Biarritz audiovisual guides are available in French, German, English and Spanish, but not in Basque. This has called into question the agreement signed in 2021 between Biarritz and Donostia for the promotion of the Basque Country, as the Kazeta media has gathered.

To explain the gap, the director of the tourist office of Biarritz, Genevieve Fontain, argues that there is no immediate demand for the Basque country: “It’s not a forgetfulness, it’s a finding we’ve made in the arena. It is made according to the languages that are required of us and Euskera is not an immediate demand”.

On the other hand, Fontain explains that audioguides are still in “trial phase” and that they have to check what is “cost-effective”: “It must allow you to see which languages are working and not working, and see what can be added, among other things. But, of course, that has a cost and has to be profitable.”

Richard Tardits, deputy director of tourism, stresses that audioguides have been created in the most demanded languages. He also points out that “very few” tourists demand information in Basque because he understands that those who speak in Basque “also know French or Spanish”.

Tardits pointed out, however, that if the number of tourists requesting audioguides in Basque increases, they would be willing to implement them: “If we had it at Ukan, this would allow us to see that perhaps it is true that you have to make audioguides in Basque.”