The Palau de la Música Catalana today hosted the presentation of the research project Tourism in Catalonia’s countryside: an environmentally-sound, quality strategy, supported by the abertis foundation and performed by the Turisme en Espai Rural Group of the Geography Department of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) led by Dr. Gemma Cànoves. Present at the act were the Tourism Director-General of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Isabel Galobardes, Dr. Gemma Cànoves, and the abertis foundation trustee and 2004 Spanish National Environmental Award winner, Dr. Martí Boada.

Galobardes thanked the abertis foundation for its concern for environmental issues and stressed the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as the “need to encourage investment into and understanding of tourism”. In the midst of the process of mapping out the new regulatory framework of tourism in the countryside, Galobardes indicated that the new decree on the matter will boost “agro-tourism”. “The creation of self-catering options in the countryside will help stabilise the population, as this new product will help provide balance to areas with shortfalls in accommodation”, she added. Dr. Cànoves highlighted the importance of knowledge transfer between the universities, private business and the authorities so that the latter may better plan and regulate. Dr. Boada, for his part, set the support provided by the abertis foundation for this research project within the framework of its desire to contribute knowledge on the territory and its sustainable development. Boada underlined the need to conserve the agriculture-tourism binomial and the role played by tourism in the conservation of the landscape and the territory.

The need for quality

Establishing criteria for classifying houses in terms of quality is the main requirement for tourism in Catalonia’s countryside, if there is a wish to improve the business prospects of owners and professionalise the industry. With common quality criteria, owners of establishments will find it easier to promote and market their product, both at home and abroad. For their part, customers will have more information when it comes to making a booking.

This is one of the conclusions of the study Tourism in Catalonia’s countryside: an environmentally-sound, quality strategy, presented today in the Palau de la Música Catalana by the abertis foundation and performed by a research team of the UAB led by Dr. Gemma Cànoves. The main innovation of this research project is that, for the first time, it analysis the industry across Catalonia (previous studies were limited to district level) and that it has studied both supply and demand.

In Catalonia, there are 1,283 “countryside tourism” establishments offering 10,131 places. From the beginnings of this type of tourism in Catalonia (the Generalitat decree regulating the industry dates from 1983), customers have tended to prefer self-catering accommodation (ARI, in its Catalan/Spanish initials) —which makes up 68% of theses establishments— to the detriment of Masías (M) and Casas de Pueblo (CP). In other words, the trend is for a type of countryside tourism that has little to do with traditional “agro-tourism” and is “less pure”, in which guests do not live with the owners of the establishment and there is no possibility of taking part in agricultural activities.

Owners and guests

For the majority of owners, the tourist business provides a supplemental source of income. Relatively few can live from this activity alone, which is generally a family business, as is the case with agriculture. Those taking charge of the tourist business are frequently the women of the family (44% of business owners are women). Currently, 10% of owners have the rental of country properties as their main business activity, which denotes a certain professionalisation of the industry, as has occurred in other parts of Europe.

Turning to the properties’ guests, these are generally from Catalonia –more specifically, from its metropolitan areas– are aged between 30 and 40. They tend to travel as a family in their own car (more than half of all Catalonia’s countryside properties are less than two hours from Barcelona by car). They stay an average of three days and appreciate their destination’s peace and quiet, its natural surroundings and countryside, and good value for money.

This form of tourism shows the same seasonal trends as hotel establishments, with weekends, bank holiday periods and summer the times of greatest occupation rates. Only 31% of these properties are occupied more than 100 days per year.

The study’s conclusions and recommendations

– Tourism in the countryside is a recent phenomenon in Catalonia, with the first houses for the purpose becoming operational in 1983. Since then, the activity has undergone constant growth, with the figures for 2004, reaching 1,283 establishments offering 10,131 places.

– The three types of country house accommodation governed by Catalan legislation are Masías (MA), Casas de Pueblo (CP) and y Alojamientos Rurales Independientes (ARI, self-contained countryside accommodation). Masías and Casas de Pueblo involve staying in the farmer’s house, whilst ARI involve the hiring of the entire house and minimal contact with the farmers. 68% of this accommodation is of the ARI type, whose growth in recent years has been exponential.

– The territorial distribution of the activity is concentrated in the so-called “wet” Catalonia and in the Pyrenees.

– In Catalonia, there is no official classification of house quality, although some associations have initiated their own for their houses.

– The seasonal nature of the industry is the same as that for the hotel industry, and average annual occupancy stands at around 100-150 days per year, with the busy periods being Christmas, Easter Week and the summer, although weekends and bank holiday periods are also important.

– This is not, currently, an activity from which one can earn a living. For the majority of owners, it provides supplemental income, although a small number of owners (10%) are beginning to regard it as their principal activity, thus indicating a certain professionalisation of the industry, as has occurred in other parts of Europe.

– Offering accommodation in the Catalan countryside is an eminently family-based business. This could not be otherwise, since the underlying agricultural business is also a family affair. 80% of family members in charge of the business are women, for whom it represents additional income and the ability to share caring with for the family with income, providing personal and economic independence.

– The business’s user profile is that of someone travelling with their family, partner or friends, who lives in a city of more than 500,000 inhabitants, with average to high income, of between 30 and 40 years of age and who appreciates peace and quiet, natural surroundings and the landscape of the country. He/she uses the car as their means of transport (86%) and stays for a short period of time (3 days). The majority of these tourists are local or Spanish. The summer season is that which sees the greatest influx of foreign tourists, in the main from France, Germany and Holland.

– Owners highlight important deficits in the signposting of houses on roads, together with a lack of properly tarmac-surfaced access roads. They also note the scant aid from the authorities to start up an accommodation business in a country house, the lack of an Autonomous Community-level central reservations system and low level of help in promoting and marketing the product, nationally and internationally.

– In Catalonia, a highly significant role is played by associations, organised into federations and associations. 84% of houses belong to a trade association. These associations promote and dissemination information, help to channel aid from the authorities, organise professional training courses and help to improve the quality of accommodation offered in country houses.