- The ‘Google Trekker Catalunya’ project aims to increase the number of visitors travelling to Catalonia while maintaining the territory’s position as destination that integrates new technologies with the tourism industry
- Catalonia is the European destination with most ‘trekked’ routes per square kilometre
Today, the Minister for Business and Knowledge, Jordi Baiget, together with the Secretary for Governance of Information and Communication Technologies, Jordi Puigneró, and the Director of the Catalan Tourist Board, Xavier Espasa, presented ‘Google Trekker Catalunya’ project at the Mobile World Centre in Barcelona.
The project was made possible through an agreement between Google and the Government of Catalonia, the latter being the first European administration to sign such an accord. As a result, some 300 locations in the Catalonia area are now accessible with Google Street View technology, making Catalonia the region with the most ‘trekked’ routes per square metre in Europe. (List of locations seen through Google Street View in attachment)
The objective of the project is twofold. Firstly, it seeks to increase Catalonia's touristic appeal, highlighting the value of its natural and cultural heritage around the world in order to attract more tourists. Secondly, it aims to maintain Catalonia's position as a benchmark tourism destination in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in tourism promotion.
Led by the Catalan Government’s Telecommunications and Information Technologies Centre (CTTI), the project was made possible through the joint efforts of various Ministries and institutions, including the Ministry of Business and Knowledge, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food. Other bodies involved were the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona, the Provincial Council Tourist Boards from Barcelona, Lleida, Tarragona and the Girona Costa Brava Tourism Board.
What is Google Street View?
Google Street View is a feature of Google Maps that enables users to view and navigate through 360 degree horizontal and 290 degree vertical panoramic street level images of various cities around the world. The Street View feature can be used to take virtual walks, explore landmarks or find shops, restaurants and hotels. Until now, this was only possible in Catalonia in places where vehicles could pass through, but with the new Google Street View project, over 300 new locations in Catalonia are now virtually accessible.
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