Family tourism, a straw man in our house

In Catalonia, there are more than sixty municipalities and 450 companies that are part of the Family Tourism program launched by the Catalan Tourism Agency (ACT) in 2003. Inclusion in the program recognizes their efforts to adapt and constantly improve their ability to offer quality services and experiences to family customers, who demand and expect them. As the ACT itself points out, it has been working with these family tourism requirements for more than twenty years, which have contributed to "improving the competitiveness and specificity" of the Catalan tourism industry. Now, taking into account the needs, motivations, and spending habits of today's families, new requirements have been updated and incorporated, such as "that program members design and communicate the proposed experiences according to the age range of the children they are aimed at; that websites include information specific to the region that may be of interest to families; and that the availability of resources takes into account the economic impact that vacations have on families, especially single-parent families, large families, or families with members with special needs," notes the ACT.

Duly certified destinations

Currently, in our country there are a total of 27 family tourism destinations: 19 family beach destinations (Blanes, Calonge-Sant Antoni, Castillo-Playa de Aro, Lloret de Mar, Roses, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Torroella de Montgrí-L'Estartit, San Pedro Pescador, Calella, Malgrat de Mar, Calafell, Cambrils, Salou, Vila-seca-La Pineda Playa and El Vendrell) and eight nature and mountain activities for the family (Berga, Valls de Àneu, Valle de Boí, Valle de Bas-les Preses, Pyrenees-Noguera Pallaresa, Montañas de Prades and Els Ports).

Last year, six of them also received the "Catalunya, HELLO Family" award, an award given by the Government of Catalonia, through the Catalan Tourism Agency of the Department of Business and Employment, to destinations that demonstrate a firm and innovative commitment to family tourism in Catalonia. These destinations are Castell d'Aro, Playa de Aro, and S'Agaró; Lloret de Mar, Salou, Sant Pedro Pescador, Santa Susanna, and Vilanova i la Geltrú. The Agency emphasizes that this recognition "goes one step further by honoring tourist destinations that show a firm commitment to continuously improving strategies and actions aimed at families, working on key aspects such as digitalization, sustainability, the inclusion of residents in the tourism strategy, and public-private collaboration."

Experiences 365 days a year

One of the objectives of the "Catalonia, Hello Family" award is to encourage weekend getaways or getaways outside of peak season, what they call "off-peak season." The ACT also works with proposals focused on Easter breaks, focusing primarily on "the domestic and Spanish markets, always aligned with the strategy of diversification and increasing average spending per tourist, rather than with tourist volume targets." The goal is to offer more diverse proposals that encourage family getaways, initiatives that, in turn, "also aim to help many establishments in seasonal destinations start the season earlier and stay open until summer, to help deseasonalize the sector." Fortunately, Catalonia increasingly offers experiences for families 365 days a year. And taking advantage of this, according to the ACT, "is key to improving tourist seasonality during periods we call "early season" and reducing the impact of its concentration during "peak season," akin to the nomenclature of the electricity tariff system."

One of the leading accommodations for families that is also working on this deseasonalization of demand is campsites. An increasing number are open year-round, and those that begin the season in spring tend to reopen around Easter, especially when it falls earlier than this year. As Miquel Gotanegra, president of the Catalan Camping Federation, points out, camping is no longer a seasonal sector. In fact, he points out, "the goal for 2025 is to consolidate this trend, because continuing to deseasonalize will allow us to have much more stable workforces, attract talent to our companies, and retain it to continue offering excellent service." In his opinion, climate change, which has brought milder temperatures in autumn and winter, "has contributed to Catalan campsites being able to extend their seasons." However, Gotanegra points out, "the effort these establishments are making to generate experiences and attract customers year-round to remain a dynamic and leading sector is enormous."

Leadership in sustainability

Currently, campsites host conferences, sports competitions, vehicle gatherings... All of this, Gotanegra points out, "makes them increasingly attractive and encourages visitors to choose us for our quality services and unique experiences." One of the key profiles in this seasonally adjusted growth, reveals the president of the Catalan Camping Federation, is the Central European tourist traveling by motorhome: "They are customers who stay longer and generate a smaller CO2 footprint."₂, which positions us as an ideal alternative for clients seeking unique experiences in natural environments to enjoy green and active tourism."

Gotanegra also highlights the efforts being made to remain leaders in sustainability "and for campsites to become increasingly energy and water efficient," as well as the need to "continue taking steps to ensure that Catalan camping becomes increasingly digitalized," a milestone that, considering the weight, is achievable. With a total of 266,829 pitches and almost 20 million overnight stays annually, the sector currently represents 43.7% of the Catalan tourism offering. As Gotanegra emphasizes, elements such as facilities and an activities program adapted to the little ones, entertainers, and the multiplicity of accommodation types—pitches for tents and caravans, bungalows, men's mobile...-, a gastronomic offering segmented by age, playrooms, swimming pools for adults and children, direct access to the beach, accessibility, etc. make campsites "great holiday parks and great generators of experiences."

Active family tourism

Taking advantage of a family getaway to enjoy active tourism for both children and adults is also a highly recommended option during Easter. Thus, in our country, families with children can choose two very attractive alternatives. One is the coastal paths, which run through the towns of the Costa Brava, between Blanes and Portbou, parallel to the hidden beaches and coves. In the past, these paths served to connect neighboring towns and as a means for the Civil Guard to deter smuggling, and now they serve to discover the hidden gems of the Costa Brava. A path that runs between the blue of the Mediterranean Sea and the green of the pine trees, the most striking examples of which are those that run from Sant Pol beach in S'Agaró to Platja d'Aro; from Playa d'Aro to San Antonio de Calonge and Palamós; from Palamós to Calella de Palafrugell; from Pals beach in Aiguafreda and Sa Tuna in Begur; from Roses to Cala Montjoi; from Cadaqués to Portlligat and Cap de Creus; or from Port de la Selva to Llançà.

Another option is to explore part of Spain on greenways, accessible routes following old railway lines and which can be done on foot or by bicycle. Among the greenways, those of Girona cover 160 kilometers through five regions, with examples suitable for children such as the Ferro y del Carbó Route; the Camprodon-Llanars Greenway; the Vall d'en Bas Greenway; the Camino Viejo del Estartit Greenway; the Breda-Viabrea Greenway; the Carrilet II Route; the Thermal Route; and the Little Train Route. The Pyrenees, in turn, constitute a cross-border cycling link that, over 353 kilometers, crosses a total of 53 towns in eight regions.