In 2020, 138 foreign teams chose the Region for their ‘stages’ despite the limitation in the supply of flights and the pandemic
MURCIA, 6 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Ministry of Tourism, Youth and Sports participated this week in one of the most important international football industry forums, the ‘Soccerex Connected’, with the aim of reinforcing the image of the Region of Murcia as a safe destination for host the preseason and concentration of foreign teams.
During this virtual event, which was held for five days, from February 1 to 5, technicians from the Ministry of Tourism, Youth and Sports held, together with representatives of the Pinatar Arena and La Manga Club complexes, strategic meetings with international federations, sports associations, clubs and other professionals linked to the segment.
In addition, the platform allowed the destination and the sports and hotel complexes to participate in ‘networking’ sessions, round tables and talks, as well as to present to the attendees all the regional offer and facilities.
According to the Minister of Tourism, Youth and Sports, Cristina Sánchez, international federations and clubs plan their concentrations well in advance, “and more so now in the face of the uncertainty generated by Covid-19.” Sánchez stressed that “the work we have developed throughout this fair will be crucial when it comes to attracting teams for the autumn 2021 and winter 2022 season.”
The goal of the Region, he stressed, “is to strengthen our position as a safe and trustworthy destination in the tourism and sports fields. An image supported by the great effort that regional businessmen, administrations and agents of the sector have made to take extreme measures for Covid-19 and for the quality and track record of our complexes and facilities, recognized for years as top-level training centers. ” REACTIVATION OF THE INDUSTRY
The counselor recalled that the Region of Murcia is considered a reference destination for high-performance sports and high technical training, in addition to its sports infrastructure, “which is in the process of expansion, due to its good climate, with 300 days of sunshine per year that allow groups to come for winter stays when it is impossible to practice outdoor sports in their respective countries, due to its wide network of accommodation and its offer of complementary services “.
In 2019, the Region received 581 teams from 21 countries, not only from European destinations, but also from Asia, and 14,051 footballers who generated 73,496 overnight stays, 23,944 more than in 2018.
In this sense, Sánchez indicated that despite the scenario caused by the pandemic, in 2020 this tourism modality managed to attract 138 teams to the Region, reaching 5,000 tourists and 28,676 overnight stays.
“Although it is evident that the football segment has suffered a great impact due to the health emergency, it has also been revealed as one of the sports modalities that have shown the most potential and capacity for reactivation,” he concluded.