career to organizing adventureevents and the search for those activities which can bring experienceand motivation to those requesting these services, “this incentive tripis one of our most innovative ones, one in which the entire companyhas placed all of its enthusiasm. We first did it ourselves a way of test-


ing it out and I can assure you that after a fan-tastic reception by those taking part and theinsistence on repeating the experience, wehave decided to include it in our list of proposalsintended for business motivation”. In order to take part in such an enjoyable ac-tivity, you first have to know how to ride ahorse, and then be in acceptable physical con-dition, as some of the daily rides consisting ofspending up to six hours on horseback. Ofcourse, you must have a desire to experiencea genuine adventure, one emulating the truecowboys of the American West. “Our idea andphilosophy are based on recuperating the liveli-hood of herding ages gone by, as transhu-mance once was. As for us, our job is to co-

ordinate and complement in the best possibleway the work these herders do in order toconvert it into a fascinatingly appealing stackof great emotions to take home”. Navarroadds, “This is not a stage act or an organizedsimulation; we are talking about taking advan-tage of a real activity, delving deep and livingit intensely, so signing up for this may in factlive up to the saying that reality tops fiction, andnever better said”. As Xavier Navarro stated tothe first participants, “along with the activitiesin this experience that stirs our passions, likeriding on horseback, there is the close and hos-tile at times contact with nature in all its exu-berance in some of the landscapes we traverse.There also is the responsibility that comes

Incentives26

This is not a stage act or anorganized simulation; we aretalking about taking advantage of a real activity, delving deep and living it intensely.


27

AND IF A WEEK’S TIME IS NOT AVAILABLE?This incentive experience is also available to you,as Grup Activa offers the possibility of living theherder’s life for one, two or three days. They dothis because this specialized firm clearlyunderstand that companies cannot usually devotean entire week to their outdoor projects. The staff who work alongside Xavier Navarro arevery aware of the corporate imperatives forhaving planning alternatives that can adjust tothe needs of the companies and groups whorequest this product in particular. Likewise, the company has other no lessinteresting suggestions, such as half-day teambuilding western, which is similar to the TeamPenning competitions that are held at ranchesand places near Barcelona, which are speciallyindicated for non-experts and users with a verybasic level.


Incentives28

from the real work that participants must do,such as caring for the herd, watching over it,herding the animals together, and once incamp, doing all the chores that go along withthis arduous profession, implying new sensa-tions that transfer a role onto those taking part,one that may be parallel to their everydayjobs. This provides them with a status neverbefore experienced where concepts such ascompanionship, solidarity and synergy flourishat all times over the six days the itinerarylasts, establishing within the entire group a fan-tastic atmosphere of camaraderie”.

Unique living quarters andunforgettable coexistence

“Getting up at 7 in the morning, stepping out ofthe tent and feeling the fresh early morningbreeze on your face, washing up in the river andhaving breakfast with the others without havingall the normal formalities, only to later walk overto the fields where the horses and the herd arekept and get ready to head out with the shep-herds to take up the trail”. This is the daily rou-tine for as long as the experience lasts. Such asequence might seem rather ordinary, but this

CalendaryFirst Transhumance WeekMay 23-28, 2010SUNDAY, MAY 23, 2010

Meeting time: 7:00 pm.Welcome drink on the hotel patio.Place: Mas Falgarona Hotel.Town: Avinyonet de Puigventós.Province: Girona.

MONDAY MAY 23, 2010Meeting time: 7:00 amPlace: Mas Falgarona Hotel.Town: Avinyonet de Puigventós.Province: Girona.

TUESDAY MAY 23, 2010Meeting time: 7:00 amPlace: Bassegoda Park 1ª *** CampgroundTown: AlbanyàProvince: Girona.

WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2010Meeting time: 7:00 amPlace: Vivac “el morató” CampTown: St. Julià de RibellesProvince: Girona.

THURSDAY MAY 23, 2010Meeting time: 7:00 amPlace: Casa Etxalde Country Inn.Town: Rocabruna.Province: Girona.

FRIDAY MAY 23, 2010Meeting time: 8:00 amPlace: Hipic Llanars HotelTown: LlanarsProvince: Girona.End of Route

The next Transhumance WeekDECEMBER 7-13, 2010

More information: Grup ActivaTel: 93 342 48 87www.GRUPACTIVA.COM

Getting up at 7 in the morning,stepping out of the tent and feelingthe fresh early morning breeze onyour face.


_LUGARES DIVINOS 2010

_168 DIVINE ESTABLISHMENTS_130 hotels

_38 restaurants

_OVER 10.000 ROOMS

_OVER 20 YEARS_OVER 5,000,000 COPIES_OVER 50,000,000 SEEKS

_VISIT US ATWWW.LUGARESDIVINOS.COM

Also at

Over


Incentives30

assertion could not further from the truth. Al-though these tasks are in fact repeated, thedays are not monotonous, as each outing isfull moments, details, conversations, places,landscapes and even sounds that are so dif-ferent from each other that the pejorativeconcept of routine seems very far away in-deed. Later, and once the group’s components,both human and animal, have got under way,more excitement and feelings await in theform of wading through fast-flowing rivers,cautious steps along trails rising slowly butsurely through thick forests, and so on, as re-vealed by the impressions of one of the par-ticipants on the first “Transhumance Week”held last May, who described what he expe-rienced during that time. “As at least tenyears had passed since the last herd hadbeen moved through, we came across a

Although these tasks are in fact repeated, the days are notmonotonous, as each outing is full moments, details,conversations, places, landscapes and even sounds that are so different from each other.


