The Costa Brava and the Girona Pyrenees sought on May 12 to reinforce their presence in the Belgian market with a promotional event in Liège organized by the Patronat de Turisme Costa Brava Girona. The event brought together some thirty professionals and media from Belgium in a meeting focused on the tourist offer of the demarcation.
The meeting arrived at a time of contrast for the sector. Belgium remains the fifth international market for Girona destinations, but Eurecat data for 2025 registers 239,153 Belgian tourists and more than 1,040,083 overnight stays, 6% less than the previous year.
Liège hosted more than a hundred meetings between companies and operators
During the event, the Patronat organized more than a hundred professional meetings to position a multiproduct offer that combined coast, inland, culture, nature, and gastronomy. The objective was to consolidate the presence of the Costa Brava and the Girona Pyrenees in a market that remains relevant for the demarcation.
Entities and tourism companies such as the Calonge-Sant Antoni tourism office, Evenia Hotels, Prestige Hotels, Meliá Hotels International, and Sallés Hotels participated in the meetings. Operators such as Neckermann and Egencia also attended.
The event concluded with an enogastronomic experience featuring Girona products and wines from the DO Empordà. Clara Antúnez, sommelier at La Gastronòmica, led this final part of the event.
Belgium maintains leisure as the main reason for travel to Catalonia
Data from the Agència Catalana de Turisme places Belgium as the fifth international source market for Catalonia. Among these travelers, 88% travel for leisure, with an average stay of 6.4 nights and a daily expenditure of 161 euros.
In addition to the weight of holiday tourism, the Belgian market shows a growing interest in cultural, sports, and enogastronomic activities. This profile fits with the strategy that the Patronat deployed in Liège to present a broader proposal than the sun and beach offer.
Before the event in Belgium, the organization had already participated in the Vakantiebeurs in Utrecht and the LuxTravelHub workshop in Luxembourg, in addition to promoting advertising campaigns in Brussels and Amsterdam. All of this is part of the Patronat de Turisme Costa Brava Girona's Plan d'Accions i Objectius 2026 to strengthen promotion in the Benelux.
The Liège event concluded with a tasting of products from Girona paired with wines from the DO Empordà, in a session led by Clara Antúnez, sommelier at La Gastronòmica.