The Spanish and especially the Catalans invaded the south of Occitania during this long Purissima weekend. Five days that many have chosen to spend in the surroundings of Perpignan in particular. Excellent news for tourism professionals, particularly in the Pyrénées-Orientales.
The Barcarès Christmas village was packed with people this weekend of December 9 and 10, 2023. And for the most part, the curious and end-of-year market lovers came… from southern Catalonia.
“We heard it was goodexplains a woman who came to visit the Barcarès Christmas market with her family. We have children in the group and we were happy that they could discover the park.”
“We don’t have that at home. We have Christmas lights, we have lights in the street, but not a park like this, it’s magnificent”explains in French a father who is repeating the experience after coming last year with his children. “It was great for them !”
It must be said that at Barcarès, a few kilometers from Perpignan, these days, the sweet machines are operating at full capacity. And the endless queues.
Since Wednesday, the Spaniards have been celebrating the Feast of La Puríssima, a long weekend marked by the Feast of the Constitution on Wednesday and the Immaculate Conception on Friday, a non-working period that the Spaniards and particularly the southern Catalans love for traveling.
A long weekend, which they spent almost everywhere in the Pyrénées-Orientales and even in Aude. Carcassonne and Narbonne also welcomed an influx of tourists from across the Pyrenees this week.
In Perpignan, as in Narbonne, restaurants have even translated their menus. And Catalonia invites itself onto the plate and requires good organization. “There is a service for French people and loyal Perpignan customers from noondescribes Camille Otéro, the owner of the Vienne café. Then we start again around 2 p.m. with the Catalans, because they are more used to eating later.”
We had reservations well in advance.
Good news also for tourism professionals who record between 60% and 80% reservation rates. Example in a hotel where the manager would have liked to push the walls, because she had to refuse many customers. “We had reservations well in advance with this public holiday in Spain, on the 6thJelena Novcic, the manager of the Galion hotel. With a lot of families who come to discover a little bit of the department.”
In short, it’s a more than successful long weekend which ends this Sunday, December 10, like a Christmas before its time.
2023-12-11 01:39:52
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