Date Published: 22/07/2024

Lorca hotels experience impressive 11 per cent growth in July

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This popularity positions Lorca as one of the busiest tourist destinations in the Region of Murcia

Lorca hotels experience impressive 11 per cent growth in July

Lorca's tourism sector is buzzing with excitement as the city has experienced a huge surge in traveller arrivals during the first half of July. According to the Institute of Tourism of the Region of Murcia (ITREM), hotel occupancy in the city has grown by an impressive 11% compared to the same period last year.

Santiago Parra, the Councillor for Tourism of the Lorca City Council, shared these positive results, highlighting the growth in both occupancy rates and the number of visitors. With a rise from 52% in 2023 to 63% in 2024, Lorca is leading the way in the Region of Murcia when it comes to tourism growth.

Councillor Parra attributed this success to the city's growing attractiveness, both nationally and internationally. The data reflects a 33.1% increase in interannual holidaymakers, with a total of 15,728 visitors choosing Lorca as their destination.

These impressive figures are reflected Region-wide and Exceltur, a leading tourism research group, has placed Murcia among the communities with the best growth prospects for this summer, a position also supported by the Hotel Occupancy Survey of the National Institute of Statistics.

"Likewise, the growth of foreign tourists in recent months in Lorca is significant, although the majority of the visitors we serve in our information centres, such as the Tourist Office, the Castle and the Visitors Centre, are national," the councillor explained.

The Councillor credited the city's tourism management strategies, led by Mayor Fulgencio Gil, for this positive trend. The city's presence at tourism fairs, information campaigns and collaborations with cultural entities have all contributed to putting Lorca on the map as an attractive tourist destination, he said.

But the local government has no intention of stopping at these already impressive heights, according to the councillor, who stressed that "we are not satisfied with this, we want to continue working to attract more tourists and also ensure that the people of Lorca participate and enjoy all the actions that we carry out throughout the year from the Department of Tourism."

To this end, Lorca City Council has prepared a varied daytime and night-time programme for the enjoyment of both tourists and locals during the months of July, August and September, which includes guided and dramatised tours for the whole family, night-time activities and dinners with live music, among others. All of these exciting events and activities can be found on the municipal website www.lorca.es.

For more local news, events and visiting information go to the home page of Lorca Today

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Oficina de Turismo de Lorca

Lorca Tourist Office

The rich and extensive history of Lorca has left a legacy of archaeological sites, and historic buildings, around which the modern City has built its tourism industry. Amongst these are Lorca Castle, the Jewish Quarter of the castle and Synagogue, Lorca Tourist Office Plaza de España, Colegiata de San Patricio, Museo de Arqueologico Municipal, Iglesia de San Francisco, Casa Huerto Ruano, Palacio de Guevara, Iglesia de San Mateo, Pósito de los Panaderos, Convento Virgen de las Huertas, Antiguo Convento de la Merced, Iglesia del Carmen and the Teatro Guerra.

Unfortunately Lorca has also been prone to natural disaster, suffering a Gota Fría on September 28th 2012, as well as an earthquake which measured 5.3 on the Richter scale on 11th May 2011 and claimed 9 lives. Since this earthquake the city has been rebuilding, winning recognition for its Lorca, Open for Restoration initiative, which used the restoration of the city as a tourist attraction whilst it rebuilt its historical buildings, some of which are currently still not open.

Lorca Tourist Office The tourist office itself has temporarily relocated until the renovations are completed and is on Calle San Patricio near the church.

Lorca also has an area of coastline incorporating the Parque Regional de Cabo Cope - Puntas de Calnegre, in the Sierra de Almenara, which includes the beaches of, Puntas de Calnegre, Baño de las Mujeres, San Lorca Tourist Office Pedro, El Siscal, Cala Honda, Cuartel del Ciscar, Junquera, Cala de la Gruta, Cala Leña, Los Hierros, Cala Blanca and Playa Larga, although many are accessible only through agricultural exploitations.

However, in spite of its many attractions, the name of Lorca is synonymous with Easter, (Semana Santa) its biblical parades of International Tourist Interest status and famous throughout Spain. The week includes a Lorca Tourist Office series of parades in which the whites (Paso Blanco) and blues (Paso Azúl) try to outdo each other with the magnificence of their embroideries and the skill and daring of their horsemen.