1. COMPETITIVE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF
TOURISM IN TUSCANY REGION
Thermal bath and Culture of Tuscany hills &
Catalogna

2. BRIEF SUMMARY
OBJECTIVES: disseminate the touristic activity around the Escornalbou Castle to the surrounding
territory, called the Escornalbou Barony, and through the year by creating a touristic activity around
the landscape characteristics.
SUBOBJECTIVES:
Identify the present resources of the territory based on the history and traditional culture of the
region
Evaluate the type of potential tourism that can be generated in the region
Evaluate the actual management of the resources identified to identify the actions to be done to
improve their touristic activity and/or attraction
Elaborate a strategic plan to achieve a solid and sustainable touristic activity in the region

3. CATALAN PARTNER AND TERRITORY INVOLVED
TERRITORY
INVOLVED
4 municipalities
physically
structured
around a strategic
orographic point,
the Hill of
Escornalbou,
which has a
Castle and
Monastery that
are an important
touristic resource
Paths that join each village with the Escornalbou Hill, only by food or bike
Escornalbou Hill
Riudecanyes
Duesaigües
L’Argentera
Vilanova d’Escornalbou
ESCORNALBOU
CASTLE
Only the Escornalbou
Castle has a solid
touristic activity
while at the villages
it is very poor and
absolutely seasonal.
They don’t have a
strong relation with
the castle.

4. MAIN CHARACTERISSTICS OF THE PROJECT AND OBJECTIVES TO SOLVE
Landscape
resources
Tranquillity, natural
and agricultural
landscape and big
diversity of cultural
resources
Private
stakeholders
Lack of visibility of
the enterprises, no
exist tourism
product and there
is no teamwork
Public stakeholders
Non coordination
between the
different
municipalities and
lack of a common
strategy
Tourists
They don’t receive
information about the
territory. They arrive to it
looking for tranquillity and
landscapes or proximity to
Costa Daurada region
How to use/creation of identity
Attraction /knowledge /evaluation
Identity/comunication
organization
Lack on knowledge about their own
landscape resources and how to create
touristic products around theses resources
Very poor communication with the
Management officer of the Escornalbou
Castle
Exist a big willingness of
the different
stakeholders to work
together but they don’t
know how
Lack of tourists information, about their
motivation to travel, customer satisfaction and so
on. There are only individual promotional
strategy.
Lack of common touristic products or offers
There isn’t a specific touristic identity
of the territory.
There isn’t a touristic differentiation of
the territory and its main resources
neither
The main touristic resource (the castle)
has very poor connection with the
surrounding territories

5. THERMAL BATHS AND CULTURE IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY AND CATALONIA (TCMT&C)
METHODOLOGY- ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT
IDENTIFICATION
TOURISTIC IDENTITY
CREATION
EVALUATION OF
THE RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
TOURISTIC
IDENTITY/
STRATEGY
TOURISTIC
ACTIVITY
TOURISTIC
RESOURCES
LANDSCAPE
ELEMENTS/RESO
URCES
VALUE CREATION
CATALAN METHODOLOGY
SHARED ERNEST METHODOLOGY
RESULTS

6. 1st PART: CATALAN METHODOLOGY
TOURISTIC
RESOURCES
LANDSCAPE
ELEMENTS
IDENTIFICATION OF THE
LANDSACPE ELEMENTS
DEFINITION OF THE
POTENTIAL TYPE OF
TOURISM
IDENTIFICATION OF
TOURISTIC RESOURCES
Specific studies using a
innovative methodology
Meetings with public
stakeholders
Interviews with public and
private stakeholders
Technical study:
identification of the most
potential type of tourism
for the region based on
the landscape resources
identified *
Technical study:
Identification of the main
landscape resources in the
region that can be used for
a touristic activity
*Types of tourism: Ecotourism, active tourism, recreation tourism in the nature, Agricultural tourism, cultural –monumental tourism, traditional
culture and folklore tourism, health tourism and business tourism
IDENTIFICATION
CREATION A TOURISTIC
IDENTITY
Technical study: list of
touristic resources to be
used for each type of
potential tourism.
TOURISTIC
IDENTITY
TOURISTIC IDENTITY
CREATION
THERMAL BATHS AND CULTURE IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY AND CATALONIA (TCMT&C)