31

near-virgin forest where we had to protect our-selves from being scratched by brancheswhile not losing sight of the cows and calveswe were herding, so as not to lose any ofthem. If not, we would have to go back andfind them in the brush... Rising to our left wasthe ‘Pic de les Bruixes’, or Witches Peak, anumber of stone outcroppings which wouldcut us off, forcing us to head towards the Collde les Falgueres, a pass which appeared tous as a grass clearing in this midst of thisphantasmagorical forest which was worthy ofthe name of the peak towering above it. Atthis point we would be crossing into Frenchterritory. We headed down to the river thatfed the town of La Manère in order to grad-ually go back uphill slowly along the Baga dela Sadella below Ca l’Agafallops until the Colldel Malrem, a pass once again in Spanish ter-ritory. Before reaching this pass we stoppedto have a picnic lunch in a clearing which hadan enclosure for the herd…”.Undoubtedly this is a healthy dose of an en-tire set of sensations and emotions, all pro-vided by this incentive trip, qualifying it as aunique living experience.These peculiaritiesthat surround that make it an unforgettableteam event.


Hotels32

HOTEL SAN ROQUEAmong pebbled streets and only a

few metres from the blue waters oftheAtlantic, Garachico is located in

the Isla Baja district. The hotel is set inan18th century manor house that combinesexquisite good taste, art, tradition and de-sign. On entering the patio is dominated bythe Mikel Navarro installation - The Sentinel- and inside the hotel is a large collection of"Bauhaus" furniture that attract the attentionof a discerning eye. The designs of Le Cor-busier, Mies van de Rohe, Eilen Grey orMacKintosh lie alongside original paintingsof famous Spanish artists. The Hoffman bar,with its excellent selection of drinks, adds a

touch of distinction blending well with the bril-liance of the designs of this avant-gardeartist. The result is a space in perfect har-mony, restrained and elegant, embellishedwith personal, quality customer service. Thehotel also has a heated and exterior swim-ming pool, a sauna, a close tennis court, alarge video collection, a sound archive andaccess to internet.In the “Anturium” restaurant they make a fu-sion of Mediterranean and Canary Islandcooking using excellent quality ingredientsand guided by Pep Nogué from Torre Can Ro-ca (Girona). The hotel has mountain bikes andfishing rods.

032-035-HOTELS:Maquetación 1 10/12/10 12:33 Página 2

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Contact and moreinformation:Esteban de Ponte 3238450 GarachicoTenerifeCanary IslandTel: 34 922 13 34 35www.lugaresdivinos.com

The hotel is setin an18thcentury manorhouse thatcombinesexquisite goodtaste, art,tradition anddesign.


Hotels34 Selección de establecimientos que suponen garantía de éxito para cualquier reunión

PAGO DE CIRSUS

On the road from Ablitas to Ribafora-da, a few kilometres from Tudela, youcan see a tower on a hill which seems

one of the old fortresses of the area. Sur-rounded by a sea of vineyards, it is without anydoubt one of the most spectacular hotel –restaurants of the national wine tourism circuit.The forerunner and owner of this Pago de Cir-sus is the film producer Iñaki Núñez, greatgourmet and passionate of enology, who didnot hesitate in showing an exciting script forany sybaritic traveller; a wine tasting room witha nineteenth century look with copper taps, an

auditorium where you can watch about fourhundred selected films, a windowed porchfrom which you can see the immense sea ofvineyards,Tuscan gardens with a swimmingpool, a dinning room connecting with the bar-rel park through an enormous window and acompendium of roomswell cared for to its ul-timate details, harmoniously matched withthe furniture that gives each space a specialatmosphere.In this Château the gastronomyhas an essential role as the offer combinesthe most rooted flavours of the Basque- Navar-rean tradicional recipes conveniently updated

with a timeless classicism in terms of the rawmaterials and the highest products. A cuisinewhich is up to the scenario.

Contact and more information:

Ctra. De Ablitas a Ribaforada Km. 531523 Ablitas (Navarra)Tel: 34 948 38 62 12www.lugaresdivinos.com


35

Surrounded by asea of vineyards,it is without anydoubt one of themost spectacularhotel andrestaurants ofthe national winetourism circuit.


T This would be the case of one ofthe most modern spas in ourcountries, the Font Vella, set in the

immaculate village of Sant Hilari Sacalm inthe Catalan province of Girona. Open since2008, the Font Vella Spa Hotel consists ofa restored historic building and two brand-new buildings. The former is home to thereception area, the common rooms and 6stately halls. In the second there are 26guestrooms, while the third features the fa-cilities of the spa itself: a hot spring circuit

and a heated pool, a sunroom and massageand treatment area.

Exclusive luxury

Naturally, in a spa, water is everything.This includes the exceptional water com-ing from the Font Vella spring, which alsoallows the facilities the use of its name. Notonly is the company the owner of this spaestablishment, but also Termes Orion, a hotsprings firm with bath houses of the same

name, and also the Centro Lúdico TermalMagma. But the Font Vella Spa Hotel is un-doubtedly the flagship of this small hot-springs empire. The company is deeply-rooted to the Catalan land where the waterflows, the same water that is essential toits operations, As the general manager ofthe company Ignasi Avilés told us, “thespa business cannot be relocated, as notjust any place will do: it stays where thewater is”. Its wealth is also the territory’s. As for the Spa Hotel, the managers have

Wellness & Spa36 Selección de establecimientos que suponen garantía de éxito para cualquier reunión

FONT VELLA SPA HOTEL

It is clear that spas nowadays are enjoying a revival here in Spain. Afterhaving nearly become the exclusive refuge of the ailing and the elderly, they

have been rediscovered by a moneyed younger crowd wanting to take careof their bodies while they combat the stress of modern life. The young peo-

ple who now constitute an important part of the clientele at these spas havegiven them new splendour. What’s more, some spas are signing up with the

trend of promoting their MICE possibilities, those who have them, that is.

