Passengers on the ships “Celebrity Constellation” and “The World” will travel from Bilbao and Hendaye to Pamplona to enjoy a day at San Fermín.
The 2016 San Fermín festivities will be a major draw for cruise ship tourists sailing the Cantabrian Sea. This year, both the "Constellation" and "The World" cruise ships will arrive at the coasts of Bilbao and Hendaye simultaneously, offering a chance to experience the festivities made famous worldwide by Hemingway. This is expected to slightly increase the number of visitors to the upcoming San Fermín celebrations.
Many of these new and unexpected visitors will join the more than 1,000 people from 32 countries who will visit Pamplona during the San Fermín festivities, thanks to Destino Navarra, the tour operator for the tourist services offered by Kukuxumusu through Sanfermin.com.
Asian tourism on the rise.
In addition to domestic tourism, visitors from English-speaking countries, especially North America, predominate, although there will also be visitors from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Great Britain.
Tourists from Hispanic countries such as Mexico and Argentina are the second largest group, followed by Paraguay, Venezuela, and Peru.
For the third consecutive year, the Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and Korean markets are strengthening thanks to agreements signed by Navarrese companies specializing in tourism during the San Fermín festival with Asian tour operators.
San Fermín, Guided Tour.
According to Mikel Ollo, manager of Destino Navarra and head of tourism development for www.sanfermin.com, “the San Fermín festivities continue to be a global benchmark, but the vast amount of information about Pamplona available online means that many people prefer the help of a local travel advisor or tour guide.”
This year, Destino Navarra, in partnership with Kukuxumusu, is launching an online store, www.shop.sanfermin.com / www.sanferminbylocals.com, for booking tourist services such as balcony rentals, restaurants, guided tours, and hotels, with all legal, tax, and secure payment guarantees for customers.
In this regard, Ollo explains, “e-commerce is playing a significant role, as tourists are increasingly aware of the chaos and unique characteristics of our festival and want to have everything booked and organized from their home.”
The Running of the Bulls and the Opening Ceremony are the events that arouse the most interest in tourists. "Everyone admits to being very surprised to discover other aspects of the festival that they would never have known without the help of a professional guide," Ollo states.
Privileged Viewpoints:
The world's most publicized festivals have given tourists a glimpse into the problems that overcrowding can pose when trying to enjoy all the details of San Fermín's most important events. This is the main reason why balcony rentals, with complementary services, are increasingly in demand.
This year, Destino Navarra, through Sanfermin.com, is offering four types of tourist packages that include privileged views of the festival (Privilege, VIP, Standard, and Family), which include various services: accommodation, balconies, breakfasts, guided tours, restaurants, transfers, etc.
The most popular packages are the VIP packages, followed by the Standard and then the Family packages. The Privilege packages are less popular, although they are the most comprehensive.
