The Cámara de Comercio de Cantabria has unveiled Shopping Tours, a pioneering initiative designed to promote and support local commerce through guided tours of various shops across the region. This project, launched to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Cámara, adapts the popular concept of free tourist tours to the commercial sector, distributing over €8,000 in shopping vouchers to encourage spending in participating businesses.
The tours are entirely free, with each participant receiving two €10 vouchers—totaling €20—to spend at any of the shops visited during their tour, with no minimum purchase required. The initiative was announced at a press conference attended by Tomás Dasgoas, president of the Cámara de Comercio de Cantabria, and Rosa Vega, the institution's secretary and general director. They were joined by Rosendo Ruiz, director general of Commerce for the Government of Cantabria, Julio Arranz, mayor of Los Corrales de Buelna, Adrián Setién, local employment and development councillor in Colindres, and David Ramos, director of the Cámara's Commerce Area.
Dasgoas and Vega explained that the first edition of Shopping Tours will feature 86 shops across six municipalities, offering eight different routes with a total of 38 sessions and 416 available spots. The initiative will kick off on Friday, 6 November, with five of the eight routes and eight sessions scheduled for the first weekend. Tours will continue until 28 November, with departures on Fridays at 18:00 and Saturdays at 11:00.
A unique experience for participants
During the presentation, Dasgoas highlighted that Shopping Tours aims to support and showcase local commerce in a novel way. Inspired by popular free tourist tours, the initiative seeks to provide an experience that transcends traditional commercial promotion campaigns. “Instead of visiting monuments or historical sites, we will introduce participants to the shops, their stories, and the people behind these businesses. We want to humanise local commerce and bring it closer to the community,” he stated.
Rosa Vega emphasised that Shopping Tours is designed to offer a different experience compared to the usual commercial dynamisation campaigns, such as voucher promotions. “For our 140th anniversary, we wanted to create a special commercial dynamisation action that goes beyond just encouraging purchases,” she noted, adding that the goal is for citizens to engage with the stories behind the commerce and the individuals behind the counters.
Exploring local stories
To prepare for the tours, the Cámara has gathered stories from participating establishments, uncovering a range of fascinating narratives. “We have century-old businesses, shops where current owners were previously employees, and entrepreneurs who have launched innovative initiatives,” Vega explained. “I invite everyone to participate because there are truly interesting stories to discover.”
The first edition of Shopping Tours will take place in Santander, Cabezón de la Sal, Reinosa, Los Corrales de Buelna, Colindres, and Solares (Medio Cudeyo). Santander will feature three different itineraries, while the other five municipalities will each have one route, scheduled over two weekends. Participants will be guided by an official guide in small groups of up to 12 people, allowing for an intimate exploration of each business and its unique offerings.
In addition to the experience, all participants who complete a tour will receive €20 in shopping vouchers, distributed as two €10 vouchers. These can be redeemed until 30 November at any of the shops visited during the tour, again with no minimum spending requirement. In total, the initiative will distribute 832 shopping vouchers, valued at €8,320, to stimulate consumption in participating businesses.
Shopping Tours has generated significant interest among Cantabria's commercial establishments, with over 200 businesses applying to participate within days of the announcement. Initially conceived as a smaller pilot project, the overwhelming response from merchants prompted the Cámara to expand the number of routes and participating businesses.
To design the itineraries, factors such as the proximity of shops and the coherence of each route were taken into account. Shopping Tours is part of the activities organised by the Cámara de Comercio de Cantabria to celebrate its 140th anniversary, marking the first initiative of this commemoration open to the general public. The celebrations began on 23 September with a gathering of companies and workers linked to the institution and will continue with new activities related to its main areas of focus, including entrepreneurship, international commerce, innovation, and training, culminating in a grand business gala.