BETWEEN WHAT’S MODERN AND WHAT’S TRADITIONAL

by Luis Vigil photos L.V./BFV

036-037-WELLNESS:Maquetación 1 10/12/10 12:34 Página 2

Hotel Balneari Font VellaPasseig de la Font Vella, 5717403 Sant Hilari SacalmGironaTel.: 972 868 305 Fax: 972 869 [email protected]

Naturally, in a spa,water is everything.This includes theexceptional watercoming from theFont Vella spring,which also allowsthe facilities theuse of its name.

opted for luxury and an exclusive air, muchto the taste of its clientele, essentially con-sisting of forty-somethings and up fromthe upper and upper-middle classes whotend to stay for three days and two nightsduring the week. On the other hand, a de-cidedly younger crowd flocks in at the week-end, particularly executives seeking anti-stress treatments. This is because thehot-spring treatments and massage offeredat the Font Vella are not limited to medici-nal ones; there are also specific pro-grammes for wellness and relaxation. Thissums up what the spa has to offer, but ho-tel is also an establishment that takes agreat deal of care in its service and gour-met cuisine, all in view of offering theirclients a pleasant and relaxing stay.

As for MICE and corporate related issues,the Font Vella Spa Hotel promotes the useof its establishment for business meetingsof up to 50 or 60 attendees in specially-equipped halls and the full use of its hotel,dining and spa services. There have al-ready been many guests who have madeuse of this option, among them the Frenchheadquarters of the airplane giant Airbus.

036-037-WELLNESS:Maquetación 1 10/12/10 12:34 Página 3

Events in Spain38

By Luis Vigil photos from L.V. and archives

In these highly competitive times among touristdestinations to capture the most clients, and inparticular those from the Meeting Industry, it isquite clear that having a gourmet incentive isbecoming more and more important when it comestime to choosing a place to go. Long gone are thetimes when the general or event tourist was served ameal that was a result of just going through themotions and the question of food occupied asecondary plane.

SPAIN, THE GOURMET INCENTIVE

038-041-EVENTS IN SPAIN:Maquetación 1 10/12/10 12:37 Página 2

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SOME SPANISH GOURMET FESTIVALS AND FAIRS

LA GARAOINADAJanuary 14 to March 13Gourmet promotion of the sea urchin Palafrugell, Gironawww.festacatalunya.cat

SAN ANTÓN FOOD FESTIVAL January 17

Gourmet celebration held in differentareas around Spain:

MADRID FUSIONJanuary 25-27 International Gourmet Summit. Madrid.www.madridfusion.net

XANTARFebruary 2-6Workshops, samples and tastings.Ourense. www.xantar.org

GOURMET FORUM 2011February 20-23 Professional gourmet congress, professional andvisitor’s fairs. Gironawww.forumgastronomic.com

QUALIMENMarch 1 International food and distribution fair. Zaragozawww.feriazaragoza.com/qualimen.aspx

TERUEL GUSTO MUDEJARMarch 2-8Gourmet tourism fair. Teruelwww.teruelgustomudejar.com

GOURMET DAYS. “CAMINOS DE PASIÓN”Preparation of restaurant dishes with the theme of“Cooking for Lent”March 7 to April 12Alcalá la Real (Jaen), Antequera (Malaga), Baena,Cabra, Lucena, Priego de Córdoba and Puente Genil(Córdoba) and Carmona, Ecija, Estepa y Osuna (Seville)

WINE AND OLIVE SHOWMarch 10-13Almendralejo, Extremadura

BEEKEEPING FAIRMarch 11-14Samples and sale of traditional productsPastrana. Guadalajara

FEVINOMarch 12-15Samples, tasting, sale and wine fairFerrol, A Coruña

CASTILLA Y LEÓN FOOD FAIR March 15-17. Valladolid, Valladolid

TRUITA AMB SUC FESTIVALSecond Sunday in MarchContest and tasting of a local dishUlldemolins, Tarragona

WQuite to the contrary; touristbrochures today the world overemblazon their gourmet incen-

tive right on the first page. Possible visitorsare offered a fine meal and an even betterdrink, and all served in meticulous fashion.Proof was found in a chat this magazine hadwith a Catalan spa owner a short while ago,who admitted that the differentiating factorin what he had to offer in respect to othersector establishments was his dedication tooffering top-notch cuisine. This appeal has notonly served him in attracting high-class clien-tele, but also managed to schedule MICEevents at his spa for important Europeanclients.

