La Dépêche du Midi

The TGV effect: 90,000 Spanish tourists in Narbonne in 2016

Since the opening of the TGV Paris-Barcelona line, the city of Narbonne attracts more and more Spanish tourists. In three years, the attendance of our Hispanic neighbors has jumped by 85% for those who go through the Tourist Office. "It is estimated that around 90,000 Spaniards visited the city in 2016," says Mariline Etero, the Director of the Office. "

But this boom, synonymous with increased turnover for many traders, in the city center and at the Halles, did not happen on its own. The town hall, the Renfe-SNCF and the restaurant Les Grands Buffets on Friday learned the lessons of their partnership, set up since mid-2014. A "positive alchemy", which benefited all three parties, notably through about thirty press trips organized for the Spanish media. The objective: to make the city known as a tourist destination in its own right, with the public of Barcelona and Madrid.

"Narbonne was the unexpected nugget, on an offer that was thought to be designed primarily for long distance," said Yann Monod, director of Renfe-SNCF in cooperation. This is the fourth market in terms of traffic on the line, ahead of Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse. And its growth is enormous. "
 

http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2017/02/03/2510410-effet-tgv-90-000-tour...