Welcome to Spain!
Valencia is a Spanish city located in the eastern area of the Iberian Peninsula, right next to the Mediterranean Sea and crossed by the Turia River. It is the third-largest city in Spain, gathering more than a million inhabitants, and the capital of the Autonomous Community of Valencia.
Founded by Romans, several empires and kingdoms, such as the Visigoths or the Moors, have taken this precious locations. It all ended when it became the capital of the Kingdom of Valencia, one of the territories of the Crown of Aragon. Later on, Valencia became part of Spain.
All these different cultures have left their stamp on the citiy, making it one of the richest in the whole peninsula. Just to give some examples: we heve a minaret turned into a Gothic Tower, ‘El Miguelete’, a Medieval Court from
the 10th century which controls the whole water system in all the region (better no disobey them because you may end up in jail even today, no joke!), some Muslim Baths still working today, legends about dragons protecting the Walls…
But it is not all about old sites. Indeed, there are also some futuristic complexes like The City of Arts and Sciences (on which our logo is based) and plentiful green spaces, such as the Turia Gardens, created as the longest urban park in Spain.
As we didn’t want to make this section too long, here there are some links where you can discover more amazing places and stories about the city.
Valencia as a commercial and tourist hotspot
The Valencia Community enjoys a stable business climate, envious weather, a free healthcare system, its own language along with Spanish and diverse gastronomy, including the widely famous ‘paella’ and other dishes linked to an enormous set of traditions and festivities, e.g. Fallas in March, Sant Joan in June, the July Fair and a long etcetera.
This well-renowned region is located at the heart of the Western Mediterranean arc, a critical geostrategic site. This fact makes it a true logistical hub in southern Europe and gives it quick access to Spanish and European markets. It offers strong connections, including vast highway and railway networks and significant infrastructures that provide a perfect location for establishing businesses with prospects for success. Moreover, the UN considers Valencia’s harbour as the first in the country for its connectivity with other ports and the third largest by the movement of containers in the Mediterranean Sea.
Nine universities – four private and five public – along with five science parks provied an ideal setting for training personnel. Having extremely competitive professionals in their academic fields and salaries is one of the Valencian Community’s most significant added values.
It also holds the title of one of Spain’s top three exporters, with a distinct orientation toward global markets and an economy open to foreign commerce (higher than the Spanish average of 50 per cent). The region’s significant business dynamism is highlighted by its industrial framework, consisting primarily of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), a high spatial and sectoral concentration of activities and an export-oriented solid growth. Valencia has a significant and highly competitive network of suppliers and allied sectors, good internal and external growth circumstances, and a well-known international reputation. Additionally, the area is home to established worldwide clusters for footwear, agrochemicals, interior design, and ceramics.
The pandemic’s latest round of travel restrictions made 2021 a challenging year for tourism once again. Valencia did, however, manage to report 3,245,973 overnight stays, a rise of 90% from 2020, according to Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE).
Valencia additionally used this opportunity to alter its position as a tourist centre. The European Commission designated it as the European Capital of Smart Tourism for 2022 in recognition of its accomplishments in sustainability, accessibility, innovation, and creativity. Along these lines, this city will be the World Design Capital in 2022.
By 2021, it was named the healthiest city in the world for the second year by the prestigious consulting firm Money.co.uk. Also, it received recognition as the best city to live in by a survey made by the company InterNations, where the opinion of 15,000 immigrants worldwide was gathered.
Home of international music festivals like Diversity València Festivasl, FIB, Arenal Sound, Medusa Sun Beach, Rototom Sunsplash, etc. Valencia is taking giant steps to become one of the world’s most relevant cities.
