Life & Style
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Business
Catalonia sees a 2.5% increase in overnight hotel stays among foreigners during July
Business
Clothing company Desigual unveils its new world headquarters on Barcelona’s seafront
Life & Style
Barcelona is the fourth European city with the most tourists after London, Paris and Rome
The number of tourists in Barcelona hotels grew by 0.7% in 2012 compared to the previous year. In total, Barcelona hosted 7.44 million tourists in the city’s hotels. A study by the Barcelona Tourism board revealed that the significant increase in foreign tourists compensated for the 6.8% drop in Spanish visitors. The number of tourists from Russia and Eastern Europe increased by 32%, those from the United Kingdom grew by 12%, those from the United States grew by 4.7% and those from Germany increased by 4.3%. Spanish visitors continue to be the largest group of guests to Barcelona hotels, with 1.62 million people.
Culture
The Hermitage Museum to open centre in Barcelona
The Catalan Government has confirmed that a framework agreement has been reached with the project's promoters, with the green light from Barcelona’s City Council. However the final details are still pending negotiation. No public funds from Catalan institutions will be allocated. The Catalan President, Artur Mas, will sign the agreement during his trip to Russia, scheduled for between Wednesday and Friday. Barcelona’s Hermitage will very likely occupy three old warehouses located at the city port, in front of the beach and the luxury hotel W. The architectural project was released two weeks ago and will fully renovate the old warehouses, which will have their own dock and three floors, including a basement. The Hermitage has already opened other centres outside Saint Petersburg, in Amsterdam, Ferrara and Kazan.
Life & Style
The Catalan coast reached almost full hotel occupancy in August
The increase of tourism from Russia contrasts with last minute bookings and the drop of the average spending. Hotels on the Central Catalan coast had a 95% occupation rate in August, the same as those on the Costa Daurada. Hotels on the Costa Brava had a 90% occupation rate. The increase of foreign tourism compensated for the drop of local visitors. Camping sites and rural cottages had a bad season, since they are more dependant on local tourism.
Life & Style
We bring the product, you set the price
The crisis has hit the hospitality and tourism businesses hard. However, new ideas to attract more consumers appear every day. In Vall de Ribes, in central Catalonia, a marketing strategy called ‘Pay what you want’ has begun.
Life & Style
The most luxurious Costa Brava hotels join together to foster their international projection
The initiative aims to strengthen the Costa Brava brand. ‘Costa Brava Hotels de Luxe’ is looking to create synergies between gastronomy, culture and leisure. The association includes sixteen four and five stars establishments.
Sports
FC Barcelona awarded world’s best team of the decade by the IFFHS
FC Barcelona was named ‘The World’s Club of the 1st Decade’ by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) this Monday evening. Barça won a total of seven awards during the IFFHS' World Football Gala, which took place in the W Hotel in Barcelona’s Barceloneta beach. Xavi, Messi and Guardiola also won awards.
Business
Catalan hotels had more than 48 million overnight stays in 2011, 5.9% more than in the previous year
Catalan hotels registered in 2011 a new tourist record of 48.029.385 overnight stays. Foreign tourism increased by 10.6% in 2011. However the economic crisis led to a 2.5% fall in domestic tourism. Catalonia hosted 16.5 million of tourists last year, a 5% increase regarding 2010 figures.
Society
Tourists will be able to report thefts from their hotels without going to a police station
A pilot programme set up by the Catalan Police in one of Barcelona’s districts will enable tourists to report minor thefts on city streets from their hotels, without needing to go to a police station. The programme will be in place on a trial basis in July and August in 18 hotels. If successful, it could be applied to all Barcelona hotels.
Life & Style
From Barcelona to the most luxurious hotel in Buenos Aires
Catalan Antonio Àlvarez runs the Park Hyatt Hotel in Buenos Aires, the most important and luxurious hotel in the Argentinian capital. He is an example of a new emigration phenomenon.
Business
From 85% to almost full occupancy for the Puríssima holiday
During this week’s Puríssima holiday, most tourist accommodations saw 85% occupancy. The Girona counties of Cerdanya and Ripollès experienced the best results, with sold-out occupancy, 20 points higher occupancy than last year.
Life & Style
Tourist flats in Barcelona reach 80% occupancy in August
This summer saw a higher percentage of tourist flat occupancy than last year. David Rida, the president of the Association of Tourist Apartments of Barcelona stated that this improvement is due to the “higher numbers of days people are staying and the recuperation of the North American, French and German markets.”
Business
Catalonia is top tourist destination despite the recession
5.8 million people visited the country in the first semester of the year and forecasts predict a rise in hotel occupancy this summer, according to official figures released by the government