7. RESULTS
PRINCIPAL RESOURCES IDENTIFIED: TRANQUILITY, DIVERSITY OF
RURAL AND NATURAL LANDSCAPE AND DIVERSITY OF
TRADICIONAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
POTENTIAL TOURISM THAT CAN BE IMPLANTED
POTENTIAL TYPES OF TOURISM TO DEVELOP
• Health tourism: based on the tranquility, views over beauty
and interesting landscapes, favorable climate, clean air and
relaxing atmosphere
• Recreational tourism in the nature: based on the needs to
escape from the everyday environments, and to enjoy doing
activities at the nature
• Agricultural tourism: based on offering the experience of living
the rural life, practicing and learning about agricultural and
farming traditional activities and enjoying traditions
THERMAL BATHS AND CULTURE IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY AND CATALONIA (TCMT&C)
1st PART: RESULTS

8. Evaluation of the necessities of each identified touristic resource to improve their touristic potential
TOURISTIC RESOURCE ACTUAL TOURISTIC USE
POTENTIAL TOURISTIC
USE
ACTIONS
Technical study : Evaluation of
the different resources
identified following this
classification*
Technical study :
-Actual touristic offer and
organization of each resource
-- seasonal use and attraction
Technical study/evaluation :
-Accessibility
- importance, potential
attraction of the resource
-Potential to improve their
use and attractiveness
Technical study and workshop
with public and private
stakeholders:
Define concrete actions to
improve the attraction of
each resource
*
THERMAL BATHS AND CULTURE IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY AND CATALONIA (TCMT&C)
2nd PART: COMMON METHODOLOGY
MAIN ACCOMODATIONS AND TOURISTIC SERVICES
CULTURAL SITES
MAIN SPORT SITES
MAIN HERITAGE AND HISTORY SITES
MAIN LOCAL IDENTITY SITES
MAIN NATURAL AREAS AND LANDSCAPES

9. 20 MAIN ACCOMODATIONS AND TOURISTIC SERVICES 1 MAIN ULTURAL SITES
4 MAIN SPORT SITES
5 MAIN HERITAGE AND HISTORY SITES
7 MAIN LOCAL IDENTITY SITES
3 MAIN NATURAL AREAS AND LANDSCAPES
THERMAL BATHS AND CULTURE IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY AND CATALONIA (TCMT&C)
2nd PART: RESULTS
Based on local costumers, mainly at summer time.
Most of the costumers using the existing services
arrive looking for landscape and tranquility, not for the
presence of the Escornalbou Castle. So, the tourists
that visit the Castle do not stay at the region. The
relation between the castle and the surroundings
territories needs to be strengthen.
Opened only by booking. Action should be taken to
improve its daily time table by organizing
complementary activities related to agricultural culture
They can be used through the year but now there are
not touristic activities related. Create information about
the possibilities in active tourism and organize concrete
events.
The Escornalbou Castle is the main touristic attraction
used through the year, but it must to be improved its
attraction capacity organizing events and concrete
activities and relating it with the surrounding territories
and resources.
Most of the other history sites can improve their
potential use by increasing their attractiveness with
actions that relate them with the Escornalbou Castle
and the history of the Barony.
They can be used through the year but now there are
not touristic activities related. Create information about
the sites to be visited and organize paths and routes.
All the existing resources are not organized for touristic
activity. All together they can offer a touristic activity
through all the year and for different type of tourists,
mainly the agricultural and folklore tourism but they
also can be a complement to health tourism (local
ecological products) and business tourism (cultural
outdoor activities)

10. 4 MAIN SPORT SITES
7 MAIN LOCAL IDENTITY SITES3 MAIN NATURAL AREAS AND LANDSCAPES
5 MAIN HERITAGE AND HISTORY SITES
2nd PART: RESULTS

