Promoting Family Tourism

25-04-2018 | Turisme de Barcelona

One of the segments that most interests Turisme de Barcelona is family tourism. This is a new tendency connected to high quality tourism and is becoming increasingly popular. In fact, Catalonia was a pioneer in creating a family certification issued by the Catalan Tourism Agency; 60% of tourists who visit on holiday are families. This figure contrasts with Barcelona where, as an urban destination, just under 6% of visitors are families, according to the Municipal Tourism Observatory.

The Consortium is aware of this, and so has taken a promotional approach which, initially, incorporates the activities and experiences offered by the destination for this segment. It is an intergenerational segment, highly sensitive to accessibility and safety, and traditionally very interested in nature and the mountains but now showing signs of being drawn to culture and more specialist niche market attractions. To achieve this, on the Turisme de Barcelona website, the Family section has been set up to publicise activities suitable for or aimed at families in four languages. The database includes options ranging from cultural visits to restaurants specifically catering for children, and the recommended transport options.

The directory includes a calendar and a list of activities aimed at adults with children or teenagers up to 15 years old. This type of traveller is considered to be extremely attractive: they consume culture, leisure and dining products, they tend to be respectful and quiet, and have high spending levels. Specific activities for children include the Aquarium, a Golondrina boat trip, or a visit to the Chocolate, Maritime or Natural History Museums. There is also a wide range of other activities such as the audiovisual show Gaudí Experience with 4D technology, the Bosc Urbà adventure park in the Fòrum area with over 50 activities and the Poble Espanyol outdoor architectural museum. In addition to these activities the website includes gastronomic options, such as restaurants in each area with children's menus that use local products based on the traditional foods rather than pre-made frozen products.