Alt Empordà, in Girona, is being urged to strengthen its industrial base while keeping tourism as a key part of the local economy. Business leaders and economists say new infrastructure could help the region make better use of its location near major transport routes.
Cercle Euram said in a press release that “the future of Alt Empordà must be industry”, and that the urban area of Figueres should be the main economic driver. The group raised the issue after a meeting with former Figueres mayor Joan Armangué, where they discussed the N-II bypass, the relocation of Figueres’ conventional train station and the Mediterranean rail corridor. For background on regional business coverage, see our news tag page.
Anna Garriga, an economics professor at the University of Girona, said tourism still matters and should not be reduced. Speaking at a conference organised by Fòrum Imagina and EMPORDÀ in Figueres, she challenged the Fènix report, which suggested cutting tourism and meat industries in Catalonia because of low added-value wages.
Garriga said the services sector makes up 75% of the region’s GDP, while industry accounts for 11%. She argued that the priority should be to improve the value of services through desesasonalisation, better training and higher wages, while also increasing the industrial share of the economy.
Alt Empordà also led growth in Social Security affiliations in Girona in May, with an annual rise of 2.7%. Business groups are now watching the future intermodal station in Vilamalla and its role in the Mediterranean corridor, including links with Portbou and La Jonquera.
Cercle Euram warned that Vilamalla’s strategy should not be shaped only by outside interests, including those of the Port of Barcelona. EMPORDÀ will hold a conference in Figueres on 11 July, where politicians and business leaders are due to discuss the corridor’s importance for the region.
