Around 300 industry professionals participated in the first Catalan Camping Congress. The welcome from Miquel Gotanegra i Portell, President of the Federació Catalana de Càmpings, was followed by a rich program of interventions, starting with the presentation of the first study on the economic and social impact of Catalan campsites on the territory. The event, which also included a Gala evening with the presentation of some awards, was decidedly of a high level, with a rich audience of international guests and speakers.
“This congress coincides with the 70th anniversary of the opening of the first campsite in Catalonia,” said Gotanegra as he opened the event. “It is a fact that makes us proud and shows that we are a consolidated sector. When the first campsites were born, everyone thought that it would be an ephemeral sector. In place of four tents, it was expected that one day a hotel would be built. Instead, our industry is here to stay.”
Central themes of the two-day conference were sustainability and climate change, alongside digitalisation, which must be carried out without forgetting quality, and the difficulty of recruiting specialized personnel.
“Climate change is an issue that concerns us, and we must be prepared to deal with it. With all the challenges that brings,” Gotanegra said. “There are positives and negatives. The most positive thing is that this allows us to extend the seasons, but we also have important challenges to face. At this moment we must not ignore the drought, but also the fact that when it rains, it does so uncontrollably. Our facilities must be designed and prepared to deal with these events. It’s one of the things we need to work on.“
Climate change: risks and opportunities
These themes were discussed in the first roundtable of the congress, entitled “Climate change and the camping sector: risks and opportunities“, moderated by Anna Garriga, Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Girona. The speakers were Tomàs Molina, Meteorologist, teacher, and television presenter; Rafael Tramullas, Managing Partner of Tematic Arquitectura; Saioa Amatria, CEO of Isaba; and Xavier Martínez, Director of the Water, Air & Soil (WAS) Unit within the Eurecat Sustainability Area.
Data from the sector in Catalonia
The presentation of the research “Camping in Catalonia: economic impact, relevant data and sustainable benefits“, presented by the research company BIM Consultors, was very interesting. The analysis involved 363 campsites, for a total of over 260,000 beds, of which 83 percent were located on the Catalan coast. It is interesting to note how the offer is concentrated on the medium-high segment of the market, with a clear prevalence of 3- and 4-star structures (5-stars are not foreseen in this region).
The importance of the tourist offer of campsites in Catalonia is highlighted by its weight in terms of beds: 49.6% is represented by campsites, compared to 43.7% by hotels, 2.8 by apartments and 3.9 by rural tourism.
The region’s tourism growth knows no stops, apart from obviously the pause caused by the pandemic. In 2023, over 4 million tourists were registered, for a total of more than 19 million overnight stays. The origin is 56 percent local, 8 percent from the rest of Spain, and 36 percent from abroad. An increase in prices was also recorded in Catalonia, which rose by 20.6 percent in 10 years (against an inflation of 22.6 percent). In 2023 alone, prices grew by 5.4 percent.
An engine for the entire economy
The economic data of Catalan outdoor hospitality companies are positive, with an average corporate asset that has been growing for 10 years now (from around €600,000 to over €1,2 million), as well as turnover and profits, with an average profitability of 8.44 percent..
Finally, the economic contribution of campsites to the Catalan economy is fundamental, worth almost €2,5 billion(of which 2 billion coming from foreign tourism): 29.3% of these resources are allocated to transport, 22.6% for accommodation, 17.2% for maintenance work, 21.8 percent for tourist activities. €557 million relate to the camping sector, €1,9 million concern other sectors. In short, the camping sector is a powerful engine for the local economy.
Interest in Spain is growing
PiNCAMP had the task of giving an overview of the interest of European campers in the Iberian Peninsula. CEO Uwe Frers, who together with ADAC received one of the prizes awarded during the gala evening (“The first we have ever received,” he underlined), highlighted that searches related to Spain on the PiNCAMP website have more than doubled compared to 5 years ago. And the driver of this growth is Catalonia, which increased by 112 percent.
Quality is a determining factor for this success. In Catalonia there are 12 ADAC Superplatz out of 17 in all of Spain. Frers also reported that among campers’ requests there is the possibility of booking online: while requests for non-bookable campsites have grown by a few percentage points, those for facilities that can be booked have jumped by 151%.
Un Tourism’s commitment to sustainability
Isabel Oliver, Advisor to the Secretary-General of UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO), emphasized sustainability, trying to give it a concrete definition. Sustainability means the ability to satisfy the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations, while sustainable tourism: is that which takes full consideration of current and future economic, social, and environmental repercussions to meet the needs of industry travelers and surrounding host communities.
“The concept has three dimensions, which are totally interconnected,” Oliver explained. “First of all, there is the social dimension, which means seeking and organizing equity and well-being for all. Secondly, the environmental dimension, which seeks to protect the environment and guarantee the vitality of ecosystems and natural resources, on which we depend for our survival and development. This includes the fight against climate change, the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable management of natural resources. Finally, there is the economic dimension, which generates opportunities for everyone. This means increasing innovation, energy efficiency, creating decent jobs, and a good distribution of life generated by the tourism industry.”
