Purpose: to promote sports tourism around professional football. First experiences in the highest national category: Elche and Valencia. The city of Elche and the capital of Turia will be the pioneers of the new program to encourage travel for football fans. sponsored by Professional Football League (LFP) and Combined HobbiesThe initiative, which includes the fan club federations of First and Second Division clubs, aims to strengthen the local economies of cities with professional teams and draws on the large human movements generated by their fans’ supporters. .

David Aranda, President of the Peñas del Elche Federation, He told this newspaper that the initiative in the city is “very advanced and includes different departments and municipal and local organizations such as Sports, Tourism, VisitElche or the Hoteliers Association”. The idea is this: “Encourage sport and local economy”“It’s about taking advantage of the large number of people who move football by proposing a range of offers and attractions outside of a particular match, prolonging their stay in the cities they visit by following their team,” explains Aranda. .

To do this, for example, “If you are going to buy a ticket to travel to Vigo, the Federation of Peñas del Celta will send the relevant information to the club and the club will automatically be obliged to present you a ticket with prices set in advance”. With the pass to go to the game, Fan will purchase a package that adds options for leisure, entertainment, culture, hospitality, hospitality and other services Like city transportation.

«In the packages that will be presented with the ticket, the fans will be able to benefit from discounts on the city bus, tickets to different museums in Elche, a guide to local restaurants with special menus, and a fixed price of 20 Euros. , a directory of hotels in the city with maximum costs can also be created and other options can be included. All this will be met by the follower at home when he buys his ticket.», explains the Federation president.

Aranda stated that “at the last meeting, both the mayor and the Sports Councilor were happy and willing to cooperate in this initiative to promote sports tourism in our city.” Elche has a lot to offer fans of the 19 teams that will join Martínez Valero next season. The club closest to the municipality of Las Palmeras is Valencia. There are approximately 170 kilometers between the two towns. There are hundreds (270) more until Almería, the stadium of the next team in terms of geographical separation.

The distances and times Elche has this year could help rival fans come to town, not just for football.but also to get to know other attractions such as the beaches, the Archaeological Museum, the sites of La Alcudia or El Misteri, the Basilica of Santa María, El Palmeral… Elche also has a wide range of tourist attractions. full of gastronomic possibilities and fascinating natural landscapes, mainly Pantano and El Hondo.

experimental test

The Professional Football League and United Hobbies organization conducted the first experimental test of this sports tourism program in the Second Division. Especially on the occasion of the match between them last March Real Valladolid and Las Palmas Sports AssociationIn collaboration with the Valladolid City Council, approximately 200 Canaries were accepted, who spent two nights in a hotel at a discounted price, meeting admission and tourist activities.

The experience was fruitful and the beneficiaries’ response was positive. On the first day, a match was made of both hobbies through their federation. During the event, fans took advantage of the bouncing goalies for the smallest football fans, along with food and drink at a special price. The day ended with a tapas route around the city after the match between the two teams, giving the option to extend the night at a trendy nightclub in the city of Valladolid.

Include the County Council.

David Aranda, president of the Peñas del Elche CF Federation, announced to this newspaper a new corporate meeting to continue moving forward with deals and contracts like those made days ago with the Elche City Council and the Franjiverde club itself. Aranda, among other things, wants to involve the Alicante Provincial Council in its program to promote sports tourism. As he assures, “not just one city benefits from the arrival of competing hobbies. In many cases these tourists stay in other parts of the province. Finally, we “think of an Elche-Osasuna, for example”. Fans from Pamplona can also come to seek the sun or nice weather on the beaches of Torrevieja, Santa Pola or Benidorm. Or you want to take a getaway to the interior of the province to visit its natural landscapes or enjoy its gastronomy,” explains Aranda.

The president of the Franjiverdes fan clubs will seek Diputación’s support in this initiative and others. “The disciples of Elche are not just from the city of Elche…” he states, explaining to state officials that “the significance and resonance that this year of the Centenary will have everything to do with Elche CF.” According to David Aranda, this meeting is scheduled for the end of next week.

foreign tourism agency

For four years, an online travel agency has been organizing stadium visits for foreigners at the matches of the Franjiverde team. With Real Madrid or Barça, you can fill up to four buses with residents of the Costa Blanca or tourists taking a few days off at nearby beaches to enjoy a First Division game. Jessica Hayes and her husband David run this agency, which has brought in dozens, if not hundreds, of “supporters” to the field, mainly British but also from Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and other European countries. Some are already true fans of Elche. With your subscription and everything. They reached 40 subscribers this season.