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Lloret de Mar receives the “Catalonia, Hello Family!” destination award at FITUR from the Catalan Minister of Business and Employment, Miquel Sàmper

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.

Lloret Film Office celebrates 20 years with more than 800 shootings and presents its new website at FITUR SCREEN

The Lloret Film Office celebrates its 20th anniversary with an extraordinary record: more than 800 film shoots that have transformed this Costa Brava destination into a benchmark in the audiovisual sector. The new website, a tool designed for professionals that strengthens the positioning of Lloret and Spain as a prestigious audiovisual hub, was presented as part of Fitur SCREEN, the specialised area of FITUR organised in collaboration with the Spain Film Commission. The event was attended by the President of the Spain Film Commission, Juan Manel Guimeráns; the Mayor of Lloret, Adrià Lamelas; and the Councillor for Tourism, Frederic Guich.

Over the last two decades, Lloret de Mar has hosted the filming of international blockbusters such as Sahara, House of the Dragon, Uncharted, Casa en flames or Mrs. Davis. It has also been the setting for numerous series for digital platforms such as El Inocente, Mano de Hierro, Bienvenidos a Edén and Merlí. In addition, world-renowned brands such as BMW, Mango, Isdin, Estrella Damm, Pronovias and Donuts have chosen this location to film commercials and photo shoots.

The new web platform presented at Fitur SCREEN offers detailed information on procedures, locations and audiovisual services available in Lloret, in an innovative format that aims to inspire professionals in the sector. According to Elizabeth Keegan, head of the Lloret Film Office, “this website is a window on Lloret’s potential as a versatile and privileged filming destination, while highlighting the positive impact of screen tourism on the local economy”. The filming of blockbusters has also been a good tourist attraction for creating themed tours of the filming locations, such as “Gardens of the Dragon”, inspired by the filming of “House of the Dragon” in the Santa Clotilde Gardens; a guided tour with the addition of cosplayers (actors themed as the characters from the series who appeared during the tour), which sold out during the two months of summer 2023 that it was held.

Lloret de Mar stands out for its versatility, ranging from spectacular beaches to modern urban proposals, as well as for its infrastructure adapted to the needs of the audiovisual industry, specialising in its specific requirements. This combination has made the destination a benchmark on the Costa Brava for producers and location scouts.

With this new tool and its presence at FITUR SCREEN, the Lloret Film Office reaffirms its leadership and commitment to innovation, helping to position Spain as one of the nerve centres of the global audiovisual industry.

Web: lloretfilmoffice.org

Lloret Turisme starts the year with an intense international promotion campaign

Lloret Turisme has started the year by strengthening its presence in strategic markets with its participation in the Vakantiebeurs trade fairs in Utrecht (Netherlands), this weekend at the Fahrrad- & WanderReisen in Stuttgart (Germany) and at the end of January it will travel to Dublin (Ireland) to take part in the Holiday World Show, thus consolidating its commitment to international promotion in markets with great potential for the destination.

The first action took place in Utrecht from 8th to 12th January, where it participated in the Vakantiebeurs fair at the Catalonia stand, under the umbrella of the Costa Brava, together with six other municipalities in the area. This fair, with over 50 years of history, is the leading tourism event in the Netherlands and is noted for the interest of its attendees in active tourism. The first few days were dedicated to professionals in the sector, while the weekend was open to the general public. The Dutch market has a significant presence in Lloret de Mar, with an influx of 45,843 travellers and 255,067 overnight stays between January and November 2024. Elizabeth Keegan, manager of Lloret Turisme, explains that “the strategy in this market is to show the great potential that Lloret de Mar has outside the summer season, with a landscape and natural environment that is highly valued by the Dutch, travellers who still too often link the destination solely to sun and sand. This fair is an opportunity to continue to showcase the destination’s resources and value proposition in terms of active and wellness tourism”.

From tomorrow, 18 January until 20 January, Lloret Turisme will be taking part in another trade fair specialising in active tourism and nature; the Fahrrad- & WanderReisen held in Stuttgart at the prestigious CMT Holiday Exhibition, which last year attracted more than 234,000 visitors. Lloret Turisme will have its own stand at the Catalonia stand, where it will highlight the destination’s attractions for lovers of outdoor activities. The German market experienced strong growth last season, with 109,500 travellers and 574,033 overnight stays between January and November 2024, representing an increase in the number of visitors compared to the previous year. The manager of Lloret Turisme explains that “in this market, as in the Netherlands, we are committed to showcasing the attractions of Lloret de Mar all year round, as the destination is consolidated and well known in both countries”.

