Palm city charm

ELCHE showcased its natural beauty and impressive tourist attractions at the BTravel and B­Industrial fair in Barcelona from Friday, March 24 until Sunday, March 26.

Tourism representative, Carles Molina, highlighted the importance of the Catalan market for the city’s tourism strategy, saying that the city wants to attract more visitors from the Catalan market. The fair welcomes attendees from over 40 countries, with 120 exhibitors showcasing various tourism products and services, and Elche’s presence at the fair is sure to guarantee the city access to an even bigger market.

The fair provided an op­ portunity for Elche to showcase its rich industrial heritage, including olive oil mills, vineyards, shoe factories, and traditional palm groves, to potential visitors from the Catalan market.

The city’s excellent air, rail, and road connections make it easily accessible to tourists from Catalonia.

The team also participated in a workshop with agents from the Catalan tourism sector. Catalan tourism is particularly important to the local economy, accounting for a nearly 5 per cent market share.

Elche wants to boost its tourism sector and attract more visitors from various regions of Spain and beyond.

One of the most ambitious parts of the renovation project was the creation of a massive 4,200 square metre ‘pump track’, a cycling track that promises to be a game­changer for outdoors­lovers.

Local mayor, Eduardo Dolón, took a trip to the park on Wednesday, March 22 to inspect progress on the project. During the visit, Dolón met with the councillor for Parks, Antonio Vidal, the chief engineer of the construction company, Urdecon, José Manuel Fernández, and the director of the pump track construction, Christian Tidow. “We’re looking at the largest fully­tarmacked pump track in the world. It’s pioneering in Spain. It’s going to be a game­changer for our country,”Tidow explained. A pump track is a type of cycling track consisting of a circuit of bumps and turns that allow cyclists to ride without pedalling. Cyclists use a pumping motion and shift their weight on the bike to propel themselves through the course.