In June 2020, the Catalan Tourism Agency (ACT) will launch a campaign aimed primarily at the rest of Spain to attract visitors with nature-based tourism that is not overcrowded. The tourism industry will remain one of the most affected by the health crisis. However, more than half of the tourists who visit Catalonia are Spanish and in the current circumstances after the COVID-19 crisis, residents in Spain are adapting to the obligatory security regulations as the country works towards the "new normal", and are coming round to the idea of tourism closer to home with the possibility of travelling by car.
Experts believe that the first tourism markets to recover will be those of proximity, as they do not depend on flights and also tend to see more customer loyalty. Post-COVID, residents in Spain will look for green spaces and quieter areas, avoiding crowds. The director of international markets in the Catalan Tourism Agency, María Pons, considers that it will be a good opportunity for Spanish luxury tourism and also for other activties such as camping.
The Catalan Agency of Tourism in other countries, such as Germany, have indicated that the Catalan market cannot cope with the 50 million trips that made there for holidays, of which 70% come from other countries. And from the office that the Catalan community has in Benelux, they assure that Belgian and Dutch citizens will also opt for tourism within their countries this summer.
Article seen at: Catalunya apela a un turismo doméstico de naturaleza y no masificado (El Periódico de Catalunya)