11. 11

12. L1 ACTIONS TO IMPROVE ATRACTIVINESS
OF THE GLOBAL TERRITORY
1 CREATION OF A BARONY ESCORNALBOU
BRAND (logotype and common image for
the 4th territories related to the castle)
2 CREATION A COMMON PROMOTIONAL
WEB
3 PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL OF THE 4TH
VILLAGES AFORDABLE AT THE CASTLE
4 CREATION OF A COMMON PROMOTER OF
THE ECORNALBOU BRAND
5 CREATING A COMMON GEOCACHING
TOURISTIC PRODUCT
6 POSITIONING THE BRAND INSIDE THE
FAMILIAR TOURISM
7 REGULAR WORKSHOPS WITH THE
PRIVATE STAKEHOLDERS TO IMPROVE
THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE
TERRITORY (THEY ARE TOURISTIC
INFORMATION POINTS)
8 COMMON FESTIVITY AGENDA
9 RELATE THE ESCORNALBOU BRAND WITH
THE COSTA DORADA TOURISTIC AREA
10 PROMOTE THE LOCAL TRADITIONS OF
EACH VILLAGE FROM THE CASTLE
11 TO IMPROVE THE IMAGE OF THE
TERRITORY INSIDE THE SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM
L2 ACTIONS TO IMPROVE USE AND ATRACTIVINESS
OF CONCRETE RESOURCES
1 CREATION OF HIKING, BIKE AND HORSE
ITINERARIES/PATHS
2 CREATION A SPECIFIC PRODUCTS FOR OLIVE OIL
AND HAZELNUTS GASTRONOMYC PRODUCTS:
OLEOTOURISM (concrete activities and , routes
and visits)
3 START DOING AQUATIC ACTIVITIES AT THE
RIUDECANYES RESERVOIR
4 CREAT A THEMATIC DAY IN EACH VILLAGE AND
AT THE CASTLE SIDE SPREAD THROUGH THE
YEAR (sport festival at Vilanova village, olive oil
festival at Riudecanyes village, train festival at
Duesaigües village, culture and traditions festival
at Argentera village, History of the XVII century
conferences at the Escornalbou Castle)
5 GASTRONOMYC SHOWS
6 INCREASE THE ACTIVE SPORT ACTIVITIES AT THE
MOUNTAIN SECTORS OF THE TERRITORY
7 CREATE A LEAFLATE WITH HIKINGS FORM THE
CASTLE TO EACH VILLAGE
8 CREAT A SPECIFIC TOURISTIC PRODUCTS
(accommodation + Castel ticket + guided tour +
traditional lunch or dinner)
9 CREATE SPECIFIC PRODUCT FOR SMALL
ENTERPRISES (accommodation +meeting
facilities and different type of outdoor activities )
10 ORGANIZE SPORT RACES (marathon, triathlon…)
L3 ACTIONS TO IMPROVE USE OF CONCRETE
RESOURCES
1 PUBLICATE A BOOK WITH EXCURCIONS
AROUND THE BARONY TERRITORY
2 ORGANIZE A COMMON CONCRETE
FESTIVITY AT THE CASTLE
3 CREATE CULTURAL ROUTE THORUGH THE
4TH VILLAGES AND THE CASTLE
4 CREATE A COMMON LABEL FOR ALL THE
PRODUCTS PRODUCED INSIDE THE BARONY
TEERRITORI
5 CREATE A CIRCULAR ROUTE TO DO BY CAR,
FOOD OR BIKE DURING ONE WEEK AROUND
THE BARONY TERRITORY WITH ALL THE
ACCOMODATIONS AND FOOD RESERVES
6 CREATE A GASTRONOMIC MENÚ WITH THE
SPECIFIC BARONY BRAND
7 ORGANIZE MORE CULTURAL EVETNS AT THE
CASTLE
8 CREATE A PANNEL AT THE ESCORNALBOU
HILL WHICH IDENTIFIES EACH VILLAGE AND
ITS RELATION WITH THE CASTLE
STRATEGY AND OPERATIONAL PLAN
Actions are listed in order of
priority

13. www.ernesttuscanyproject.eu
Thermal bath and Culture
of Tuscany hills & Catalogna
www.adhocweb.net