The hoteliers of Castellón, under the umbrella of the Product Introducing Club, They are finalizing a major international marketing offensive to get the most out of the new flights from Castelló airport, but also from the greater diversity of routes from Valencia that complement it.
Its objective is to have ready this March, from the outset, plane packages plus accommodation to market them to tour operators and that they offer them to the general public, where possible, for this summer while the lines “in Poland, Germany and Seville are operational. (in the national market)”, they indicated.
The president of the Introducing Castellón Product Club, Javier Gallego, advanced that next Tuesday, February 28 (12:00, at the Intur hotel, in Castelló), the associated businessmen will be summoned to reveal the details of the Action Plan 2023. “This, indeed, includes promotional campaigns (whether product presentations, workshops or trade missions) in all the markets where we have direct connection flights, except Bucharest or Budapest, which we now understand are of another level.”
Gallego recalled that a first coming-out has already been made for make the destination Castellón more known in Germany, in Munich (last January 31), «and now we are preparing presentations in Düsseldorf, in Katowice (Poland), Brussels (Belgium), Dublin (Ireland), London (England), Rome (Italy) and Porto ( Portugal). And in Germany, not only in Düsseldorf, but in more cities with which we can have a connection through Valencia”.
Regarding the national market, “this week we visited Seville to present to the travel agencies the hotel, plane and transfer packages, plus experiences. The fact that the flights operate Thursday and Sunday allows us to offer getaways of 4 days or longer, of 10”. «In Madrid we contemplate some other initiative besides Fitur before the end of the year; and another in Zaragoza”, reviewed the business manager. Returning to the international arena, he emphasized that “in countries with direct flights from Castellón We are very advanced in negotiations with tour operators to make flight and hotel packs ».
The board of trustees, at the ITB Berlin fair
- Stand: The idea of the tourism entrepreneurs from Castellón is to tie the operations to the first week of March, when the Berlin ITB fair will be held. The appointment will take place from Tuesday, March 7, to Thursday, March 9; and the Provincial Tourism Board of Castellón is planned as an exhibitor.
- 5th issuer: In 2022, the slow recovery of the German issuer market can be seen, after the covid. Spain received 9,763,261 Germans, 87.4% more than in 2021 and 12.5% less than in 2019. The Community is the fifth favorite autonomous community and grew 61% in visitors; Madrid (178%) and Catalonia (143%).
Options for summer 2024
“We are working to offer them this 2023 while the line lasts. For Munich we are going to look at packages from other airports like the one in Valencia because they are not in Castellón”, he said. “Some destinations in Germany that work earlier will already be included in the programming of German tour operators for the summer of 2024”, toGallego added.
The increase in international flights in 2023 will have an impact on the share of foreign visitors to Castellón, which is around 20%. However, hoteliers anticipate that “the impacts of the new international lines will still be small for what we would like. There are few flights: two weekly flights can reach 370 passengers (or reach 1,200 per month and 5,000 or 6,000 in season)”.
Flights all year round, the goal
For this reason, this international plan 2023 is “an effort at the business level, of the product club.” «The line is that and what we are already doing is linking these air routes with development actions. Because the problem is not just that it comes Ryanair or WizzAir and put a plane. What interests us is to generate a dynamic for tourists to visit us and to ensure that these seasonal flights are annual. We work with Valencia because it has a greater assortment of destinations and frequencies –more from Germany (Munich), the Netherlands and Poland–. If the client goes to Montanejos, the distance from the airports by bus is minimal. If it is to Peñíscola, things change. But from the south of Castellón to Benicàssim it is 15 minutes up or down by bus ».
The president of the CEV Castellon and Vice President of Ashotur, Luis Martí, He opined that “the greater dynamism of the airport, opening international routes, will result in an increase in foreign tourists.” And Lola Guillamón, president of the Chamber of Commerce, assessed: “The management of the airport will contribute decisively to better figures.”
