Valencia launches “Ruta 99” to promote municipalities in the region of less than 100 inhabitants
The website www.ruta99.gva.es details “the values and attractions” of the gastronomy and natural and historical heritage of these localities, as well as its hospitality and accommodation.
Wednesday 19th January 2022 – PRESS RELEASE with Mike Smith
The President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig, has presented ‘Ruta 99‘, a tourism promotion initiative which aims to promote the 24 municipalities of the Comunidad Valenciana of less than 100 inhabitants who are at risk of depopulation.
During the presentation, which was also attended by the director general of the Valencian Anti-Depopulation Agenda (AVANT), Jeannette Segarra, the president said that the proposal “will show the most authentic interior of the Comunidad Valenciana, from Famorca to Herbers” and will allow visitors “to get to know our land better and to know all the Valencians better“.
The head of the regional government explained that this initiative constitutes “a kind of Valencian Camino de Santiago, which is born against the mantra of empty Spain“, adding that “it will make visible that the villages of the interior of the region which are not empty but are full of life, values and opportunities“.
Puig also pointed out that the route will help to “change the defeatist story about these populations to a positive story” by exploiting their full potential, their heritage, their nature and their gastronomy.
The president also praised the collaboration between the regional and local administrations to launch this initiative, which he explained “was born with the clear philosophy of going hand in hand with the smaller municipalities“.
Finally, he stressed that this project is “a strategic action with a vocation for permanence” and announced the launch of a second phase, under the name of ‘Ruta 99 Plus‘, which will be joined by other municipalities with greater populations, as well as establishments that will be considered ‘Amigos de la Ruta 99‘, and collaborating entities such as IVAM or Correos.
Agenda 20-30
According to the head of the regional government, Ruta 99 is part of the Agenda 20-30 of AVANT, which is “the White Paper against the depopulation of Valencia and shows the way to the dual goal of preventing anyone from leaving their town for lack opportunities and improving the quality of life in all corners of the region“.
In this sense, he recalled some of the initiatives that are being developed, through AVANT such as the Programa Reviu “which allows villages to keep schools and basic activities open” as well as the installation of ATMs in depopulated areas, the Itinerant program; IVF credits for domestic companies and the recent agreement with Correos.
It should be noted that currently 180 municipalities in the Comunidad Valenciana are at risk of depopulation and specifically in the province of Castellón where 60% of the municipalities have populations of less than 200 inhabitants.
How the route works
The initiative is deployed through the website www.ruta99.gva.es which details the values and attractions of these municipalities (their cuisine, natural and historical heritage, their hiking trails, as well as proposals for where to eat and sleep) that are not usually be part of the usual tourist routes.
From north to south of the Valencian Community, Route 99 stops in those areas most affected by depopulation.
In the province of Castellón:
Els Ports
– Herbés, Palanques, Vallibona and Villores
Baix Maestrat
– Castell de Cabres
Alto Palancia
– Higueras, Matet, Pavías and Sacañet
Alto Mijares
– Espadilla, Fuente la Reina, Fuentes de Ayódar, Torralba del Pinar, Torrechiva, Vallat, Villamalur and Villanueva de Viver.
In the province of Valencia:
Rincón de Ademuz
– Puebla de San Miguel
La Vall d’Albaida
– Sempere and Carrícola.
In the province of Alicante:
El Comptat
– Benillup, Benimassot, Famorca and Tollos.
Ruta 99 provides travellers with a credential, in the style of the Camino de Santiago, which can be stamped in each of these municipalities, inviting “Valencian pilgrims” to travel in groups, either by motorbike or bicycle, or on foot and offers different rewards, symbolically, for overcoming the various stages.
Promotion
For the promotion of the route, the Valencian rock band, Bajoqueta Rock, has composed a specific theme, which is included in the promotional video of the route.
The photographer, Marga Ferrer, also presents the exhibition ‘La mirada interior‘, a travelling exhibition composed of photographs of each of these towns in the interior of the Comunidad Valenciana, through the residents who live in them.
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