Balearic Islands and Catalonia, pioneer territories in the tourist association organization of the western Mediterranean

Abstract

At the beginning of the 20th century, we were faced up against a series of events that made it possible to lay the foundations of tourism in the Spanish State. In this context, this essay will focus on how tourism associations were organised in a very specific area, such as the Western Mediterranean shore, one of the most important tourist destinations at that time. Therefore, some bodies, quite similar to the ones already existing in France or Switzerland, would begin to promote the arrival of tourists to the Balearic and Catalan coasts. We are talking about the so-called «sindicatos de iniciativa y turismo» or «fomentos del turismo».