Oliver then underlined the initiative launched a few weeks ago by UN Tourism (the creation of a research center for sustainable tourism in Croatia) and how the camping sector is important for sustainability, being the third European tourism market. “It’s a dynamic industry and an economic driver with positive impacts on local communities,” he said. “It is an industry with a bright future, which takes nature conservation into high regard. It is the best compromise between tourism and sustainability, because not only does it have a low impact, but it also helps to develop environmental sensitivity. This is the best example of bringing tourism activity and balance together.”
The importance of innovation and digitalisation
The first day ended with a round table entitled “Innovation and digitalisation in the camping sector“, moderated by Xavier Pascuet, Tourism innovation and sustainability consultant. The speakers were Carlos Ortí, COO of Septeo Campings Spain and Portugal; Angel Casellas, CEO of Uplaan; Pol Payet, Development Manager of Comercia CaixaBank; and Ana Beriain, President of the Federación Española de Campings. The message was clear: without innovation and digitalisation, survival is at risk.
The difficulties of training and recruiting employees
On the second and final day, two interesting round tables were at the center of the conference activity. In the one entitled “Key perspectives from the opinion leaders of European camping“, moderated by Ralph Heinze, Servicios Turísticos Heinze Latzke Manager, there was further discussion of digitalisation and sustainability, as well as climate change and the need for adequate employee (always difficult to be found throughout the European market) training.
On this topic, Josipa Cvelic, Professor at the Faculty of Tourism & Hospitality Management at the University of Rijeka, underlined that there is a lack of adequate training in high schools. “We are covering this gap with our association, but there is room for improvement,” she said. “The culmination of this effort is the Campmaster project, which offers the possibility, thanks to a two-year course, in three countries and as many universities to train the managers of the future”.
Ramon Van Reine, CEO of ACSI, confirmed that employee training is absolutely important, particularly when it comes to digitalization and sustainability. “When you think the digital world isn’t for you, you’re wrong,” he argued. “We need to think about it because the digital world is here. It is important not only to let campers know what the most appropriate behaviors are, but even more so to encourage them to put them into practice, for example by charging for extra electricity consumption or limiting the use of hot water for showers.”
The levers on which to act
According to Uwe Frers, CEO of PiNCAMP, the ultimate goal is to reduce costs and environmental impact. “Every aspect of the activity must be measured, from electricity consumption to water consumption. Only by measuring can you change,” he said. Furthermore, you need to act on marketing and communication, to attract and retain customers, and on distribution and sales, where it is important that your business is easily findable and bookable.
“The best investment you can make is in training, as well as taking care of the resources available by reducing consumption,” said Martin Rolletschek, Ecocamping Service Advisor. A clear example of Ecocamping’s intentions is linked to the use of water, which in normal campsites, like at home, is between 120 and 180 liters per day (and which rises to over 1,000 litres, in high-end hotels), while in those branded Ecocamping it drops to between 40 and 150 litres. In the structures that are part of this network they try to exploit all the resources available, recycling and reusing them, so much so that we never talk about “waste”.
Catalonia, Italy, and France compared
The first Congress of Catalan Campsites closed with a round table entitled “The current and future image of the camping sector“, moderated by Jaume Dulsat, Eurofirms Tourism & Hospitality Leader, who brought together representatives from Catalonia, France, and Italy. The topics addressed were those of sustainability and the difficulty of recruiting qualified personnel.
Alberto Granzotto, President of FAITA-FederCamping; Jean Guy Amat, Councilor of the Féderation Nationale Hotellerie Plein Air; and Àlex Trias, Representative of the Federació Catalana de Càmpings thus explored the differences between the three countries and the challenges that each of them found themselves facing.
The medals of the Federació Catalana de Càmpings
During the pleasant gala evening, the Federació Catalana de Càmpings awarded some truly significant prizes. In particular, the entrepreneur Josep Maria Rosell i Saurina, founder of the Vilanova Park campsite in Vilanova i la Geltrú, one of the reference structures in the country of which he continues to be president of the Board of Directors, was awarded the Medal of Honor of Catalan Camping. Rosell was president of the Spanish Federation of Camping Entrepreneurs for 25 years and also chaired the European Camping Federation.
The Federation also awarded a medal to Antonio Giménez, owner of the Playa Montroig Camping Resort, one of the people who contributed to positioning the sector as a reference and who has been collaborating on the boards of directors at the provincial, autonomous, and state level for more than 30 years. His campsite has boasted ADAC Supertplatz recognition since 1995 and is part of the LeadingCampings of Europe network.
Collaboration is the key to future success
In Vilanova i La Geltrù the first Catalan Campsite Congress therefore highlighted the importance of the sector on the local economy, created important meeting opportunities between numerous international protagonists and gave space to interesting debates on the main challenges that the sector faces, not only in Catalonia but throughout Europe.
Miquel Gotanegra, closing the congress, announced his desire to give continuity to this international dialogue by proposing the creation of a European forum in Stuttgart. The Catalan event took place in an atmosphere of great collaboration also with the Federación Española de Campings, of which the Federació Catalana de Càmpings is not part. However, the event demonstrated that by working together in the same direction, both at a national and European level, the future of the sector can only be brilliant.