The products: qualityabove all

In this fight for gastronomic supremacy,Spain, as a leading tourist destination, is inan excellent position to stand out far abovewhat other countries have to offer. To beginwith, our country has a large number of top-of-the-line products; Iberian ham could be

considered as spearheading what our gour-met has offer, but it is by no means alone.There are many more quality products, suchas the saffron of La Mancha, the rice dishesof Valencia’s Albufera region, the beans ofTolosa, the suckling pig of Segovia, the shell-fish of the Galician rias, the calçots of Valls,the peaches of Calanda, the mushroomsand truffles of the Pyrenees, the ground redpepper of La Vera, the eels of Aguinaga, theturrones of Jijona... or the absolute best oliveoil in the world, to cite just a handful of someof the delight products to be found from ournational food and fish industries.And what can we say about the wine and al-cohol available in Spain? That they are amongthe best in the world, of course. This is be-cause we can find such indescribable vin-tages in our country, from the Rioja to thoseof Ribera del Duero, Catalan wines from thePenedés to Priorat, or Andalusian ones fromJerez to Salúcar de Barrameda, not to men-tion Basque chacolís and Galician ribeiros andalbariños, or the up-and-coming Somontanowines of Aragón, to mention just the first tocome to mind and leaving plenty out. And how


Events in Spain40

ALIMENTARIAMarch 22-26The most important gourmet show in Spain.Barcelona.www.alimentaria.com

GOURMET CLUB SHOWApril 12-15Top-end food and drinks show. Madrid.www.feriasalimentarias.com

EXPOSTEL Y ALIMENTACIÓNApril 19-22Food fair. Tenerife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

ESPAÑA ORIGINALMay 11-13Spanish Denomination of Origin fair. CiudadReal.

APLEC DEL CARGOLThe end of May.Food fair for the snail. Lleida.

BALANCED FOOD FAIRJune 5-6. Alcañiz, Teruel.

SALIMATJune 10-13Atlantic food fair. Silleda, Pontevedra.

INTERNATIONAL GARLIC FAIRJuly 30 – August 2Las Pedroñeras, Cuenca.

HAM OF TERUEL AND QUALITY FOOD PRODUCTS FAIRSeptember 13-19. Teruel.

TORREJÓN UNVEILEDSeptember 24-26Tapas fair from city restaurant.Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid.

MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND HEALTH FAIROctober 20-23. Madrid.www.dietamediterraneaysalud.com

“CAMINOS DE PASIÓN”. GOURMET DAYS.Restaurant dish preparation, with the theme of“the cooktops of yesterday”October 18 – November 21Alcalá la Real (Jaen), Antequera (Malaga), Baena,Cabra, Lucena, Priego de Córdoba and PuenteGenil (Córdoba) and Carmona, Ecija, Estepa andOsuna (Seville)

MERCAT DE MERCATSOctober 22-24Gourmet event with market cuisine and produce.Barcelona.

FIRST HARVESTOctober 22-24Olive oil fair. Jaen.

STUFFED ONION FESTIVALNovember 30. El Entrego, Asturias.

could we forget to mention Catalan cavas,which can more than match up against thetop names in champagne, or Asturian andBasque ciders, the nectar extracted from lo-cal apples, which often replace cava when itcomes time to celebrate? Heading over to the distillery, Spain can serveits visitors a glass of brandy, gin, liqueur, andeven top-quality whisky that can match up wellagainst many brands from the other side ofour border (and when not clearly superior, cer-tainly better priced). This is without men-tioning typical local drinks, which includeGalician orujo, Menorca Gin or Cazalla de laSierra. As for beer, fans of this refreshingsummer beverage will find quality brews inSpain among top brands such as Estrella deGalicia, Moritz, Cruzcampo, Alambra, Ma-hou or Estrella Dorada. Ah! How could weleave out mineral water, a drink more andmore sought out amongst non-alcohol drink-ing youth, and essential to many travellerswho logically distrust the tap water. Spain canoffer the highest quality water, as is thatfrom Lanjarón, Bohí, Solán de Cabras orVichy Catalán, to name just a few examples.

Cuisine: succulent, varied,appealing

But it turns out that not only does it have qual-ity products, but Spain also has the advan-tage of offering a wealth of regional cuisines.In contrast to other national cookeries, which

are much more uniform and standardized,Spanish cooking can be subdivided intocountless regional cuisines, each more de-licious than the next and all based on excel-lent local produce. It is fair to say that Basquecuisine has little or nothing in common withAndalusian fare, Galician with Catalan, orCastilian with Valencian, And what is more,there are even local varieties that stand outwithin each of these regional cuisines, eachwith their special dish or local wines, thebotillo of the Bierzo, the mojo picón of theCanaries, the xató of the Garraf, the cheeseof Cabrales or sweet wines of Alella are justa handful of such examples.


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COOK AND FASHIONDecember 1-5Top-end fashion and gourmet show. San Sebastián. www.cookandfashion.com

GOURMET DAYS OF TRADITIONAL COOKING OF GIJONDecember 3-8Commemoration of local restaurants. Gijón,Asturias

FITRUFDecember 3-5Truffle festivalSarrión, Teruel

GOURMET DAYSFOR THE SLAUGHTER OF GOCHUDecember 4-5Sampling of dishes of the slaughter. Caso,Asturias.

SUGAR CANE FESTIVALDecember 8Show, tasting, and sale of locally-grown products.Telde, Las Palmas.

BROAD BEAN DAYSDecember 11-12. Colunga, Asturias.

FESTIVAL OF SANTO TOMASDecember 21The main character is txistorra sausage.San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa.

NOTE: Much of this data is based on prior editions,so it is possible that some dates have changed for2011, and even that the event is not being held. It is best to confirm with local organizers.

And to such an appealing national panorama,one can add the gourmet events that are be-coming more and more widespread acrossthe land, proven in the latest venture from thecity of Barcelona called “Mercat de Mercats”,an outdoor food event in front of the city Cathe-dral, or smack dab in the heart of the city. Thismarket offers visitors not only the chance topurchase excellent select produce directly fromthe producers themselves, but also sample afew dishes prepared by prestigious chefs, havea cooking class or take part in a wine tastingrun by experts. Naturally, the events did not on-ly draw Barcelona residents, as it saw a heavyinflux of the tourists who cram the streets ofthe Ciudad Condal, more and more comingeach day.

