Salou open six football fields in 2012 to lead the sports tourism in Costa Dorada

Salou. Costa Dorada. Between the spring and summer of 2012, Salou added to your offer of a large sports facilities promoted by private and dedicated to soccer practice.

Xavier Blasi, director general of campsites Sangulí Salou and Cambrils Park, companies with more than 40 years experience in the field of tourism, is also the developer of this new project, which he described as daring, but believes it can have much travel and you can open in Salou and the Costa Dorada a path to the seasonality of tourism season, currently very focused on the summer months.

In this objective, the lengthening of the tourist season beyond the summer, and make Europe Salou beach throughout the year are fully consistent both private initiative and the City of Salou, willing to work together to make this possible. To do this, Salou has begun working with great intensity in the recruitment of so-called sports tourism, and by participating in organizing major events such as the World Rally Championship or International Open Dance Sport, encouraging private initiative for the creation new equipment or promoting other directly from the public sector.

Therefore, the objective is clear: to position Salou, a municipality with a wide and diverse range of accommodation, as a preferred destination of sports tourism, both organizing big events such as creating infrastructure that can accommodate them.

And right now, and as a private initiative, the project promoted by Xavier Blasi is undoubtedly the most spectacular and relevant.

Salou.com. - What has been the motivation that has made his company is committed to an innovative project like this and it is considering setting in Salou for a large sports complex primarily devoted to football?

Xavier Blasi. - A few months ago I was knowing that one of the upward trends and the demands in the field of tourism is called sport tourism, mostly related to football. After this first impulse we deal with more information and find that indeed there is a demand in the Nordic countries and Central Europe by teams that, as a result of climate rigor of their countries, are interested in doing sports for a few days stay in areas where the climate is more favorable and, in particular in southern Europe.

In particular, in Salou, some tour operators who specialize in this market segment had already expressed their interest in our area because the supply of accommodation is extensive and quality, but they lack the raw material: the pitch where you can take out the sport.

- And you are willing to create this material?
- Yes. Our company has a very large land with access from Road Cavet, which fit perfectly urbanistically uses sport and also we have experience in the tourism, leisure, catering .. . For all these reasons we felt that in order to innovate and diversify our business, this project fit perfectly. Our goal as a company is to supplement the supply of sun and beach in Salou predominant during the middle months of summer with a new product that allows us to seasonally adjusted tourist season, as the increased demand for this new activity occurs just outside the months of summer.

- What benefits can generate this investment for all Salou?
- We believe that the benefits can be really important as this project comes from listening to the demands of many stakeholders that the project once developed, will have the raw material to market stays, tours and transfers, offer it as a supplement, and all it directly or indirectly promote trade, restaurant, nightlife, etc., always seeking to make an offer to Salou every year from the so-called sports tourism, which can also be complentarias perfectly with the aim of Salou as a destination for family tourism.

From our point of view, this is a daring project, but with a bright future around an activity, soccer, with many years of history and win more fans each day.

- In addition to the equipment stays in other European countries, which you have already made reference to again offer this sports complex?
- The project is designed to operate 365 days a year and will stay open to foreign teams and to the activities of teams or players from home. Among others, our facilities are also eligible for football tournaments, campus of technological recognized by players, adequate to facilitate the recovery of players lessionats and, possibly, and this is a possibility that we are thrilled, we will implement a school football.

- Returning to the issue of sport stays, which are the countries that can act as source markets, interested in this offer? And what would be the applicant team's profile?
- The countries potentially interested in this offer are many and varied: England, Sweden, Holland, Denmark, Ireland, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Russia, Eastern Europe, in addition to markets or Asian Americans in the latter case also in women's football side, where we also found that there is a significant demand.

In addition, another interesting field is the one that offers a combination of sport and language learning, where we also have a lot of travel.

The profile of the teams, we believe that our demand will come mainly from amateur teams, youth teams and equipment, second line, since some of these countries to register a child or youth in soccer, as well of weekly training and regular competitions, also includes a stay of several days outside the country to participate in training and development rooms.

- What features will the soccer fields of this complex? How many fields are there?
- The project will include six soccer fields for practice regulation size football 11 according to FIFA rules: 105 meters long by 67 wide. Of these six fields, four are natural grass and two artificial turf. These fields, halved, become twelve fields for soccer practice 7. In addition, we also have a space that will allow us to provide land for other competitions, according to the needs of the moment, such as beach soccer.

- And as for the general equipment?
- Will include an office, a bar, changing rooms, massage rooms and meeting rooms for technical discussions, preparation of strategies or the organization of events related to our business or team activity.

- The new complex will be open to the public?
- The new complex will be strictly private and therefore not open to the general public but will be acessible in a controlled manner so that they can access all kinds of companions or people interested in new facilities and its sports.

- What is the timetable? When available, these facilities?
- Once all the paperwork, our expectation is to begin to move earth in late August, early September this year, 2011, in order to launch the new complex in the spring or summer of 2012. The most laborious part of this project is the movement of land and to extend water services, electricity, etc. to the barricades. These duties require the participation of many machines, but since there is little volume of work in terms of new buildings, the process can be intensive and very fast.

- As for the task of distributing and marketing, what timetable you expect to run?
- Normally, during the month of June is the closing of hiring specialized circuits for winter and next years season. So, next year, 2012, with installations completed or nearing completion will be when we market our initiative intensity. We assume that the first year will be making contact, but we are confident that with the experience of 2012, 2013 and subsequent years will allow us to put us on the path to profitability.

- Even in the realm of expectations, I dare to forecast what move can lead this initiative?
- As for the rooms, work with the aim to capture at least about 200 teams annually. Typically, these teams comprise some 25 members and we expect a average stays of 5 nights. This means about 25,000 overnight stays in Salou, which we trust will gradually increase. In addition to the rooms, there are other possible activities, as I mentioned before, such as tournaments and, no doubt, will gradually emerging new possibilities.

- Anyway, you face this project in some difficult times for the economy, although tourism is one of the few who faces the future with optimism.
- Yes, we set off at a time certainly difficult, but anyway we have similar experiences of other times too complicated. Our company started the project of Cambrils Park in 1995 with the purchase of some land where they could build 1,100 apartments, a project that was later due to the serious crisis at that time suffered from the housing sector.

The following year, after having requested a change of use to develop the activities of camping, open at a time when private investment was completely stopped, much like what is happening now. Then, little by little we have been transforming the Cambrils Park in a resort with bungalows of different types, but always thinking that our users must be within reach, within the enclosure, all kinds of services. In any case, both the Cambrils Park project as we are now launching, what is needed is to believe in the project and work, always striving to move forward.