Six Italian journalists spent their holidays in the Basque Country from 4 to 7 November. They arrived in Bilbao on Friday, November 4. In the Crusoe Treasure submarine winery, wine and pintxos were made, the Guggenheim museum was visited and then dinner at the luxurious Michelin star Atelier Etxanobe restaurant for over 150 euros per person.

In the other three days, they continued planning similar to the first day. They visited the Balenciaga museum in Getaria, met Zarautz, took them to eat at the Michelin star Kokotxa restaurant in San Sebastian, and continued with pintxos tasting, among others. And in Álava, on the contrary, they went to the Izki Golf, the Pardo of Campezo! They ate in the restaurant and took Laguardia and the famous winery Marqués de Riscal, paying everything. In Vitoria, they ate at the Zabala restaurant.

The six journalists came from the Italian media specialized in tourism journalism: Itinerari e Luoghi, Bell’Europa magazine and its editorial Cairo Editore, Radio Popolare and Dove magazine from the prestigious media Corriere della Sera.

Just a month after returning from the weekend’s trip, Radio Popolar dedicated a session of approximately an hour to tourism in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, explaining as “exotic” “the indigenous minority language,” the Basque language. The magazine Dove, on the other hand, at the end of the trip, presented a small list of “cities to visit” in the Spanish state, including both San Sebastian and Bilbao and La Rioja, referring to Álava.

Last year for EUR 145,000

The program, called Euskadi Confidential Premium, aims to “strengthen ties with the international community”, according to the Department of Tourism of the Basque Government, to “familiarize yourself with the Basque Country”. In 2022, they spent EUR 145,000 on these press trips. Last year, 26 “press-trips” or press trips were organised, of which twelve came from the Spanish and French States, and from other countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the USA and Filipanes.

This type of travel is organized in collaboration with the Tourist Office of Spain and it is the office itself that advises the invited media.

According to the Councilor of Tourism of the Basque Government, Javier Hurtado, "the media are invited, because of their profile, cast or entry into an interesting market, they can suppose an attractive return for the promotion of the Basque Country".