To top it off, a thousand and one events

As if it were not enough, to such a superb ar-ray of gourmet products and cuisines, onemust add Spain’s packed schedule of eventsthat focus on a culinary peculiarity, an agendathat can be found more and more across theland. These events and meetings run frommacro-fairs such as Barcelona’s Alimentariaand international congresses like the San Se-bastián Gastronomika to those not so largeones but no less interesting: smaller localevents like the Callos a la Asturiana Gastrono-my Days in Gijón or the Gastrotur, a special-ized fair on gastronomy tourism in Armilla,Granada... or even truly unique local events like“Truita amb Suc” Day. March 14th sees the cel-ebration of a delicious local omelette in the smallTarragona town of Ulldemolins where a com-memorative event and competition are held ina locality also famous for its virgin olive oilmade from arbequina olives. To sum up, Spain has the ideal hook from at-tracting visitors, from the Meeting Industry orotherwise; its rich and varied gastronomy.


The 25 young designer finalists of the Joaquim Mercader Con-test came together at the second edition of BDNmoda to show-

case their work to businessmen and women present. The BadalonaConvention Centre was the site of this fashion date that opened aconference from the highly acclaimed Modesto Lomba, who also awar-ded various prizes to the participants. David Cabra, Laia Garcés, In-és Paulés and Estefanía Murcia were among those awarded in dif-ferent categories. This second gathering was a success as muchfor the number of those participating as for the national and inter-national sponsors in attendance. The Joaquim Mercader Prizes in-vite young upstarts to make a new fabric, garment, accessory orinterior design item with a sole condition: it must be a reinterpreta-tion of an article originating from textile museums.

AC Hotels celebrated the 20th JacobeanRoute, a cycle tour led by the president

of the hotel chain, Antonio Catalán, which leftfrom Corella to reach, 873 kilometres later,the Plaza del Obradoiro. Upon arriving in San-tiago, Catalán made the traditional offering toSt. James the Apostle, The over 40 cycliststaking part in the route, among them mana-gers and employees of the chain, personali-ties in the business world, and several sight-impaired cyclists from ONCE, traced the entireroute in six stages. The pilgrims stayed over-night at some of the chain’s hotels in Tudela,Logroño, Burgos, León and Santiago, citiesalong the Camino de Santiago.

Co. Events42

THE JACOBEANROUTE UNDER

WAY

BDNMODA SHOWCASESYOUNG DESIGNERS

A perfume, a rock band and an airport were the three key elements of this promo-tion campaign. The perfume, a limited edition of Black XS from Paco Rabanne.

The rock band, the Lewis Larke Band. The stage, various Spanish airports. Thanks toAldeasa and the perfume division of Paco Rabanne de Puig, this original way of pro-moting the brand’s perfume was carried off at a series of live rock concerts on a ground-breaking stage, the airport. Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona and Malaga enjoyed this in-novation staging that successfully achieved its set objective: create an emotionalimpact. Puig, in a further step, created for the occasion a website(www.blackxslivesound.com) so musicians of all styles could have a space to expresstheir ideas at the time and a platform to create a virtual community of musicians.

MUSIC, AIRPLANES AND LIMITED EDITION PERFUME

042-047-CO.EVENTS:Maquetación 1 10/12/10 12:38 Página 2

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Last October, at the W Hotel Barcelona, the CPT(Tourism Press Club), consisting of journalists

specialized in tourism in Catalonia, carried out theirfirst breakfast-debate among the schedule of acti-vities.The first of these announcements was dedicatedto analyzing the possible implementation of a tou-rist tax in the city of Barcelona and featured nota-ble representation from different institutions impli-cated in this proposal that would fall on visitors tothe Ciudad Condal.Among the various postures from the invited spe-akers who argued over proposals and opinions wasthat which defended the president of the city’s ho-tel association, Jordi Clos of Gremi d'Hotels deBarcelona, who put forth the option that the citycould keep part of the VAT tourists generated du-ring their stay, because “our industry does notagree with this tax, as it would be detrimental tothe city as compared to other cities”, he said, re-ferring to examples such as Madrid, Valencia orSeville where it would not apply.

Speaking in order, Joan Gaspart, president of Tu-risme de Barcelona, advocated that large compa-nies or institutions such as “AENA, the Port of Bar-celona, RENFE, Fira or Abertis, which directlybenefit from the flow of tourists could help pay thecity’s promotional campaigns”, which would exo-nerate the application of this tax.As for the president of the Spanish Confederationof Hotels and Tourism Accommodation, Joan Mo-las, supported "closing the book on such a discus-sion as it is not feasible at the moment”. He ad-ded that measures such as this should no way fallupon hotel operators.

The intervention of the general director of Turismede Catalunya, Joan Carles Vilalta, made it quite cle-ar that the “scarce” resources that the Catalanagency of tourism had at its disposal could be evenless in 2011, and warned that the administrationcould not maintain “ the level of effort it has beenmaking".Finally, the first vice-mayor Jordi William Carnes re-ferred to the creation of an economic fund for tou-rism and the city as “a tool to provide the metro-polis with greater and more stable financial capacityin tourism-related promotion, attention and mana-gement”.

