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The Valencian Community, through the Valencian Export Institute - IVEX, is participating in the Campaign of Promotion of European Products at Sales Points that started this month in Brazil. The initiative is financed by the European Union, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Spanish Federation of food and Drink - FIAB, and nine Autonomous Communities, i.e. Andalusia, Aragon, Castilla Leon, Murcia, Catalonia, Cantabria, Navarre, Asturias, and Extremadura, and the Valencian Community, and consists in promotions at sales points in supermarket chains and gourmet stores destined for medium/upper class public. The companies selected will sell their food products in Brazil, the United States of America, and Japan, and will also count on publicity campaigns in the media, the possibility of offering samples, on meetings with experts, etc. Sao Paulo, with 22 million inhabitants, and a medium/upper class population with sufficient acquisition power to purchase imported goods, was the city chosen to carry out the first of theses promotions, viz., in the Sugar Loaf (Pao de Açucar) supermarket chain, the most important in Brazil. During September, other gastronomic promotion campaigns will take place for two weeks in the Goya Restaurant in the Grand Hotel Melia in the World Trade Centre in Sao Paulo, under the direction of Chef Jose A. Galindo, of the Abades Group in Seville, who will present a buffet with a variety of menus to allow specialities from different Autonomous Communities to be included. The campaign was presented with a cocktail in a prestigious hotel in Sao Paulo, with 100 guests, among them executives from the Sugar Loaf supermarket chain, importers, representatives from the Sao Paulo Trade Office, Chambers of Commerce, and specialized press. The Plan for Promotion at Sales Points for Food and Drink, will be developed over the next three years in markets in Brazil, Japan, and the United States of America, and another campaign in Brazil is planned for November. In 2001, the Valencian Community exported goods for 76.67 million euros to the Brazilian market. TOURIST BOARD EXPECTS INCREASE OF INLAND TOURISM Technicians from the Valencia Tourist Board have carried out a study on the possible tourism and recreation use of dams, reservoirs, and rivers in the Valencian Community, that reveals a possible increase of this type of tourism. These "inland seas" are generally situated in natural landscapes with ecological attractions, and could be used for leisure and recreation. Possible activities could include swimming, rowing, sailing, fishing, boating, etc., but not all reservoirs are equally equipped for these sports, and a second study will be carried out to elaborate a first selection of the most adequate and set up a pilot programme. On the other hand, the Valencian Association of Active Tourism Companies has just been founded, and includes entrepreneurs that develop water related activities. The Valencia Tourist Board has met with representatives of these companies to analyse their problems with a view to studying solutions, and first contacts reveal that these companies have enormous potential for growth and development, and could become an important economic alternative for rural areas of the Valencian Community. One possibility is to establish river stations on the lines of the yacht stations that already exist in the Valencian Community. These yacht stations offer packages that include services such as the possibility to practice boating sports, and includes various companies grouped into a consortium, that not only offer yachting, but also lodgings. A river station would be a novelty, not only in the Valencian Community, but also in the whole of Spain, and would promote lesser known rural regions. Las Hoces of the Cabriel River, and certain stretches of the Jucar River, are pinpointed as being ideal places to start this ambitious tourism project. Other Civil Service departments would also be involved in the project, as would local County Councils, and more especially the hydrography confederations, these being responsible for the management of all public waterways in Spain. The Valencia Tourist Board plans to hold more meetings with the Valencian Association of Active Tourist companies, in the near future. AIMME, FEMEVAL, AND ADECA, LAUNCH METAL WEBSITE The Metal mechanics Technological Institute - AIMME, a member of the Network of Technological Institutes of the Valencian Community - REDIT, has launched a website "infometal.com" that will offer information on companies from the metal sector. This website has also received support from the Valencian Federation of Metallurgic Entrepreneurs - FEMEVAL, the Association of Entrepreneurs of Campollano - ADECA, and the Valencian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Navigation. Support fro the new website has also been forthcoming from the Council of Industry, Trade, and Energy, through the Consolidation and Competitivity Plan of the Valencian Institute for Medium and Small Industries - IMPIVA. Infometal.com will allow companies from the metal sector find and offer information on technological and entrepreneurial services and establish trade relations, as well as participate in debate and discussion forums, and advertise their products with banners and links. A digital newspaper for the sector will also be included. 55 companies are participating in the project so far. |
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