Orihuela is moving forward with the development of its new tourism marketing strategy after hosting a focus group with local tourism and business representatives. The session formed part of the municipality’s new Tourism Marketing Plan, an initiative included within Orihuela’s Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan (PSTD) and funded through the European Union’s Next Generation EU programme under Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, in collaboration with the Generalitat Valenciana and Turisme Comunitat Valenciana.
Organised by Orihuela City Council through the Department of Tourism, the workshop took place on 5 May and was led by consultancy firm Sien Consulting, which has been commissioned to draft the plan. The aim is to create a strategic and operational roadmap that will strengthen Orihuela’s tourism positioning, improve visibility and help build a more competitive, sustainable and year-round tourism model.
Representatives from tourism, hospitality, culture, heritage, events and other local business sectors took part in the 90-minute session, which combined group discussions with real-time digital analysis tools. Participants shared their views on the current state of tourism in Orihuela and identified future opportunities linked to the municipality’s wide range of tourism products.
Among the destination’s key strengths highlighted were Orihuela’s cultural and historical heritage, its connection to poet Miguel Hernández — regarded as having strong international branding potential — along with the climate, quality of life, varied landscapes and extensive tourism resources.
Discussions also focused on tourism promotion, digitalisation, product development and commercialisation across sectors including cultural, religious, gastronomic, beach, nature, cycling, golf, active and events tourism. One of the strongest areas of consensus was the need to improve digitalisation and strengthen links between Orihuela Costa and the city’s historic and cultural centre.
The feedback gathered will now be incorporated into the final Tourism Marketing Plan, which will guide future tourism promotion and development policies with a more participatory and locally focused approach.