Breakfast Club of the Tourism

PressTHE BCN

TOURIST TAX,THE DEBATE


44 Co. Events

I n time for the European Athletics Championships of Barcelona, the CasaItalia Atlética disembarked in the Ciudad Condal to promote a series of in-

itiatives that combine sport, culture, gastronomy and tourism. Maremagnumand the Boquería Market hosted the culinary events; reproductions of Italianshops of olden days were set up in Maremagnum to sell crafts, food and typi-cally Italian fashion, and offer a taste of its cuisine. The Boquería was the set-ting to present the “Italian Sport Food” Project, which suggested a healthy re-cipe based on combining sport and Mediterranean cuisine. Each day, a chefwas in charge of preparing Italian dishes on the spot from products with De-nomination of Origin and Protected Geographic Indication. With this kind of ma-rathon of Italian flavours, the Casa Italia Atletica hoped to support its athleticsteams at the same time it promoted its cuisine.

A TASTE OF ITALY IN BARCELONA

HUESCA WIDENS ITSHORIZONS

The Huesca Congress Foundation held this summer a series of FamTrips specifically intended for individuals and entities implicated in

organizing congresses, seminars, or incentive trips with the objectiveof directly unveiling Huesca as a destination for business and meetingtourism. An example of these visits was the one held last June where agroup of ten guests who had attended the MITM fair held a few monthsearlier in Lloret were taken around the city for two days to experiencefirst-hand its numerous enjoyable charms. Incentive trip activities wereon the two-day agenda: having lunch at the Hoya wine cellar in Huescaor visiting the Loarre Castle, plus a welcome meal and farewell dinner,and other plans scheduled for the two-day trip. The result was highlypositive, as the beautiful surroundings and the warmth and professio-nalism of those involved converted this series of Fam Trips into a com-plete success.

MURCIA OPENS ITSDOORS TO YOU

Murcia Congress Bureau is carrying out an intense promo-tional campaign to attract MICE industry companies. Bu-sinesses such as CEPSA, Alfaland, Grupo 7 Viajes or

Events Experience have already had the opportunity to discover firsthand the possibilities Murcia has to offer. There is a tour of the cityand a visit to such tourism facilities as the Auditorium and the Con-vention Centre, plus all the attraction of a boat trip on the Mar Menorand a range of other activities such as climbing in the El Valle Natu-re Reserve with alpine climber Miguel Ángel García Gallego. With aseries of Fam Trips that include a wide range of activities and, of cour-se, great cooking, the Murcia Congress Bureau aims to position it-self as a MICE destination.


BMW INITIATIVE2010 PRIZES

AWARDED

Neuroscience Technologies was the companybestowed with the BMW Initiative Prize, worth

30,000 euros, which aims to give a boost to projectsand activities based on the values of innovation andcreativity. The Chancellor of Innovation, Universitiesand Companies, Joseph Huguet, presided over thesixth edition of these awards. The prize-winning Neu-roscience Technologies is a Catalan biomedical com-pany that has developed a technique to measure painand improve its diagnosis and treatment. Now suchan award shall help contribute even further to the re-search into chronic and neuropathic pain. The jury,formed by representatives from the most importantinstitutions in Barcelona, thus gives recognition to com-panies which invest in and for the city of Barcelonaand the awareness of its citizenry.

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Co. Events46

The European Police and Fire-fighters Championship drew thousand offices to Ando-rra. Participants from 21 countries disputed a total of 41 sporting events, including

a “mountain bike” descent, a cross-country ride on the trails of Vallnord Bike Park. Thiswas the first time the competition had been held in Andorra, where in addition to policeand fire fighters, traffic, customs and prison officers also took part. This is a mixed com-petition with men’s and women’s categories.

POLICE AND FIRE FIGHTERSCOMPETE IN ANDORRA

The 25th Windsurfing and Kiteboarding World Championshipson Fuerteventura filled its nights with a packed schedule of fun

and good music. The much-awaited musical fun came at the handsof Tonny Tun Tun and the Monijos Escozios. At the Full Moon Festi-val, juggling shows and fire spectacles filled the island’s beaches.The Fame dance contest also disembarked on the beaches of Jan-dia, which was the setting for one of its casting calls. As for the ye-ar to come, Blas Acosta, tourism chancellor of the City of Pájara,encouraged resident of Fuerteventura and those coming from abro-ad to take part in the Championship event and the nights of the PartyTent, advocating “healthy, respectful and unforgettable” fun.

WINDSURFING,KITEBOARDING

AND FUN ONFUERTEVENTURA

MURCIA OPENS ITS DOORS TO YOU

Murcia Congress Bureau is carrying out an intense promotional cam-paign to attract MICE industry companies. Businesses such as CEP-SA, Alfaland, Grupo 7 Viajes or Events Experience have already had

the opportunity to discover first hand the possibilities Murcia has to offer. The-re is a tour of the city and a visit to such tourism facilities as the Auditorium andthe Convention Centre, plus all the attraction of a boat trip on the Mar Menor anda range of other activities such as climbing in the El Valle Nature Reserve withalpine climber Miguel Ángel García Gallego. With a series of Fam Trips that inclu-de a wide range of activities and, of course, great cooking, the Murcia CongressBureau aims to position itself as a MICE destination.

