Strategic Tourism Plan for Torroella de Montgrí-L’Estartit

The Tourism Area of Torroella de Montgrí City Council, in collaboration with the EMD of l’Estartit, saw the need to work on a new Strategic Tourism Plan for the municipality of Torroella de Montgrí-L’Estartit, which would give continuity to some of the work lines initiated in the municipality’s previous Tourism Sustainability Plan, while identifying new opportunities for improvement and tourism development.

Given the historical link of the destination with the Natural Park of Montgrí, the Medes Islands and the Baix Ter, tourism management has sought to incorporate sustainability as a key element in its identity. For this reason, this plan had to solidify the sustainable vision of the destination, while highlighting collaboration to strengthen synergies and alliances that would allow better governance between all tourism agents in the territory, both public and private. and between the different population centers.

As in all strategic planning projects, the development of this plan was structured in four phases: an analytical and research phase of secondary sources, relevant information and background of the destination; a second phase of defining the shared diagnosis of the current tourist moment where the destination is located, in order to generate awareness among all the agents of the starting point; a third phase of defining the strategy, adapted to the shared tourist vision of the territory; and, finally, a final phase of defining the action plan in the stipulated operational period (2024-2026), in accordance with the defined strategy, and that highlights co-responsibility for achieving the desired objectives.

During the months that the plan development process lasted, the participation of the different agents and interlocutors of the local tourism sector was materialized in various ways, with this being a vital point to consider. Three participatory workshops were held for each of the important work phases (Diagnosis, Vision and Strategy and Actions) to work together with key agents of the tourism sector in the construction of this plan. On the other hand, a consultation was also carried out with local citizens, and the rest of private entities that, directly or indirectly, are linked to the tourist activity of the municipality. Finally, the consulting effort was complemented with the expert opinion of relevant profiles in the context of the study in question through in-depth interviews. Altogether, approximately 180 people from both public and private sector participated.

The results of this plan conclude with a total of 19 actions that are framed within 7 differentiated axes of work, and that aim to provide solutions to the main challenges and opportunities for improvement in the current tourism development of the destination. These axes are:

• Construction of a complementary model of tourism governance.
• Harmonization of the urban landscape of l’Estartit.
• Demand diversification based on the Catalan Tourist Board’s visitors persona.
• Sustainable management of resources, mobility and reduction of CO²
• Strengthening the human capabilities of tourism professionals.
• Innovation in the co-creation of experiences in the niches of landscape, nature and culture.
• Intelligence and data optimization for sustainable tourism.

It should be noted that, in line with the sustainable vision promoted by Torroella de Montgrí-L’Estartit, the actions of the plan are directly related to the fulfillment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations in their 2030 Agenda. Ultimately, all the proposed initiatives will comply with two or more SDGs.

Torroella de Montgrí-L’Estartit is a municipality located in the center of the Costa Brava, which has been growing in terms of tourism and adapting to the new changes and challenges posed by tourism for decades. It has adapted its tourist offer according to the experiences and needs of users, who are increasingly demanding and have diverse tastes, and for some years now, it has been working rigorously to maintain and preserve its rich landscape and natural heritage that is unique in the world.

This tool has been developed in collaboration with the agents of the tourism sector of Torroella de Montgrí-L’Estartit, and for this reason, it is representative of the essence and identity of the territory. The leadership shown by the Torroella de Montgrí-L’Estartit Tourism Area in the promotion and monitoring of this plan has made possible the development of this roadmap, and the participation of a total of 180 people involved, which marks the way forward for your destiny in the upcoming years.