Generalitat and city councils join efforts for the joint promotion of the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter natural park

They sign an agreement for the development of a tourism promotion plan based on the natural values ​​of the park

The Generalitat and the town councils of the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park have signed this morning a collaboration agreement with which they formalize their will to collaborate actively for the joint tourist promotion of the park’s natural values. In this way, a long process of preliminary work that began during the previous term is concluded so that the park becomes, effectively, a powerful economic engine for the territory. The agreement also involves the approval and subsequent development of a Tourism Promotion Plan. To implement the planned actions, the town councils will allocate a total of 18,000 euros each year, distributed proportionally between the town councils of Torroella de Montgrí, Pals and l’Escala, which will each contribute 25%, and the rest, which will each contribute 5%. The agreement is valid for three years, extendable. The Torroella de Montgrí Town Council will be in charge of the technical secretariat of the agreement.

The signing ceremony was held at the Museu de la Mediterrània, home of the Natural Park’s interpretation centre. It was chaired by the Secretary of Environment and Sustainability, Marta Subirà, and was signed by the mayors of Torroella de Montgrí, Jordi Colomí; of Pals, Carles Pi i Renart; of l’Escala, Víctor Puga; of Fontanilles, Salvador Coll; of Gualta, Jaume Fontdevila; of Palau-sator, Joan Sabrià; of Ullà, Josep López Ruiz, and the mayor of Bellcaire d’Empordà, Cecília Barnosell. The mayor of Torroella de Montgrí, Jordi Colomí, introduced the ceremony and highlighted the importance of this agreement because it “adds synergies, articulates the territory and specifies a long work process”. Colomí assures that the Natural Park brand brings quality and notoriety to the territory, and has a great capacity to generate experiences, so it is necessary to take advantage of all the opportunities that this represents for local economic dynamism and for the promotion of sustainable management. The Secretary of the Environment and Sustainability, Marta Sobirà, and the President of the Natural Park, Narcís Coll, who also spoke at the event, were very satisfied to have been able to formalize this ambitious agreement, which clearly supports the development of ecotourism and local development. The new Promotion Plan pursues the following objectives:

• Promote greater awareness of the Natural Park brand.
• Implement a joint communication strategy for nature tourism in the park.
• Provide support to companies in the creation of products adapted to the potential markets for nature tourism in the park.
• Promote cooperation between economic actors in the territory for the development of ecotourism.
• Implement programs that promote job creation and entrepreneurship related to nature tourism.
• Cooperate and network with other entities and territories with similar characteristics.

It is structured around four lines of work, which are deployed in more than twenty actions. The lines are:

• Strengthen the tourist image of the park.
• Advance in the online development of the park’s promotion on websites and social networks.
• Carry out promotional actions aimed at the final public and professionals.
• Promote a strategic local development plan.

Among the actions, the development of informative content, the publication of informative material, presence at international fairs and events, a joint program of guided tours, a catalog of tourist products and other communication and promotional actions in various channels and formats stand out. All of this to make the natural park more visible as a nature tourist destination and the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Natural Areas. Precisely, since 2016, the park has had this instrument from the EUROPARC Federation that accredits the commitment of natural areas and tourist companies to sustainable tourism. To carry them out, the agreement foresees collaboration with other entities specialized in tourism promotion, such as the Costa Brava and Girona Pyrenees Tourism Board, and the Catalan Tourist Board. Nature conservation and economic engine
With this agreement, the parties want to strengthen collaboration to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the natural park in the economic and social development of the territory, while promoting the preservation of its natural value, which is the engine that drives and distinguishes it. Precisely, within the framework of this collaboration agreement, the drafting of a Strategic Plan for local development and job creation in the natural park has also been commissioned. This document, currently being drafted, is funded with 14,000 euros by the 2019 Strategic Planning Support and Assistance Program of the Employment Service of Catalonia (SOC). Following the model of other Catalan and French natural parks, the aim is to take advantage of the natural park as an element for generating new opportunities for job creation, entrepreneurship, valorization of the local product, as well as promoting circular economy strategies as a key element for improving the quality of life and well-being of the local population. In 2018, the natural park doubled the number of visitors compared to the previous year, reaching more than 444,000 people. The progressive increase in interest in this protected natural space has highlighted the need to delve into revitalization strategies compatible with the unique landscape of this place and the richness of its biodiversity.