2020 YEAR of SPORTS TOURISM Contents

2020 YEAR OF SPORTS TOURISM Contents Introduction 3 Sports tourism in Catalonia 4 The Catalan Tourist Board’s brand of sports tourism 9 Objectives, challenges and legacy 10 Involvement 12 Main markets 13 Event plan 14 Highlighted promotional events 16 Highlighted communication events 29 Other events 33 Calendar of sporting events in Catalonia in 2020 35 2 Introduction The year 2020 has been declared the Year of Sports Tourism by the Cata- lan Tourist Board (CTB). It coincides with the Olympic Games in Tokyo and directs attention towards the Pyrenees-Barcelona candidature for the 2030 Winter Olympic Games. This declaration is an opportunity for Catalan tourism communication strategies and promotional efforts to be focused on both specific and generic events linked to sports tourism experiences. The 2020 Year of Sports Tourism continues the tradition of assigning themes to particular years, i.e. the Year of Cultural Tourism (2018 - 2019), the Year of Sustainable Tour- ism (2017), the Year of Gastronomy (2016), the Year of Inland and Moun- tain Tourism (2015) and the Year of Family Tourism (2014). 3 Sports tourism in Catalonia History of a sporting Catalonia Historically, Catalonia has taken a The many Catalan associations Those were the years when the leading role in introducing the wholeheartedly embraced sport and dream of a Barcelona Olympics was practice of playing sports to the to it, they applied their born. The Catalan Olympic Iberian Peninsula. Its leadership first entrepreneurial spirit. By 1897 there Committee had been created in became apparent in the was already a media outlet 1913 but its first incarnation was mid-nineteenth century and is specialising in sports (Los Deportes) somewhat ephemeral. In 1923, the ongoing today. In those first and in 1912 the first sports International Olympic Committee decades, the people behind the federation was created (the awarded the Olympic Cup to uptake of various sporting Barcelona Federation of Sports Catalonia for their work at a federal disciplines were European citizens Societies). level. The Spanish Olympic living in Catalonia and Catalans who Committee was also established in had discovered sports during visits The 1920s saw the first large scale Barcelona, in 1924. The Catalan abroad. sporting events. Football teams FC capital had already bid for the Barcelona and RCD Espanyol Olympic Games of that year and did Horse riding, rowing, fencing, re-established a rivalry that would so again for the 1936 event. After the mountaineering, sailing, cycling and become a long standing one. successful International Exhibition in gymnastics were introduced to Thousands of spectators would 1929 and following the construction Catalans, in particular to aristocrats attend games starring legendary of state-of-the-art facilities such as and the upper class bourgeoise of players such as Josep Samitier (for the Olympic Stadium and the the time. The first sports clubs the blue and granites) and Ricard Montjuïc swimming pool, Barcelona appeared, and society became Zamora (for the blue and whites). was the favourite. However, in the aware of a new reality. The However, it was a boxing match that end, the games were organized by Barcelona Universal Exhibition, of broke European attendance records. the Nazi regime in Berlin. 1888, is regarded by many as the 80,000 spectators saw the Basque, birthplace of regulated sport in Paulino Uzkudun, fight the Italian, Catalonia. Primo Carnera, at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium in 1930. At the World Travel Market in 2016, Catalonia was given the accolade of the best sports tourism destination in the world 4 Sports tourism in Catalonia The stage for great Famous sporting names: sporting events from pioneers to superstars Organisational ability, entrepreneurial Catalonia’s sporting character and character, high quality facilities and long-standing traditions can be amenities, and solid sporting founda- explained through the names and tions in the region have meant that surnames of the many protagonists the majority of sporting disciplines who have written the sporting history. have held their most important Names from here and abroad have events in Catalonia. found Catalonia to be the ideal environment for developing their It is felt that the seed was sown by sporting careers and, at the same the second Mediterranean Games time, enhancing Catalan sport. which were held in Barcelona in 1955. Subsequently, the Catalan Today, some of the most well-known capital hosted the Basketball Euro- names are footballers like Leo Messi pean Championships in 1973 (along and Gerard Piqué; basketball players with Badalona), World Cup football such as Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol and games in 1982, and the Basketball Ricky Rubio; motorcyclists including World Championships in 1986. Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez and Laia Sanz; swimmers like Ona These were the most important Carbonell and Mireia Belmonte; events preceding the Barcelona cyclists such as Simon and Adam Olympic Games in 1992. This was Yates; mountain runners and skiers the event which truly put the city and including Kilian Jornet; kite surfers Catalonia on the sporting map of the like Gisela Pulido; or triathletes such world. as Jan Frodeno and Sebastian Kienle. There are many others. Since then, there have been an ever growing number of international competitions and major sporting events: the European Basketball Championships in 1997; the Cham- pions League final in 1999; the Davis Cup Tennis Final in 2000; the World Swimming Championships in 2003, the Alpine Skiing World Cup in La Molina in 2008; the Tour de France in 2009; the Davis Cup Tennis final in 2009; the European Athletics Cham- pionships in 2010; the World Snow- board Championships in 2011; the World Swimming Championships in 2013; the X Games in 2013; the Basketball World Championships in 2014; the Snowboard Cross World Cup at Baqueira-Beret in 2016; the Mediterranean Games in Tarragona in 2018; and the Snowboard Cross World Cup at Baqueira-Beret in 2019. These are just some examples. 5 Sports tourism in Catalonia A region full of sports facilities Catalonia is full of sports facilities The town of Badalona on the Barce- Similarly, the Costa Dorada in spread around the region. These lona Coast is regarded as birth- southern Catalonia, has excellent can be adapted for use at the high- place of Catalan basketball and is sporting facilities. Top of the list est international level or for popular home to the Olympic Pavilion. Sant would be the modern Mediterranean amateur sport. This was exemplified Adrià de Besòs has the RCD Espan- Ring in Tarragona. This was the during the 1992 Barcelona Olympic yol Dani Jarque Sports Complex. main venue for the Mediterranean Games in which thirteen Catalan The RCD Espanyol stadium, home Games in 2018 and includes the towns and cities were used as to the blue and white football club, is Catalonia Sports Palace, the Aquat- Olympic event venues. Moreover, located between Cornellà and El ics Centre and the Campclar Athlet- the Pyrenees-Barcelona candidacy Prat de Llobregat. The FC Barcelona ics Stadium. Tarragona’s stadium – for the 2030 Winter Olympics will Johan Cruyff Stadium and the Joan the Nou Estadi, the Reus Olympic add an additional dimension to the Gamper Sports Complex are found Pavilion, the Salou Football Sports image of Catalonia as a plural and in Sant Joan Despí. Some miles Complex, and the Salou and Cam- diverse region. further south, canoeing is practised brils Yacht Clubs, are also of note. on the Catalan Olympic Canal in the From the perspective of both spec- town of Castelldefels. The Pyrenees and Val d'Aran are tators and elite competitors, Barce- areas for snow and winter sports. lona is very much the sporting capi- The world-renowned high-perfor- Fifteen ski and mountain resorts tal of Catalonia. Important facilities mance centre (CAR) is in Sant Cugat offer slopes and trails for all levels. can be found in the Montjuïc Olym- del Vallès. Terrassa, regarded as the La Molina and Baqueira-Beret have pic park, l’Anella Olímpica, including birthplace of field hockey, has an facilities that are suitable for interna- the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadi- Olympic Stadium, and the Sabadell tional level competitions. The Segre um, the Palau Sant Jordi arena, the Swimming Club has impressive Olympic Park in La Seu d’Urgell and Picornell swimming pools and the facilities. Both have also achieved the Aigüerola race course in Sort are Montjuïc municipal swimming pool, global recognition. The region is ideal facilities for white water sports. as well as the Joan Antoni Sama- viewed as a hub for motor sports. ranch Olympic and Sports Museum. The Catalonia circuit is in Montmeló. Catalonia is also a base for handball The urban fabric of the city provides with the Palau d’Esports arena in a home for FC Barcelona. The Camp Granollers. Nou, the Palau Blaugrana, the Ice Rink and the Barça Museum (one of The Costa Brava, in the north of the the most visited museums in Catalo- region, is another area dedicated to nia) attract a lot of attention. The sport. However, there are more than Royal Barcelona Tennis Club, the just nautical facilities. The Montilivi Royal Polo Club, the Horta Velo- Stadium and the Fontajau Pavilion drome and the Olympic Port are are found in Girona. Lloret de Mar among the other top sports facilities has an Olympic sized swimming in Barcelona. pool, while the Blanes sports complex is a first-rate multi-purpose facility. Banyoles Lake is an ideal setting for rowing events. In 2018, a total of 258,511 international tourists chose to visit Catalonia for sporting reasons 6 Sports tourism in Catalonia What do we understand by sports tourism? In the 20th century, sports tourism The markets for these experiences Catalonia is a reference for sports emerged as one of the keys to the are ever more demanding and this is tourism, and it has been so from the development of global tourism.

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