News from exhibitors and delegates attending Routes Europe 2024 in Aarhus, Denmark.
Basque Country Eyes Northern And Eastern Europe
The Basque Country’s three key airports—Bilbao, San Sebastian and Vitoria—are poised for a summer season of stability following a strong year in 2023.
Andrés Rodríguez, from Basque Country Tourism (Euskadi), says last year marked a “historical record of activity.” Bilbao Airport, the Spanish region’s largest gateway, recorded 6.3 million passengers in 2023, up from 5.1 million during the previous 12 months.
Looking ahead, Basque Country Tourism’s strategic ambitions include enhancing connectivity with key European markets and establishing direct links with long-haul destinations.
“Our goal is to secure direct connections with northern and eastern European markets,” Rodríguez said. “Additionally, we aspire to establish routes to highly sought-after destinations like the American East Coast and the Middle East.”
Furthermore, Basque Country Tourism aims to diversify its carrier base and foster growth in cargo activity. “Carrier diversification and sustained growth in cargo operations are key priorities for us,” Rodríguez says.
U.S. Among Balearic Islands Targets
Agència d'Estratègia Turistica de les Illes Balears (AETIB), the tourism organization for the Balearic Islands, is seeking to establish and expand routes from destinations in the U.S. and northern Europe, as well as low-season routes to Menorca and Ibiza.
Through strategic partnerships with major airports in Central Europe, the agency also aims to tap into unserved or underserved outbound markets, fostering increased accessibility and visitor flow.
Speaking at Routes Europe 2024, a spokesperson for AETIB said that alongside increasing air service, a priority of the organization is to ensure the Balearic Islands tourism industry grows in a sustainable way.
“Sustainability in the islands has become an undeniable priority, both for the preservation of the natural heritage and for the economic viability of tourism activities,” the spokesperson said.
“We need to define a series of actions aimed at giving tourism the value it deserves, with a very clear objective: to give back to the destination what tourism has given us, and to manage natural, social and economic resources efficiently.”
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