Bilbao (EFE).- Euskadi wants people who visit this territory to “feel at home”, that they are not a tourist “but one more”, that they can “discover corners, activities, experiences to enjoy, recommend and repeat ” at any time of the year.
With this objective, the Department of Tourism, Commerce and Consumption of the Basque Government has developed a campaign that this 2023 changes its strategy, since it will be carried out throughout the year, in waves outside of summer periods, to promote “deseasonalisation”.
The Basque Country thus ceases to have a specific campaign for summer, as explained by the Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Consumption, Javier Hurtado, who has presented the basic lines of this new strategy.
Hurtado recalled that the operation of tourism in the summer season and holidays is “very good” in the Basque Country and that, for this reason, it has been decided to reassess when and where to direct the promotion, to design a campaign around the whole year and in off-peak periods, with special incidence in the holiday periods of those who visit the Basque Country outside of summer.
New types of campaigns
He has argued that tourism marketing “is changing” with the new habits of travelers and that, for this reason, it is necessary to turn towards a new type of “hypersegmented and multi-product” campaigns aimed “exactly at the tourist” that they want to attract.
These are actions designed to attract long-distance tourism with special attention to the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Argentina and Brazil; but also from the middle distance such as the Nordic countries, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Benelux and Switzerland; and short as Portugal, the south of France and other autonomous communities of Spain.
The objective, Hurtado has remarked, is to “seasonally adjust” tourism, diversify the offer, increase the average stay, which currently stands at 4.4 days, and favor the movement of flows through the territory.
For all this, a campaign has been carried out with the slogan “Don’t be a tourist, be one more” based on what, according to studies, people who come to the Basque Country are looking for: the authenticity of the destination, the uniqueness, the culture and gastronomy.
The campaign is aimed at a “respectful” tourist, who seeks “local and unique” experiences, and is aligned with the principles of the Euskadi tourism code of ethics, which include respect for cultural diversity and heritage, the promotion of sustainable and responsible tourism and the promotion of the local economy, among other issues.
Hurtado has valued the variety of the Basque tourist offer to attract all kinds of tourists, although Basquetour’s marketing director, Lander Imaz, added that the strategy focuses on the “search for those more profitable tourists” with stays longer averages and higher level of spending.
2023, STABILIZATION OF DEMAND
Hurtado recalled that 2022 has been the year of tourism recovery for the Basque Country after two pandemics, exceeding four million visits for the first time, but he has also acknowledged that it has been “atypical”.
“We believe that this 2023 is going to be a year of stabilization of the demand”, has affirmed the counselor, who has also said that he wants to position the Basque Country as one of the tourist destinations of the “Atlantic axis”.
“We come from being leaders in the recovery of tourism in 2022 and with good prospects for 2023”, summed up the counselor, who has assured that the sector’s forecasts for this Easter are “very positive”.
Hurtado has valued the “success” of the “co-marketing” actions that were carried out last year with Turespaña, something that will also be repeated this year.
“It is about the Euskadi brand seeing its international promotion supported by the Spain brand”, explained the counselor, who added that, in this way, resources are aligned for a “reinforced” promotion, achieving better impacts and a greater presence. EFE
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