ELFAC presented the city of Alghero and the region of Sardinia as family-friendly tourism destinations at the International Fair of Tourism in Madrid. Grimaldi-Lines, the leading shipping company for family transport in the Mediterranean, has teamed up with the region of Sardinia to promote tourism adapted to the needs of families with children.
The International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR), which was held in Madrid from 22 to 26 January 2025, is the most important in the world. The Grimaldi Group’s stand at the fair hosted the presentation of the destination Sardinia on Thursday 23 January, with a special focus on the city of Alghero, designated as the capital of family tourism for 2025, in its commitment to the Italian region as a key to its routes and family tourism.
The event was attended by Raul Sanchez, Secretary General of the European Large Families Confederation (ELFAC); Raimondo Cacciotto, Mayor of Alghero; Maria Grazia Salaris, Councillor for Family Welfare of the Municipality of Alghero; and Franco Cuccureddu, Councillor for Tourism of Sardinia, accompanied by the Director of Passage and MK of the Grimaldi Group in Spain, Javier Félez, who shared the attractions and proposals that consolidate Alghero as a tourist reference for families and the Grimaldi Group’s commitment to family tourism in the destination of Sardinia.
The Secretary General of the European Confederation of Large Families highlighted the value of family tourism in a city, Alghero, ‘that leads the movement of family-friendly municipalities in Italy, of which it is a model for the whole of Europe’. He stressed that Alghero, and the Region of Sardinia, are ideal places to travel with the family, as they feel welcomed as if they were at home, with all their needs provided for and taken care of, with a great and loving hospitality’.
The Director of Passenger and MK of Grimaldi Group in Spain, Javier Félez, stressed that ‘we have been linking Spain, specifically Barcelona, with Sardinia for 15 years, with figures of more than 200,000 passengers a year’ and highlighted the benefits of travelling by boat with the whole family, ‘enjoying the crossing with peace of mind, without luggage problems and with all the advantages that travelling on board offers you’.
The Mayor of Alghero stressed that ‘Alghero is a tourist destination that arouses great interest in the Spanish market, both in terms of landscape and culture, as it is not only sun and sand, but also has Catalan-Aragonese vestiges that are part of the local culture and attract many visitors every year’.
Finally, the Councillor for Tourism of the Sardinia region, Franco Cuccureddu, said that Sardinia ‘is a very beautiful island and I invite anyone who does not yet know it to come and visit us, as it is not only beach and sun, which is wonderful, but we also have a wonderful gastronomy and a very wide cultural offer’.
Afterwards, the attendees were able to enjoy a cooking show led by Enrica Barni, renowned Italian chef and director of La Academia del Gusto, the first Italian cooking school in Madrid. During this gastronomic experience, typical dishes from the Sardinian region were tasted, offering visitors a complete immersion in the culinary and cultural richness of Sardinia, one of the Grimaldi Group’s star destinations.
Alghero is the first Italian municipality to receive the “Family in Italy-Family friendly municipality” title granted by the autonomous province of Trento. This achievement was possible thanks to the creation of a Family Policies Office and the implementation of a Family Municipal Plan which applies across all sectors of the economy. By achieving their goals to become a more welcoming, attentive, and care providing municipality, Alghero is both a comfortable place for its resident families, as well as visiting families.
Activities and offers designed to benefit traveling families include the “L’Alguer Family Festival”: a three week event full of activities and opportunities for families, a ‘Christmas Village’: a month of Christmas themed events, and the Porto Conte Natural Park, which offers family tickets as well as bathrooms equipped with changing rooms and spaces dedicated for little ones.
