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16th European Balloon Festival has a new image and a strong presence on social networks

CNA / Mar Martí / Laia Vicens

50 balloons from across Europe will participate in the festival’s next edition, which is held from July 4th to 8th, in the town of Igualada, in the centre of Catalonia. Besides, the European Balloon Festival has renewed its logo after sixteen years and the organisation has created a new website where Facebook and Twitter are linked directly to facilitate interaction between the event and the public.

Greece’s crisis places Catalonia as the first European destination for Russian tourists

CNA

The arrival of foreign tourists with a greater purchasing power increases tourist income in Catalonia by 15% during the first four months of the year, compared to the same period last year. Traditionally Greece was the main destination for Russian citizens on holidays; however, the economic and political crisis the Hellenic country is going through has placed Catalonia on top of the list of Russian tourist priorities.

Catalan beaches awarded 87 blue flags for their water cleanliness, safety and environmental management

CNA

This summer, 87 beaches in Catalonia will display a blue flag recognising their overall quality, safety, environmental-friendliness, and cleanliness. It is one more flag than last year. The Costa Daurada and Ebro Delta got 37 flags and the Costa Brava got 28. Beaches near Barcelona received 22 flags. Catalonia is, after Galicia and the Valencian Community, the Autonomous Community with the highest number of such recognitions. Blue flags are awarded every year by the independent and non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education, in collaboration with the United Nations Agencies for the Environment and Tourism. Spain is the country in the world with the highest number of blue flags.

Ruscalleda: “I was educated to follow my husband; however, I have been fortunate that my husband followed me”

Pau Bartrolí

Top Catalan chef Carme Ruscalleda and her husband Toni Balam run the Sant Pau restaurant in Sant Pol de Mar –near Barcelona- awarded with three Michelin stars. They also own the Sant Pau in Tokyo and the Moments in Barcelona each awarded with one Michelin star. Ruscalleda was raised in a family of farmers and began cooking as a girl. Although she has succeeded in the world of gastronomy, cooking was not her dream as a teenager. In this exclusive interview with CNA Ruscalleda’s eyes shine when she explains how cooking has become her philosophy of life.

Twitter includes Catalan among its official languages

CNA

The world’s most popular short-message network has included Catalan as one of its 28 official languages. Twitter has opened a Catalan ‘translation centre’ to adapt its content. In the first 24h, more people had registered voluntarily than the number of those who did it within the 6 months after the Finnish version was released. Twitter’s CEO had already announced at the 2011 Mobile World Congress, which is held every year in Barcelona, that the company would do it, but he did not specify a date. Wikipedia opened its Catalan version 11 years ago and Youtube incorporated Catalan in early 2011. Catalan is is the world’s 8th language with the most blogs, the 13th most used language in Wikipedia, and the 14th search language in Google.

Barcelona Bridal Week shows the strength of Catalonia's wedding industry

CNA / Gemma Nieto

Four days on the Gaudí catwalk and over 230 national and international exhibitors in the Gran Via fairground reaffirmed the convention as the quintessential meeting of the bridal industry worldwide. The Catalan designer Rosa Clarà was chosen another year to open the four days of catwalks at the ‘Pasarela Gaudí Novias’. Exports from Catalan wedding products made the industry generate a turnover of 10% more than in 2010. Currently, the industry is opening to Mexico and China.

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