T imed with the celebration of the International Tourism Fair and Cultu-ral & City Break (TC & CB) and the Malaga fairgrounds and convention

centre (FYCMAC), the city organized Fotocoolturistas, a photography con-test to award the best snapshots of the fair published on Facebook. To doso, participants joined www.facebook.feriaturismomalaga and post their snaps-hots. The rest of the users were in charge of voting for the best images. Thecontest, held by the FYCMA, featured the collaboration of Tourism of Poland,Ryanair, Turismo Andaluz, Halcón Viajes, Travelplan, Air Europa, the MalagaMuseum Picasso, FNAC Malaga, Los 40 Principales and the city’s tourism de-partment. The prizes were trips to such appealing destinations as Cracow,Breslavia or the Caribbean. After seven editions, the TC & CB Fair has beco-me the main showcase of the urban and cultural tourism sector bring toge-ther different areas of the tourist industry.

MALAGA ORGANIZESFOTOCOOLTURISTAS


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T he urban and contemporary fair that brings together the latest fashion trendsin southern Europe closed out its third edition with 57% more participation in

respect to the previous summer’s edition. Last June, 215 brands came togetherin Barcelona, of which over half were from abroad, and of the 15,200 visitors, 19%were foreigners, principally from France, Italy and Portugal. The balance of this edi-tion makes it plain that The Brandery is gaining ever more strength internationally.Along with this increased international presence, it is worth highlighting that do-mestic representation was found among the best “made in Spain” name brands.The Laundry, a hall dedicated to reflection and debate, the cultural activities thattook place such as Misi Misi Expo, So Real, or the exhibition of portraits of Ditavon Teese organized by Yo Dona clearly demonstrate that The Brandery is muchmore than just trendy fashion.

THE BRANDERY GAINSSTRENGTH

Association of Seville and Province Hotels has held the ninth edition of their Gour-met Seminars, which also counts on the participation of the Tourism Consor-

tium, with the objective of demonstrating to all those in attendance the importanceof gastronomy and its favourable impact on tourism. Dedicated to the city of Alme-ria, 20 participating hotels were invited to promenade their best dishes and food-re-lated options. The second vice-mayor and Festivals and Tourism Chancellor, Rosa-mar Pietro-Castro, was the seminar’s presenter and explained that according to areport from the Seville Tourism Consortium, the evaluation that visitors place on gas-tronomy in the city is a 4.27 out of 5, making this “an essential factor for Seville asa tourist destination, one that encourages the economic and business developmentof restaurants and hotels in the Hispalense capital and Almeria as well”.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICGETS ONBOARD THETRANSCANTÁBRICO

A delegation from National Geographic Expeditions has decided toinclude Spain in its travel programmes, and it did so onboard theFEVE’s emblematic Transcantábrico, one of the five most luxu-

rious trains in the world. This exceptional journey departed last Octoberfrom León with 50 passengers aboard and traced a route from the capitalof León province, to the Romanic Palentino, northern Burgos, Santanderand Santillana del Mar, the Picos de Europa, Llanes, Ribadesella and finallyGijón. The prestigious National Geographic magazine wanted to discoverfirsthand all the delights and luxury the Transcantábrico has to offer as ittravels through the unmatched landscape and enjoys the exceptional gas-tronomy and cultural wealth possessed by this swath of our territory.

THE IMPORTANCE OFSEVILLIAN CUISINE

Last October, the Sustainable City Awards were bestowed in Madrid, an actnow in its eighth edition that recognizes and rewards municipalities and su-

pranational local entities which have devoted their efforts to projects and measu-res which encourage sustainability. Convoked by the environmental advocates Fun-dación Fórum Ambiental, the awards have the support of the Environment Ministryand are sponsored by Fundación Ecotic and Urbaser. Palencia managed to secu-re its place as the winning city in the category of Sustainable City thanks to its draf-ting of Agenda 21 Local, where the city develops the environmental awarenessthat motivates and implicates all its citizens to change their behavioural and con-sumption habits. The other municipalities that were awarded include Santa Pola (inthe Water category), the Province of Jaén (in the Climate Change category), La Al-dea de San Nicolás (in the Waste category) and Rivas Vaciamadrid (for Energy).The Princess of Asturias was in charge of handing out the award at the act andwas accompanied by Ana Botella, the vice-mayor of the city of Madrid, Teresa Ri-bera, the secretary for Climate Change, and Ramon Roca, the president of Funda-ción Fórum Ambiental.

PALENCIA, WINNER OFTHE SUSTAINABLE

CITY AWARD


CONVENTIONBUREAU

BARCELONA Barcelona Convention Bureau34 93 368 97 00 [email protected]

BILBAO Bilbao Convention Bureau34 94 479 57 [email protected]

GIRONA Girona Convention Bureau34 972 41 85 [email protected]

LA CORUÑAConsorcio de Turismo yCongresos de La Coruña34 981 18 43 44info@turismocoruña.com

LAS PALMAS Gran Canaria Convention Bureau34 928 26 15 [email protected]

MADRID Spain Convention Bureau34 91 364 37 [email protected]

Madrid Convention Bureau34 91 588 29 [email protected]

MÁLAGAMálaga Convention Bureau34 95 206 18 [email protected]

MURCIAOficina de Congresos de Murcia34 968 34 18 [email protected]

PALMA DEMALLORCAMallorca Convention Bureau34 971 73 92 [email protected]

S.C. TENERIFE Tenerife Convention Bureau34 922 23 78 [email protected]

SANTANDER Santander Convention Bureau34 942 20 30 [email protected]

SAN SEBASTIÁNSan Sebastián Convention Bureau34 943 48 14 [email protected]

SANTIAGO DECOMPOSTELASantiago de CompostelaConvention Bureau34 981 55 51 [email protected]

