Menorca is presented at FITUR as a sustainable island to be visited all year round

Menorca was presented this Thursday at the FITUR tourism promotion fair as a sustainable destination to be visited all year round. The Consell Insular and the Fundación Fomento del Turismo de Menorca have held the official presentation of the island. During the event, the president of the Consell Insular de Menorca and the Fundación Fomento del Turismo, Adolfo Vilafranca, highlighted the wide range of options and possibilities that Menorca offers during the 365 days of the year.

“Menorca has a landscape, biodiversity, heritage and a varied and valuable gastronomy. It includes infinite possibilities for active tourism, as well as numerous high-level sporting and cultural events. "We offer plans for all tastes and ages in a privileged scenic setting," Vilafranca stressed.

"Not in vain, Menorca was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993, recognizing its exceptional environmental value. Menorca is home to a great diversity of flora and fauna. Sustainability is our emblem and the island is a natural treasure that invites you to explore it in peace," said the president of the Consell Insular de Menorca and the FFTM.

Vilafranca said that sports and cultural activities take place during all seasons with a complete agenda at the highest level. In the first area, this Thursday and Friday three national and world competitions will be presented at FITUR, such as the Queen's Cup in volleyball, the new ATP 100 Challenger and the Spanish Athletics Championship, which will take place on the island.
During the presentation, the president of the Consell has highlighted the possibilities of the island to be visited out of season in communion with sustainability. Among other things, Vilafranca recalled that Menorca has been a Biosphere Reserve since 1993 and more recently a World Heritage Site for its Talayotic legacy. “Our heritage invites us to connect with our roots and to better understand humanity. And this heritage is complemented by a varied cultural offering that extends all year round, with established events for music, theatre and art, and spaces such as the Teatro Principal in Mahón or the Pedreres de s'Hostal."

In turn, Vilafranca explained the possibilities of the Camí de Cavalls, "a path that is a jewel for lovers of hiking, as well as an incomparable environment for the practice of active tourism."
"We are, in short, a destination that changes with each season, offering activities for all tastes in a responsible and sustainable way. Because we want Menorca to continue being a paradise for future generations. For this reason, we are committed to tourism that respects the environment and our essence, and reaches the island in a balanced way throughout the year. Because Menorca is a place where nature, tradition and culture merge in a unique way. And that is what we want to continue being," Vilafranca concluded.

A 9-MONTH SEASON THAT WORKS
During the event, the director of the FFTM, Begoña Mercadal, also took the floor to explain to those attending the event the benefits and attractions of the Island. "We are a destination that in 2024 has received more than 2 million visitors and if we want it to continue to give off its own magic and appeal, we must manage our resources very conscientiously," said the head of the Foundation.

Accompanied by a slide show, Mercadal explained that the strategy of deseasonalization and extension of the season to 9 months is already bearing fruit. "By air, in May 2024 we had 223,693 passengers, the best figure since 2008, and in September there were 273,175 passengers. At sea level, in February there were 2,000,000 passengers, the best figure since 2008, and in September there were 2,000,000 passengers. 10,304 visitors, while in May there were 34,743 visitors," explained the director.

Among the milestones that Mercadal highlighted in her speech are:

- Annual connection with the United Kingdom: EasyJet will operate flights to Gatwick Airport throughout the year, with two weekly frequencies in winter until 2027.
- Direct flights to Paris: Transavia will offer two weekly frequencies from February 14, expanding to daily flights between April and October.
- Routes with Zaragoza: Operational from April to October thanks to a collaboration with the Government of Aragon.
- New international connections between 2025 and 2027 include routes with Lyon, Nantes, Brest, Marseille, Belfast, Bournemouth and, for the first time, a direct flight to Milan-Malpensa from April to October. At the national level, direct flights are maintained during the 12 months of the year with Barcelona, ??Madrid, Bilbao, Valencia and Palma.

MENORCA, STARRING ON NETFLIX, MOVISTAR + AND AMAZON PRIME
Begoña Mercadal explained that Menorca has been the protagonist of a pioneering promotional campaign between December 2024 and January 2025, as it has become the first destination to be promoted through three of the main content platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video and Movistar +. In total, the 20-second spots on the Island have exceeded 600,000 impressions in the national market.

The weight and importance in audiovisual consumption of the Netflix, Prime Video and Movistar + platforms has placed them as three great scenarios to promote a campaign that shows some of the charms of Menorca away from the high season, placing special emphasis on the attractions of the island outside of summer.
Likewise, a co-marketing action has been launched with the specialist travel and tourist experiences portal, DESTINIA.COM, to promote Menorca.

This action has had a landing page for the national market for a month, a Newsletter with an offer for that week that has reached 500,000 users, a sponsored publication on social networks, as well as another organic one, a prominent presence as a 'Recommended destination' in the top menu of the website, Menorca has been the main feature of the website's background for a week and has had different banners specific to the Island with 1,500,000 impressions.