Xavier Font: "We Catalans are, and should be even more so, tourists and ambassadors of our territory"

Over the past few years, the Directorate General of Tourism has redoubled its efforts to make Catalonia a leader in the responsible and innovative management of tourism. This mission is shared by the rest of the team, including the Deputy Director General of Territorial Tourism Development, Xavier Font, who cites the reactivation of the Catalonia Tourism Board and the creation of a knowledge hub, called the Group of Experts, as key steps in the last twelve months. This group is made up of academic experts, such as economists, who, in Font's opinion, "stand out for their contributions to tourism."

What role should both visitors and residents play in this transformation that is taking place in our country's tourism model?

We often talk about tourists as temporary residents. This concept helps us explain that when visitors arrive at a destination, they find themselves in a place where people live year-round and also consume public goods. Therefore, all visitors should be aware that they have rights, but also obligations to the area and the destination. We are interested in this conscious tourist because there is no better place to visit than one that is highly valued by residents. Furthermore, we as residents must assert all of this so that tourism does not negatively impact us.

How, however, will it help to shift from mass tourism to a more qualitative and experiential one?

I wouldn't say we have many visitors, but rather that we have the right number of visitors. I really like to go back and explain why we have tourism. It's a natural evolution of the democratization of tourism. Tourism emerged as a right for workers after World War II. It was a right gained through paid vacations of one month, which was very logically used by the tourism industry. This has led to more working classes, more people, and more markets gradually gaining access to this right. If this was once a Western phenomenon, with those of us from the North visiting the South, now all regions of the world are involved. And just wait until Asia starts to get involved.

As destinations, Western Europe will receive the most visitors, and this makes sense: Europe is a safe place, easily accessible, with good weather and excellent services, etc. Catalonia is no exception. Catalonia is a good destination for tourists because we have very good communication, healthcare, and security services, among others. We must know how to capitalize on this appeal, but by managing it as effectively as possible, which means promoting a more spread-out tourism market.

On the other hand, we must also promote the reduction of seasonality, something we are already achieving. We've been told that we haven't had as many international tourists this summer, but we don't want to see just the picture from August, but rather the whole year. And the year-round picture shows that we had significantly more tourism in March, April, and May compared to the same months last year; that it remained steady in June and July; that it may have decreased slightly in August, and so on. This means we are flattening the curve, and that's what we want, because by reducing seasonality we are achieving more permanent employment contracts and less temporary work, a more even distribution of wealth throughout the year, greater job stability for workers, and so forth. And ultimately, this is good for the region, for businesses, for visitors, and for residents.

What other challenges will the Catalan tourism model have to face in the short term?

Tourism is a sector that represents between 12 and 15% of GDP and generates many jobs. We cannot do without tourism, but we can manage it better and consider the challenges to improve competitiveness and maintain our value. First and foremost, we cannot do without service excellence, which implies a significant social responsibility for everyone, because it means valuing the sector by adjusting salaries and professional qualifications. We must also embrace digital transformation and innovation, as this will allow us to be more competitive. Awareness of the climate emergency is also crucial, and this is true in two ways: we must be more resilient and adapt, because there are already things we cannot control, such as heat waves, and the tourism sector must also contribute to mitigation whenever possible, trying to avoid unnecessary CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere.

Another important factor is that, as destinations, we must ensure that visitors are more aware of the destination's values, and here, government agencies and businesses have a fundamental role to play. We must be able to convey the need to preserve and even regenerate the places they visit. Finally, the biggest challenge is to involve residents in the benefits of tourism, something I believe we are gradually achieving.

Recent studies reveal that 64% of travelers choose to take advantage of long weekends and holidays to visit nearby destinations, to the detriment of longer trips.

Yes, and this trend also presents an opportunity for Catalonia, because few European countries can boast such a diverse landscape, culture, heritage, and gastronomy. We are a relatively small area, but we can travel in a short time from the Pyrenees mountains to the rice paddies of the Ebro Delta. This concentration of diversity within the territory greatly benefits local tourism. Furthermore, Catalonia has the Barcelona metropolitan area, with over five million inhabitants and, therefore, five million potential tourists. How many regions in the world have five million potential tourists so close by? Catalans are, and should be even more so, tourists and ambassadors of our own region. These local getaways also allow us to enjoy a relaxed tourist experience right at home. As an administration, we are looking for tourists who are committed to local tourism.slow travel and not because of the fast travel.

Which segments would you say benefit from this prioritization of nearby getaways?

Everyone, because everyone has their opportunity given the diversity and potential of each region. Wine tourism is already a success story because we have Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) that are working hard to create tourism experiences centered around wine tourism. Now we must add olive oil tourism, like the project being developed in Les Borges Blanques, or the fruit-growing region of Aitona. As for gastronomy, we have everything from the best restaurants in the world to the foundation of Catalan cuisine, which is exceptional, as demonstrated this year when we were named the World Region of Gastronomy. Regarding sporting events, we have just won the bid for the 2031 Rider Cup golf tournament, and next year we will host the Tour de France. exits In Catalonia, we have the Circuit de Catalunya... Major events also position us well, because we truly are a place where you can enjoy road cycling, cycle touring, golf... Rural, inland, and cultural tourism also benefit. Thanks to Catalonia's diversity, local tourism offers opportunities for all types of businesses, which undoubtedly adds significant value, distributes tourism effectively throughout the region, and generates considerable wealth. The challenge is to develop excellent products and communicate them effectively so that people are aware of them and can enjoy them.

XAVIER FUENTE'S TOP 5 FOR THIS AUTUMN

1. A peaceful stay inEbro DeltaTaking advantage of the landscape left by the rice paddies, whether now or when they are about to be harvested or sown, and which will allow us to greatly enjoy the gastronomy of the entire area and some fantastic sunsets.
2. A hot air balloon flight toOsonaFrom here you can see the Vic plain surrounded by the Collsacabra, Montseny, Moianès and Bisaura mountains. And end this balloon flight with a hearty Catalan breakfast.
3. Hiking. One recommendation would be...Coastal paths of the Costa Bravawhich aren't so busy at this time of year. For anyone wanting a more challenging option, I'd send them to the Pyrenees, to Berguedà, to do theThe Path of Good Men, a hiking route that starts in Queralt and ends in Montsegur, passing through the Cadí, which also presents a very interesting story about the escape of the Cathars from the persecution they experienced as heretics.
4. In itPenedèsI would invite them to visit the Vilafranca Market, which operates every Saturday, and then go for an experience at a wine bar to have a glass of wine or cava from that DO, and end up sleeping in a rural tourism house.
5. In theBoí ValleyThey could live a 360 experience, because it allows them to practice sports, enjoy thermal baths, experience culture with the Romanesque churches that the area has, etc.