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Ourense hosted presentations and panel discussions on this sector for the 10th anniversary of the Tourism Master of Interior and Health of the University of Vigo

The tenth anniversary of the Master in Tourism Planning and Interior and Health of the University of Vigo, coordinated by José Antonio Fraiz Brea served to make Ourense instead of analyzing the state of health of rural tourism in Galicia and assess the potential the sector in Galicia, in the framework of the special program on the occasion of this anniversary was coordinated from the department heads Fraiz. Thus, and for two days they succeeded in Ourense presentations and panel discussions on the training perspective, the cooperation between the university and the company, employment opportunities with graduates in the master as well as research, innovation and internationalization in the field tourism.

As coordinator of the Master, Jose Antonio Fraiz Brea was commissioned to present to students and professionals the potentials of the sector, whose volume has declined in recent years, which has led to have improved employment figures. Two other positive data about the health of the Galician rural tourism offered Myriam Tejada, head of communications Escapada Rural, one of the bodies responsible last report of the Observatory of Rural Tourism. The first is the fact that “in Galicia have increased six points higher than the national average prices in the last year” and the second reveals that “this Easter, occupancy is four points above last year.”

However all experts concurred that the great challenge of the future for the sector is the average stay of tourists who choose this type of accommodation and currently does not exceed two days on average both in Ourense and the rest of Galician provinces except Pontevedra. Despite this gap, between 2013 and 2014 there was an increase in the average stay in the rural house of the province, from 1.7 to 1.84 days. Moreover, in terms of evolution of demand, there is also a positive dynamic in Ourense, with an increase of 12% in 2014 to 14.75% in 2015.

Faced with such a large competitive context, solutions would pass through a greater effort of the owners of these businesses in promoting “complementary offer” stated Fraiz, vindicating the value of the monumental and landscape environmental wealth, something which also coincided Miryam Tejada noted that, among its recommendations to improve the business possibilities of these establishments, “you know well the environment” for, according to him “offer experiences” to customers, whether related to wine tourism, with adventure sports or the landscape or dining, while highlighting the great niche market that can assume the fact accept pets and convert rural tourism in pet friendly routes. “Travelers who choose Galicia value most pet facilities in the rest of the country,” a fact which determines that tourists traveling with their pets opt for longer stays by difficulties to leave them with others. “If you have a rural accommodation that accepts communicate it pets, do not let it go and communicate it big not to go unnoticed,” he advised the expert who also stressed the need for new communication channels to give visibility to these businesses, creating original and counted from the experience of those responsible for the establishment stories.

Anniversary
These seminars and round tables served as a prelude to the commemoration of the Master, in which the Director of Tourism of Galicia, Nava Dominguez Castro participated, along with the territorial delegate of the Xunta in Ourense, Marisol Diaz. In his speech, Nava Castro highlighted the training initiatives, research and generating knowledge that contribute to increasing the competitiveness of the destination and put in value and explained that the comprehensive tourism plan devotes one of its strategic to the promotion of talent lines and use of new technologies to achieve a competitive sector and a smart destination.

Director of Tourism of Galicia also stressed the importance of higher education offer and the effort involved in its development with high levels of quality for this, the second said, from the regional government support to the three masters related to tourism that holds our community through cooperation agreements with the three Galician universities. Nava Castro concluded that proper training from industry players, becomes an added value of the target because it affects a greater perception of quality by tourists.