Turismo Rías Baixas

The Pontevedra Provincial Council presented this week the conclusions of the first phase of collection of valuations by municipalities and private sector

Through thematic workshops, interviews and online surveys, the Pontevedra Provincial Council carried out the first phase of the Pontevedra Strategic Tourism Plan, which included assessments and opinions on different issues relating to the future of the tourism sector in the province of Pontevedra. The conclusions of this conciliation plan were presented this week in a ceremony presided over by the president of the Pontevedra Provincial Council, Carmela Silva, accompanied by the Deputy Tourism Delegate Rías Baixas, Santos Héctor Rodríguez and before mayors, mayors and representatives of the municipalities of the province. Among the conclusions of this first phase of consultation, they stressed that the destination must be of high quality and not overcrowded, under a sustainable tourism model, with a diversified offer, an authentic and differentiated destination, seasonally adjusted, with an international and coordinated projection.
The first phase of the Strategic Tourism Plan of Pontevedra province for the years 2017-2020, which the Pontevedra Provincial Council plans to have approved for next December, is thus concluded. In this regard, the president recalled that the importance of this Strategic Plan, the first of these characteristics that is formulated in the province with the collaboration of municipalities and the private sector. Carmela Silva pointed out that “tourism represents 11% of Galicia’s GDP and 12% of employment, so we are at stake, with this consensual plan and resources to develop the lines that are marked, economic activity, economic growth and job creation in our province.
For the development of this first phase, the Pontevedra Provincial Council set up 10 working tables organized in eight themes (coastal; cultural; on cruises, MICE and urban tourism; enogastronomy; nature and thermalism; the Camino de Santiago; sports, active and adventure tourism and also on rural tourism and roots), with an average participation of 15 people. In addition, 70 interviews were conducted with the 11 tourist town halls in the province of Pontevedra, 7 managing bodies, 11 associations and 41 key companies in the sector and, finally, online surveys were carried out for 61 town halls (of which 54 responded) and 140 companies, most of which came from Sanxenxo (16%), Pontevedra (13%) and Vigo (9%).

First conclusions
The consultation plan assessed the current situation of the tourism sector, both in the general aspects of the Rías Baixas destination and in the public and private spheres. In addition, priority products were identified, including cultural, thermal, nature, rural and food and wine tourism. The lines of promotional actions were also specified, highlighting the promotion in social networks, agreements with tour-operating companies and the website www.turismoriasbaixas.com and establishing priority geographic markets, both national and international. With regard to training subjects, despite highlighting all of them as priorities, they especially valued languages, attention to users and tourist innovation. In which it corresponds to the challenges identified, collaboration and coordination between administrations and the personal sector, to seasonalization, diversification of supply, professionalization of the sector and the promotion and dissemination of the province with emphasis on the promotion of the interior.