The increase of proximity tourism in Catalonia in the summer of 2020: An opportunity for the consolidation of rural tourism as a type of sustainable and safe tourism

Abstract

In the first part of 2020, the COVID-19 health crisis had a huge negative impact on the tourism sector. With the easing of the lockdown restrictions in the summer there was a relative return to the activity which was very uneven depending on the territories and types of tourist accommodation. The objective of this study is to analyse the situation of supply and demand for rural tourism in Catalonia during the summer of 2020, and its relationship with sustainability. The research hypothesis proposes that proximity tourism experienced strong growth in Catalonia in the summer of 2020, with rural spaces and the type of rural tourism establishment being the main beneficiaries, offsetting the decline in international tourism, enabling, at the same time, the consolidation of sustainable tourism practices.