The Mayor of Lloret de Mar, Adrià Lamelas, received this afternoon from the Catalan Minister of Enterprise and Employment, Miquel Sàmper, the “Catalonia, Hello Family!” destination award at an event held at FITUR, where five other destinations were also recognised: Santa Susanna, Salou, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Castell d’Aro – Platja d’Aro – S’Agaró and Sant Pere Pescador. In the words of the Mayor of Lloret de Mar, Adrià Lamelas, “We are very proud of this recognition. Family tourism is a cross-cutting segment of the public that is interested in culture, nature and gastronomy and which recognises Lloret’s specialisation in different tourism products to guarantee the best experience for the families that visit us”.
Lloret de Mar’s family tourism project was highly rated by the ACT programme’s executive committee, achieving 34 out of the 36 required items, with members highlighting aspects such as being the only destination with official Smart Tourism Destination certification and therefore paying special attention to the areas of accessibility, governance, innovation, technology and sustainability; having a unique project in Catalonia such as Little Foodies, its own label to promote good, healthy and sustainable catering for children, developed in conjunction with the Alícia Foundation; the diversity of promotional content segmented by demand profiles; the platform for selling family experiences in nature for different age groups; the existence of a working group with members from both the public and private sectors, as well as members of the public and private sectors; the existence of a family tourism working group with members from both the public and private sectors, as well as members of the public and private sectors; the diversity of promotional content segmented by demand profiles; the platform for the sale of family experiences in nature for different age groups; the existence of a family tourism working group with members from both the public and private sectors, as well as the good synergies with the tourism business sector, with 32% of the accommodation places in the destination being affiliated to the Family Tourism programme of the Catalan Tourism Agency.
The Department of Enterprise and Employment, through the Catalan Tourism Agency (ACT), is promoting the new “Catalonia, Hello family!” award to identify, publicise and promote in outbound markets those tourist destinations whose public-private offer has high standards of specialisation and adaptation to the family segment. It also aims to respond to the new challenges facing the sector by demanding tourism services adapted to the needs of different types of families, especially children and teenagers. Aspects such as digitalisation, sustainability, the incorporation of the resident in the tourism strategy and public-private collaboration are also taken into account.
What’s new in the family tourism programme?
This new recognition is the evolution of the family tourism brand created 20 years ago, of which Lloret de Mar has been a certified destination for the last 14 years. The evolution of the supply and demand for family tourism has prompted the renewal of the programme, introducing new requirements for both companies and tourist destinations.
Obtaining the distinction, which can be reviewed every 4 years, brings benefits for the municipality in the field of tourism, such as participation in innovative projects; greater visibility in the promotional campaigns of the Catalan Tourism Agency, preferential access to family tourism actions in international markets; joint development of marketing campaigns between the ACT, its partners and the recognised destinations; and support for the coordinators of the destinations in the field of family tourism, among others.
Lloret de Mar and its tourist offer specialising in family tourism
Good, healthy and sustainable children’s catering: Little Foodies label
The Little Foodies certification, created in 2022, is a project in collaboration with the Alícia Foundation to promote a good, healthy and sustainable gastronomic offer for families and children in catering establishments in the municipality.
Lloret de Mar has 15 hotels and 5 restaurants that have passed the audit with the criteria required to obtain this seal. Lloret Turisme and the Alícia Foundation are currently rolling out a second phase of the project to accredit new catering establishments by 2025.
Programme of activities for families
Every year Lloret Turisme organises the Lloret Outdoor Summer Festival, which includes musical, theatrical and circus shows for the whole family during the summer months, as well as a programme of family experiences in nature with an educational component, from April to November, led by marine biologists from the Xatrac environmental association at the Casa del Mar on Fenals beach, which can be consulted and booked through the destination’s experience sales platform.
Splash facilities
Lloret de Mar is the Costa Brava destination with the most tourist accommodation that has invested in “Splash” aquatic facilities for families, with a dozen establishments that have this added value for families.