In Dublin, Lloret Turisme will take part in Ireland’s leading holiday fair, which, with over 30,000 visitors expected, will be held from 24 to 28 January. The event will begin with an exclusive session for tourism professionals and will continue with the opening to the general public over the weekend. In addition, Lloret Turisme will attend the journalists of the year awards dinner, organised by Travel Extra magazine. Ireland is a market with great potential for Lloret thanks to the good air connections of Girona Costa Brava Airport, with flights to the four main Irish cities. Elizabeth Keegan points out that “it is a market on which we made a clear commitment two years ago, and which has seen significant growth in Lloret since then. The Irish value highly the sun and beach offer with complementary attractions such as gastronomy, culture and active tourism and, both in terms of customer profile and average stay and expenditure, it is a strategic market for the destination. Moreover, their favourite months to travel are in the mid-season, which contributes to a better distribution of visitors to Lloret throughout the year”.

Next week, from 22 to 26 January, Lloret Turisme will also travel to Madrid in a delegation led by the Mayor of Lloret de Mar, Adrià Lamelas, to take part in the Fitur tourism fair, the most important national tourism fair in the sector.

These actions are part of Lloret Turisme’s strategy to diversify markets and strengthen the international positioning of the destination as a benchmark for active, cultural, family and quality tourism all year round.

Lloret de Mar ends November’s promotional activities by taking part in the IBTM trade fair in Barcelona and hosting the annual meeting of Mensa, the Spanish Association of People with High Intellectual Coefficients

From 5 to 10 December, the Samba Hotel in Lloret de Mar hosted the Mensa Annual Meeting, an event organised by Mensa Spain, the Spanish Association for people with high IQ.

A total of 350 members and guests from different parts of Spain and abroad took part in this 39th edition. The aim of Mensa is to “identify and promote intelligence and provide members with a stimulating social and intellectual environment”.

During the meeting, which was eminently recreational and cohesive in nature, all kinds of educational and cultural activities, presentations, visits, debates and games were also organised, which were also accessible to the general public.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines a gifted person as “one who has an IQ above 130” on the David Wechsler scale. It is estimated that 2% of the population may be considered gifted but only 0.01% of the total population is detected.

The participants took part in various activities in Lloret de Mar, such as an Indiano Route to discover the town’s Indiano legacy and a visit to the Santa Clotilde Gardens. The Lloret Convention Bureau, the organisation that promotes meetings and events tourism in Lloret de Mar, collaborated in the organisation of this social programme.

Last week, the Lloret Convention Bureau also took part as an exhibitor at the IBTM in Barcelona, the most important MICE tourism fair in Europe, along with its members Evenia Hotels, L’Azure Hotel, Sagalés and Avantgrup, where it held a number of interviews with international event organisers, as well as meetings with supra-municipal bodies such as the Spain Convention Bureau.

In the words of the director of the Convention Bureau, Montse Belisario “It is always a great opportunity to be present at the IBTM as it gives us visibility at brand level and allows us to meet with both clients and suppliers in the sector, present the latest news about the destination and prepare the marketing and promotion strategy for the coming season. On this occasion, we have also met with the Spain Convention Bureau, with the aim of re-establishing our collaboration and continuing to add synergies”.

Lloret de Mar at the World Travel Market in London

The Mayor of Lloret de Mar, Adrià Lamelas, the Councillor for Tourism, Frederic Guich, and the technical team of Lloret Turisme are currently at the most important European tourism trade fair, the World Travel Market, which is being held in London from 6th to 8th November.

Lloret Turisme, together with the Costa Brava Girona Pyrenees Tourist Board, was present at the Catalonia stand, where it held a series of meetings with tour operators and agents such as Love Holidays, Sunway, Jet2 Holidays, On the Beach, content creators and specialised media and communication agencies such as Avireps and Travelmedia, as well as with the Director General of Tourism of Catalonia, Marta Domènech, the Secretary General of Tourism of the Spanish Government, Rosana Morillo, and the British Consul in Catalonia, Lloyd Millen. The Mayor of Lloret, Adrià Lamelas, explained that “these meetings with the supra-municipal authorities allow us to communicate the new developments and challenges facing the destination, in order to create common synergies and join forces in the same direction, that of promoting environmentally, socially and economically sustainable tourism”.

Several companies from Lloret have also travelled to the British capital to take part in the fair, such as Garbí Hotels, Rosamar Hotels, Marsol Hotels, L’Azure Hotel, H·Top Hotels, Aqua Hotels, Guitart Hotels and the incoming agencies Viajes Olimpia, Traveltec and Evenia Travel Services.

In the words of Elizabeth Keegan, Director of Lloret Turisme: “In the different meetings we have been able to understand that, a priori, the macroeconomic context shows that 2024 will be a year of stabilisation, with data similar to that of 2023. Then there are issues such as sustainability and climate change, which are on everyone’s agenda”.

Tourism figures for the British market in Lloret de Mar (January-September 2023).

According to INE tourist occupancy data, Lloret de Mar received a total of 89,024 travellers from January to September 2023, an increase of 34.5% over 2022, which corresponds to 484,196 overnight stays, an increase of 43% over the same period last year. The average length of stay for British tourists in Lloret is 5.5 days.