Landscape and tourism are two realities closely linked, a synergy that will be seen in the first Congress ‘Paisaje, Turismo e Innovación’, whose organisation has been carried out by the Office of the Vice-Principal for Territorial Projection and Participation. Experts of different disciplines will analyse the factors that are linked to the binomial landscape-tourism: cultural and nature tourism, accessible landscape, the importance of social networks in the experience of the tourist, and, of course, gastronomic tourism. 

At 9:30 it will take place the opening act carried out by the vice-principal for Territorial Projection and Participation, Jorge Hermosilla; the general director of Tourism of the Valencian Government, Raquel Huete; and the coordinator of the congress and head of Initiatives of the same office of the Vice-Principal, Walesska Schlesinger.  

Rafael Mata, full university professor of Regional Geographical Analysis of the Autonomous University of Madrid, will give the opening conference titled ‘Paisaje y turismo: de la estandarización a las experiencias singulares’ (Landscape and Tourism: from standardisation to special experiences). Professor Mata is an expert in rural geography, landscape and environment. He has been director of the Atlas of the Spanish Landscapes and in the last 15 years he has written various Spatial plans in the sub-regional area in different autonomous communities, as well as the valuing of their landscapes. 

Then, there will be four round tables, two in the morning and two in the evening. The first one of them aims at analysing the successful experiences in the Valencian territory of natural and cultural interest. It will be moderated by the professor of the UV Emilio Iranzo, and they will participate Francisco Celda (Avensport), Belén Miguel (Municipal Board of Tourism of Peniscola), Daniel Mayo (Hotel Paisaje Vivood Benimantell) and Rosa María Rodríguez Artola (Universitat Jaume I). The second round table, moderated by professor Rosa Yagüe (Universitat de València), will address the topic of Accessible Landscape. They will intervene in the debate Mercè Luz Arqué (head of the department of Culture and Leisure of the ONCE Foundation), Miguel Nonay (executive director of ‘Viajeros sin límite’ -Travellers without limits- and blogger of www.asaltodemata.com), Diego J. González Velasco (general manager of AccesTurismo) and Pilar Furió (creator of the project yotambienviajo.com).

The evening session will start with the round table ‘Sabores del paisaje valenciano: paisaje, turismo e innovación’ (Flavours of the Valencian Landscape: landscape, tourism and innovation), moderated by the full university professor Amparo Cervera (Universitat de València). In this colloquium they will participate José Benlloch (Sequer Lo Blanch), Paco Higón (Verema), Luis Gil-Orozco (Wine-Route Utiel-Requena), Marta Templado (TURIART and Gestora Agriculturaltours) and Silvia Sanz (Universitat de València). The last round table, titled ‘Paisaje 2.0’ (Landscape 2.0), aims at analysing the role of social networks in tourism and landscape. The moderator will be Gregorio García (director of the Master’s degree in Tourism of the UV) and they will intervene Gerson Beltrán (geographer/ Geolocalisation-Geomarketing-Geotourism), Álex Díaz (Hiking group ‘Casiaventurilla’) and Ana Santos (Igger, Founder&CEO Eventosfera, SocialTrip, creator of the brand ‘Siente Teruel’, etc).

The closing conference ‘Landscape and flavours’, by Quique Dacosta.
At 17:00, the Alicante’s chef with 3 Michelin stars Quique Dacosta will offer the conference ‘Landscape and flavours’. The chef will analyse the synergies between tourism and gastronomy and he will defend the importance of native products to carry out an avant-garde cooking which surprises the guest.

Finally, the closing act will be presided by the principal of the Universitat de València, Esteban Morcillo, and the autonomous secretary of the Valencian Bureau of Tourism, Francesc Colomer. The encounter will conclude in the Cloister of La Nau with a tasting of Valencian products and a musical concert.

The coordinator of the Congress, Walesska Schlesinger, has explained that the interest of the public has been really high, ‘registrations have already been closed due to the speed with which the limit of 250 people has been reached”, she claimed. And she added that the objective of this congress is to ‘visualise the different experiences and touristic products that have appeared due to the characteristics of the landscape of the Valencian Community”. 

The vice-principal for Territorial Projection and Participation, Jorge Hermosilla, has pointed out that this first Congress is part of the joint initiative between the Universitat de València and the Valencian Bureau of Tourism, which includes the production of television videos, the realisation of two itinerant exhibitions and the edition of various publications. 

This action is organised by the Valencian Bureau of Tourism and the UV in the framework of the collaboration agreement subscribed by both entities in 2016 for the promotion of research and innovation in the Valencian tourist sector. 

More information at invattur.gva.es and projeccio.uv.es

Information leaflet