Impossible to be bored: fifteen after meeting ideas to enjoy from the range on offer

Just like with après-ski, there is an abundant variety and choice of leisure activities for people attending congresses who are spending a few hours or days in Catalonia. They help to surpass the expectations of choosing our territory as a location for professional meetings. Presenting fifteen perfect ideas for MICE travellers.

_Wine tourism: MICE tourism is also a source of visitors for the Penedès, Priorat, Segrià and Empordà regions and their wine and cava producers. The perfect pairing of product and art can be found in places such as the wineries of Codorniu, the highest expression of Catalan Art Nouveau, known locally as Modernisme, where you can even enjoy an escape room experience. There are 600 wineries to be found less than two hours away from Barcelona, so it is not surprising that wine tourism is one of the cornerstones of sustainable, ecological tourism in Catalonia. The choices are endless: from flying over vineyards in the Penedès region in a helicopter and sipping wine at a winery (Heli Wine Experience) to treading grapes in the traditional way or creating your own brandy at Bodegas Torres.

_Shopping: Local shopping hubs can be found in Catalonia’s main congress hosting cities (Barcelona, Tarragona, Lloret de Mar, Sitges, Reus, Girona, Lleida, Manresa...). Business travellers can choose from Catalan fashion (Mango, Desigual, Custo Barcelona, Toni Miró, Rosa Clará...) or personalise their love of fashion shopping in a way they have never done before in outlets such as La Roca Village. VIP services are offered to buyers here who have just attended a business meeting in the same premises as La Roca Village Lounge, or who have travelled specifically to purchase one of its 140 brands. You can also choose to do some virtual shopping.

_Theme parks: Catalonia is a perfect place for theme park experiences. The magic formula for business tourists or convention members can be found at PortAventura Business & Events: a large professional meeting centre that serves both the theme parks of Ferrari Land and PortAventura, including a wide range of accommodation, theme park areas open exclusively to delegates and team building proposals on the same premises. Girona Bookingalso offers an amazing experience to discover the sites in the city of Girona, where the multi-award winning series Game of Thrones was shot.

_Adventure/Nature: Catalonia’s 31,000 square kilometres are more than enough to rid yourself of stress with adrenaline activities such as parachuting, flying in a light aircraft, driving around a Formula 1 circuit in a racing car... One experience that best exemplifies teamwork is descending the rivers of the Pyrenees. Rafting from Llavorsí to Collegats along 52 km through the rapids of the Noguera Pallaresa will leave you with unforgettable memories. For quieter souls, we suggest contemplating the volcanoes of La Garrotxa and the nearby Pyrenees from a hot-air balloon. The incoming agency that sells this activity, Nit i Vol, also offers an authentic hot-air balloon team building competition. Two stimulating maritime activities you can find on the coast of Catalonia include the unusual experience of swimming among bluefin tuna in Ametlla de Mar with Tuna Tour or competing as a team in the style of Basque regattas by rowing on board a skiff in Lloret de Mar.

_Food: Catalan cuisine has become internationalised over the years thanks to its ambassadors (Ferràn Adrià, the Roca brothers...) and the abundance of Michelin star restaurants (55 in 2020). But hidden behind this success is a love for traditional dishes, local produce and allegiance to the hallmark Mediterranean diet and crops that safeguard the territory. Journeying across the rice fields of Pals on an electric bicycle and learning how to prepare a rice casserole with Occitania is just one appealing idea. While the craft beer route in Lleida can be a perfect end to any meeting in the Terres de Ponent. And another great possible option is to enjoy oysters and other shellfish on a typical Ebro Delta raft platform at the Costa Daurada Nautical Station.

_Culture/Art: Universal artists such as Dalí, Miró, Picasso, Casals or Gaudí, musical creations such as Catalan rumba or traditions such as human tower castellers help to fuel a uniquely representative legacy of Catalonia. Many varied after meeting activities are inspired by Catalan culture to provide original experiences with a link to local communities: casteller workshops, Catalan culture show, Dalí tour, goatherd for a day, Catalan traditions...