Borders opened 10 days earlier than expected and no quarantine for tourists, Catalonia is ready to reclaim its place as a preferred destination for nearly one and a half million Italians
The Tourism Board of Catalonia, to celebrate this event and its relationship with Italy, has released an emotional video lasting a few minutes as a positive message of sharing and gratitude towards Italian tourists. It was supposed to be on July 1st, but with a restart 10 days earlier, Catalonia, the first region in Spain for international arrivals, is finally ready to welcome tourists. The list of places that can already be visited starting June 21st is extensive, thanks to preparations that began weeks ago with a strategy to welcome tourists safely and the 20 prevention protocols covering every aspect of the tourist landscape.
Besides the wonderful beaches and well-equipped campsites, cities are also reopening. Barcelona is reopening its museums and from June 21st tourists can visit the Contemporary Art Museum (MACBA) and the Catalan National Art Museum (MNAC), as well as the Design Museum and the Picasso Museum. Ready to welcome visitors are also the Centre of Contemporary Culture (CCCB), one of Barcelona’s most visited cultural spaces with temporary audiovisual, photographic, and contemporary art exhibitions; and the Montjuïc Castle, the ancient fortress overlooking the Montjuïc hill.
Football fans will not be disappointed: the Camp Nou, one of the world’s temples of football, with the museum of FC Barcelona, is ready for visitors.
To see Antoni Gaudí’s two modernist masterpieces, Park Güell and Casa Milà-La Pedrera, you will need to wait until July 1st and July 15th respectively.
But Catalonia is not only about Barcelona. In Costa Brava, most museums that are part of the Girona Museum circuit are ready to host tourists, as well as the Ruins of Empúries, a vast archaeological park dating back to Greek-Roman times in Girona Province with over 2500 years of history, an idyllic place surrounded by beaches and coves with spectacular views facing the Mediterranean Sea.
For mountain lovers and hikers, the Catalan churches of Vall de Boí, a complex of Romanesque churches built and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000, are accessible and open for visits.
Those seeking adrenaline and fun at Port Aventura World will have to wait until July 8th.
With the imminent reopening, The Tourism Board of Catalonia has launched a video with the slogan “Catalonia is better if you are here,” conveying a positive message of sharing and gratitude towards Italian tourists. It is an emotional clip of a few minutes created by the famous London-based storyteller, director, and photographer Oliver Astrologo, whose travel photos have graced the pages of the world’s most important magazines.
The video, which showcases some enchanting Catalan scenes, aims to convey the entire spectrum of emotions a traveler experiences when in a new or already visited place, but filled with memories. What emerges is that the feeling is mutual, and just as these places improve the traveler, inspiring hope and full enjoyment of life, the traveler also enriches these places with his perspective, giving life to everything around him, whether it’s the blue expanse of the sea, a green forest, or an architectural marvel. Places that evoke love, longing, and have been waiting for us all this time, unchanged and ready to welcome us.
Every year, Italians increasingly show their love for Catalonia: last year, 1,213,600 visited, with a 2.5% increase compared to 2018. Italian tourists are the most growing international market in Catalonia and tend to visit outside the high season more than anyone else: only 41% of trips occur during summer, demonstrating how the Spanish reason offers the right destination for every time of year and tourist type.
How to reach Catalonia after the lockdown
With the reopening of air, sea, and land borders, here is a summary of how to reach Catalonia for those choosing not to use their own transportation: sea links with Grimaldi and Grandi Navi Veloci have been active since May, while airlines are resuming flights from late June to early July from major Italian airports.
Alitalia will fly from Rome; EasyJet from Milan and Naples; Ryanair will have flights from Turin, Venice, Bergamo, Bologna, Rome, and Naples; Vueling will cover all major airports in Italy.
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