SEVILLA Turismo de Sevilla34 95 459 29 [email protected]

TOLEDO Toledo Convention Bureau34 925 21 31 [email protected]

VALENCIA Turismo Valencia Convention Bureau34 96 360 63 [email protected]

ZARAGOZA Zaragoza Convention Bureau34 976 72 13 [email protected]

CONVENTIONCENTRES

BARCELONA Centre de ConvencionsInternacional de Barcelona34 93 230 10 [email protected]

Palau de Congressos deCatalunya34 93 364 44 [email protected]

Centro de Convenciones Gran Vía34 93 233 20 [email protected]

Palacio de Congresos deBarcelona34 93 233 20 [email protected]

World Trade Center Barcelona34 93 508 80 [email protected]

BILBAO Palacio de Congresos y de laMúsica de Bilbao ‘Euskalduna’

34 94 403 50 [email protected]

BURGOS Palacio de Congresos Y. Atapuerca34 947 00 [email protected]

CÁDIZ Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones34 956 29 10 17cadiz2000@palaciocongresos-cadiz-com

CÓRDOBA Palacio de Congresos34 957 48 31 [email protected]

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GRANADA Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos34 958 24 67 [email protected]

JEREZ Palacio de Congresosy Exposiciones34 956 18 07 [email protected]

LA CORUÑA Palacio de Congresos-Auditorio34 981 14 04 [email protected]

LA LÍNEA DE LA CONCEPCIÓNPalacio La Línea34 956 769 [email protected]

LAS PALMAS DEGRAN CANARIAS Palacio de Congresos de Canarias34 928 49 17 [email protected]

LOGROÑO Riojaforum Palacio de Congresos y Auditorio de La Rioja34 941 276 [email protected]

MADRID Centro de Congresos Príncipe FelipeHotel Auditorium Madrid34 91 400 44 [email protected]

Centro de Convenciones Feria de Madrid34 91 722 50 [email protected]

Centro de Convenciones Mapfre Vida34 91 581 16 [email protected]

Palacio de Congresos de Madrid34 91 337 81 [email protected]

MÁLAGA Palacio de Ferias y Congresos deMálaga


MÉRIDA Palacio de Congresos de Mérida34 924 007 [email protected]

MURCIA Auditorio y Centro de CongresosVíctor Villegas34 968 34 10 60congresos@ auditoriomurcia.org

PALMA DEMALLORCA Congress Palace Palma34 971 73 70 [email protected]

SALAMANCA Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones34 923 26 51 [email protected]

SAN SEBASTIÁNPalacio de CongresosAuditorio Kursaal34 943 00 30 [email protected]

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFECentro Internacional de Ferias yCongresos de Tenerife34 922 22 29 [email protected]

SANTANDER Palacio de Exposiciones34 942 29 00 40

SEVILLA Palacio de Exposiciones yCongresos de Sevilla34 95 447 87 [email protected]

SITGESCentro de Congresos Meliá Sitges34 93 811 08 [email protected]

TARRAGONA Palacio Ferial y de Congresos de Tarragona 34 977 24 55 77info@palaucongrestgna

TORREMOLINOSPalacio de Congresos yExposiciones34 95 237 92 [email protected]

VALENCIA Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias34 96 197 45 [email protected]

Palacio de Congresos34 96 317 94 [email protected]

Centro de Eventos de FeriaValencia34 902 74 73 [email protected]

VALLADOLID Centro de Congresos Valladolid34 983 42 93 [email protected]

ZARAGOZA Auditorio Palacio de Congresos deZaragoza


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HOTELSBARCELONA Hotel Arts34 93 221 10 [email protected]

Hotel Barcelona Hilton


G.H. La Florida34 93 259 30 00 [email protected]

Hotel Grand Marina34 93 603 90 [email protected]

Hotel Majestic34 93 488 17 [email protected]

Hotel Princesa Sofia34 93 508 10 [email protected]

Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I34 93 364 40 40 [email protected]

BILBAO Hotel Lopez de Haro34 94 423 55 [email protected]

BURGOS Hotel Landa Palace34 947 25 77 77

[email protected]

LOGROÑO AC Gran Hotel La Rioja34 941 27 23 50aclogroñ[email protected]

MADRID Hotel Hesperia Madrid34 91 210 88 [email protected]

Hotel HUSA Princesa34 91 542 21 [email protected]

Hotel Meliá Castilla34 91 567 50 [email protected]

Hotel Miguel Angel34 91 442 00 [email protected]

Hotel Ritz34 91 701 67 [email protected]

MARBELLA Hotel Don Carlos34 95 283 11 [email protected]

PALMA DE MALLORCA Arabella Sheraton Golf HotelSon Vida34 971 78 71 [email protected]

SALAMANCA Salamanca Forum Resort34 923 33 70 [email protected]

Hotel Alameda Palace Salamanca34 923 28 26 26

[email protected]

SAN SEBASTIÁNHotel Maria Cristina34 943 43 76 [email protected]

SANTANDER Hotel Real34 942 27 25 [email protected]

SANTIAGO DECOMPOSTELA Hotel AC Palacio del Carmen34 981 55 24 44

[email protected]

SEVILLA Hotel Meliá Colon34 95 450 55 [email protected]

TOLEDO Hotel Hilton Buenavista Toledo34 925 28 98 [email protected]

VALENCIA Hotel Meliá Valencia Palace34 96 337 50 [email protected]

ZARAGOZA Hotel Palafox34 976 23 77 [email protected]

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Meetings Industry in Spain 13

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