"Geniuses like Gaudi, Miro Casals and Picasso": Sonia Serracarbassa, Catalan Convention Bureau

Barcelona is a beacon for Catalan tourism, but the region has other assets. Can you tell us about some of them?

Sonia Serracarbassa - Between sea and mountains, Catalonia offers a wide variety of activities and landscapes. While the Costa Brava coastline has seduced many artists, it's worth mentioning the inland areas, with Girona and its Jewish quarter. The Costa Daurada is home to beaches, the Priorat wine region, culture with Roman Tarragona and modernist architecture in Reus... As well as its beaches, the Costa Barcelona boasts towns with an industrial tradition, such as Sabadell and Terrassa. The Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park and the Val d'Aran are ideal for mountain sports. Then there's the UNESCO-listed Romanesque churches of the Vall de Boí.

What events can MICE groups use as an excuse to come to Catalonia?

S. S. - The most important sporting events are the GP motorbike and Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya, the Barcelona Marathon and the Spanish Open Golf Championship. On the cultural front, there's Sònar and Primavera Sound in Barcelona, the Porta Ferrada festival and the Cap Roig festival on the Costa Brava. Other highlights include Temps de Flors in Girona, Tarraco Viva in Tarragona and La Patum in Berga.

How did the idea for the "Landscape of Genius Route" come about?

S. S. - El Paisatge dels Genis" is a tourism project promoted by the towns of Reus, Mont-roig del Camp, El Vendrell and Horta de Sant Joan, in collaboration with the Tarragona Regional Tourist Board and the Rovira i Virgili University, with the aim of creating and developing a tourist offer that takes advantage of the links with the region forged by such geniuses as Gaudi, Miro, Casals and Picasso.