@lloretturisme – Unexpectedly, I decided to spend 4 weeks at #Lloret de Mar last summer between July and August. The main reason behind it was purely family related and an excellent rental opportunity. I have been visiting #Lloret on & off for the past 12 years and get to know and have local friends. #Lloret has been in our family memories as well on & off, from my mother’s sweet 16 years old memories during the 50s that include still the late fishermen lifestyle years at #Lloret, nowadays unexisting, to our current XXIst century Lloret experience ;What do we share?? , well the most breathtaking beach scenery and clear clean waters at Costa Brava , pure and brave , pure and wonderful.
I had the chance to have the most interesting field site summer experience, which entitles me to have an opinion about Lloret as destination plus some community local insights. Only if you live it, you have the right!
For the last decade #lloret has been struggling to get ride of “party wild” tourism, institutions and the local community and commerce stakeholders are making big efforts to make a change in regards its tourism strategy trying to reach a much family oriented audience. I might say that right now Lloret is just in the turning point of the scale and could possibly change for good but certain measures need to take place for it to happen, only with the right measures and ONLY with the community believing in them will make it happen. I will review certain current and disruptive situations that need to be addressed for #Lloret to succeed.
I was surprised to check the current Enjoy & Respect Campaign [E&R] that was (Still is) absolutely EVERYWHERE in #Lloret showcased in plenty of outdoors advertising spots, literally everywhere, but I really wondered if the message was hitting the targeted audience since I was unpleased to see many scenes that I’d rather would like not to keep in my memory, such as young , half naked “wild party” fellas just laughing at local cultural activities, or throwing stuff from the windows at their hotels , or…., walking without a proper outfit around town without being stopped, hence authorities and local retailers and restaurants allowing this unacceptable behaviour. I kept wondering about it…, why?, and linking my thoughts to [E&R] campaign which obviously wasn't working and checking as well how to better reach the audience. I decided to check all digital channels that officially promote #lloret , Surprisingly, read low low numbers of followers at their Facebook pages , only about 1800 by mid September and 1300 Twitter followers, mmm ,seriously ? , Couldn’t #Lloret get better when they reach a amazing 1.2M visitors per year!!!! and when they bed offer is 30.000!!?? and aren’t those 1.2M at least 50% heavy internet users? , considering that the travellers research and book their holidays online.... , Well, let’s keep checking? 30.000 beds make #Lloret #5 destination in Spain which equals a RESPECTABLE number of beds to fill during 365 days a year, or not? As a matter of fact, #lloret is also working hard to get into breaking their seasonality integrating other tourism business model and spaces to adapt for MICE’s needs, guest what??? another “weird story” and experience left me with jaw open. I needed a business Center in order to have a VIP conference call, …, well ,after calling two of the “supposedly” top hotels listing the center , neither any of them had actually the center BUT the worst thing was that their 5* hotels staff couldn’t even figure out what I was asking for, can you believe it ? It was the most bizarre conversation ever, actually they even transferred my call to an event manager? ,hello???. , well my dear #Lloret , if you want to play MICE game and you want to play 5* ,you better have the right staff to answer and provide a 5* style hospitality. Seriously, what are you thinking??? The world has SO much to offer and without the right service and professionalism you wont get more than teenagers “balconing” and dying and getting terrible PR Media all over the world (even papers from the Middle east mention it!)
OK, let’s wait…, what is number one family tourism reaching to Lloret? : Russians, so, why is it that the official tourism site for Lloret does not have it translated to Russian?
I am overwhelmed with the contradictory information across what the institution,s efforts and the private industry. I just don't unrest and where is the gap but grasping m digging and doing. A little field research let me to comprehend that the gap is known and open and local tourism industry is just focused on filling the 30.000 beds , no matter who and how, which exploits right to your face every summer with the reality on the street and the desideratum. How could we make it happen? I had for years an idea about it. I could simply say , pay me and I will be more than willing to share it. After my summer I got to the conclusion that I won't happen and rather write a case.
....to be continued...
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