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Basque Experiences at WTM 2016

WTM 2016 – World Travel Market London

For the second year running now, Basque Experiences has participated in the WTM World Travel Market held in London. It is the leading global event for the travel industry to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals.

Invited by Basque Tour, the Basque government’s department of tourism, it gave Basque Experiences the chance to increase market presence. Working on the stand with other agencies, operators and DMCs from here as well as Basque Tour is a real boost. With the experience of last year, I made sure we had a lot of meeting lined up with buyers and operators from our target markets.

Good contacts

In total I made good contacts with around 50 other companies from the US, UK, Spain, and Canada. Of these contacts I would love to see us being able to collaborate with all of them!! But thats not realistic, but with 5-10 I would be delighted, and a mixture of Agencies and Tour operators from the US and UK would be perfect! Hopefully 2017/18 will see Basque Experiences offering more made-to-measure tours to new visitors, and being the Basque Country DMC for specialist private tour companies.

Its not all about just meeting new clients though. It gives you the chance to learn about new trends in the industry and new offers in your own market. I came away with  some good ideas on how to move forward and promote our project.

Here are a couple of pics….. Basque Experiences working hard offering private small group tours to the Basque Country, Bilbao, San Sebastián, La Rioja, Vitoria.  🙂

See you at next year’s WTM.

  • WTM London 2016

Private Group Tours in the Basque Country

Private Group Tours

We at Basque Experiences love creating Private Group Tours. Be it a small family group for a week’s holiday, a business looking to incentivise its staff or partners, or a wine shop looking to bring a group on holiday, it’s something we do with a passion…

Our enthusiasm to make things just right for you means that you will be in touch with us from the first enquiry until you leave. Attention to detail and the personal touch are fundamental for your trip. We will reply to your mails, talk to you on the phone and together design your visit to the Basque Country. More often than not it will also be one of us guiding you too, so you have continuity from start to finish. Who wants to be passed from person to person when organising something as important as a Private Group Tour?

La Rioja Private Tour

Just recently we completed a super four-day visit in collaboration with a group of 40 visitors from Luxembourg. Some had been before so had encouraged their friend to make a group. We arranged the guides, the transport, the hotels, the visits and the obstacles that come as par for the course for this type of visit. We were on hand at all times to ensure everyone enjoyed themselves and that everyone had the best time they could! Looking at the photos from the wine and bodega tour in La Rioja Tour we organised, I think you will agree!!

So, if its a personalised Private Group Tour you are looking for, drop us a line and lets have a chat!

  • Private Group Tours Basque Country
  • Private Group Tours Basque Country
  • Private Group Tours Basque Country
  • Private Group Tours Basque Country
  • Private Group Tours Basque Country

Filming Geografens Testamente Basque Country

Filming Swedish TV’s Geografens Testamente in the Basque Country

There is a very popular TV show for children in Sweden called Geografens Testamente…. Educational, for 10-13 year olds, a bit of adventure, some history and lots of European Geography. A little bit like Indiana Jones, with a fantasy, adventure story with good guys and baddies…. All sounds like good clean fun to me!

So we get a call asking to help them with the logistics as they are filming an episode here in the Basque Country…. So you can imagine the answer! The Bizkaia Hanging Bridge, our good friend Jaime Ortiz Mendieta and his super boat the Nayiri and finally at the magnificent Torre Loizaga.

So this is now Basque Experiences’ second TV filming assignment and it went really smoothly. The team from Baluba TV were over the moon as we got them out of a serious problem the day before… Anyway the day was fantastic, the sun was hot, the boat ran like a dream and the tower was perfect for the sword fighting scenes!! Of course, a special mention to the Bilbao Fencing Club who were superb!

Here we have three of the short clips we took whilst at work , believe me there was no time for more!! Its really surprising how hard these guys work….. You expect it to be very laid back and slow paced but they didn’t stop all day!! Anyway it was great fun and if there are any film or TV companies out there who need logistical support or ideas or organisation… well here we are!!

August is family time in the Basque Country

Family holidays in the Basque Country

August is a time when the family holiday rules, and there is no better place to come with the little ones than the Basque Country.

This summer has seen us with several groups, with children from 3 to 18. As an agency we can sort out all your accommodation make your reservations, organise activities and make your life a whole lot easier!

Knowing the best kid-friendly places to stay we can chose whats best for you, whether its a self-catering apartment, a hotel with inter-connecting rooms, a campsite with a bungalow or simply somewhere to pitch your tents. We have the inside knowledge here at Basque Experiences.

  • Basque Tour Family 1
  • Family Tour Basque Country
  • Basque Tour Family

Visits to winemakers for the parents, kayaking trips on the river, surf classes, hiking in enchanted forests, aquarium visits for those rainy days, unspoiled beaches and the best places for kids to eat, we can include them, or just advise you, if that’s what you are looking for.

With easy access from the rest of Europe via Bilbao airport or overland from France and even on the ferry from the South of England, the Basque country is becoming more and more accesible, and with the offer of activities growing year on year, we are hoping that we can have many more groups come and discover this wonderful corner of the world….

Basque Experiences loves July!!

Summertime + cruise-ships + sun = Busy!

The month of July is fantastic here in the Basque Country; the days are long, the fiestas start, the sea is warm and smiles abound 🙂

Here at Basque Experiences, July is a busy time with clients and this year has seen us on some great and varied Basque Tours.

Our pintxo tours are a popular choice for many visitors with lunchtimes or evenings around the various bar areas in Bilbao proving to be great fun. We adapt them as we go along, so if you don’t want tourist bars, you won’t get them, if you want authentic ‘sawdust on floor’ you will! That’s our philosophy… listen to the client and adapt to suit.

Family trips from far-afield this July have been very enthusiastically appreciated! With guests from the US, UK, Canada, NZ, Indonesia, Holland and France, we have had the opportunity to spread the word about the Basque Country. Some will be back we are sure and some others will be telling their friends and work colleagues about Basque Experiences… We arrange our visits to coincide with reservations at some of our finest restaurants so the clients can discover our fantastic cuisine as a group and integrate it in a tour. We make it easy for you!

Etxebarri in July

Specialist tours showing off our city with journalists here for the 2016 edition of BBK LIVE have coincided with larger groups on day tours from cruise-ships. These are proving popular as we see the number of cruise-ships arriving in Getxo growing year-on-year. Passengers get in touch before arriving, sometimes months before, and they often form groups on sites such as wwwcruisecritic.com Some are family groups with particular interests such as visiting farms or San Sebastian or ..whatever takes your fancy!! July has a lot to offer here in the Basque Country!

Some July photos!!

  • San Juan de Gaztelugatxe
  • Butron Castle
  • Picasso's 'Guernica'
  • Cruise ship tour
  • Basque Shepherds...
  • In love with Cheese!
  • Hidden Valley
  • Basque Sunset
  • BBK PRESS