Alberta La Grup in the Tourism Special Edition of Capital Magazine

We would like to share with you our contribution to the tourism special edition of Capital magazine.

Lourdes Carbó, our founder and CEO, talks about how true luxury is no longer just a matter of exclusivity but of travelling with purpose.

We invite you to read the full article by Marta Díaz de Santos at this link:

Sustainable tourism: from discourse to action

 

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Compartimos con vosotros nuestra intervención en el especial de Turismo de la revista Capital.

Lourdes Carbó, nuestra fundadora y CEO, habla sobre cómo el verdadero lujo ya no es sólo cuestión de exclusividad sino de viajar con propósito.

Te invitamos a leer el artículo completo de Marta Díaz de Santos en este enlace: Turismo sostenible: del discurso a la acción

 

 

And below, you can read the full text in English:

 

Capital Magazine

Sustainable tourism: from words to action

Tourism as a driver of global transformation

By Marta Díaz de Santos

• 21 April 2025

Sustainable tourism has gone from being a trend to a necessity. Gonzalo Fortuny, partner at EY Technology Consulting and head of the Hospitality sector, says that the main advances “focus on optimising energy resources and better measuring variables relevant to sustainability in order to ensure regulatory compliance, while optimising areas that are not efficient. In this sense, the automation of tasks such as room allocation has an impact on sustainability management, as it also allows for the optimisation of the number of unused rooms in the hotel (for example).”

 

Vallejo Sánchez-Monge (Tourism Board) is clear: “Sustainability is already part of the sector’s DNA. There is growing awareness, also on the part of travellers, who are willing to pay a little more to stay in sustainable establishments.” On the issue of overcrowding, he points out that “there is a lot of media hype,” with images that cause alarm but do not reflect an unsustainable situation.

“We do not deny that there are specific moments when tourists accumulate, especially in cruise destinations, but we are working with these cities to better distribute flows and diversify routes.”

 

“Sustainability is already part of the sector’s DNA” – Santiago Vallejo (Tourism Board)

 

Carbon emissions from the sector have grown faster than in other areas, and their impact on ecosystems and local communities is under increasing scrutiny. In response, destinations such as Menorca, Lanzarote and the Costa Brava have implemented strategies to limit visitors, regulate rentals and promote off-season tourism. Green certifications, investments in electric mobility, and digitalisation to measure impact in real time have also been promoted.

 

Barcelona has announced the elimination of tourist flats by 2028. The Balearic Islands are considering establishing a cap on visitor numbers. “We cannot continue to grow indefinitely at the expense of residents’ quality of life,” the president of the Balearic Government recently stated.

 

CEHE (Spanish Hospitality Business Confederation) has promoted initiatives such as Hostelería #PorElClima, with more than 13,000 participating establishments and more than 200,000 actions to reduce their carbon footprint. According to Ecovidrio, 75% of businesses in the sector recycle correctly. Practices such as the use of local products, energy efficiency, and collaboration with environmental conservation projects are also being promoted.

 

Lourdes Carbó, founder and CEO of Alberta la Grup, experts in luxury lifestyle management, emphasises that today, true luxury is no longer just a matter of exclusive access or sophistication, but of purpose. “Today, true luxury is travelling with purpose, and sustainability and authenticity play an essential role in this,” she says. Her clients, she says, are no longer content with unique experiences, but also aspire to leave a positive impact on the places they visit and connect genuinely with the local culture.

 

“Today, true luxury is travelling with purpose” – Lourdes Carbó (Alberta la Grup)

 

With this premise in mind, her travel agency, Travel Concierge, has integrated a philosophy based on active sustainability across the board. To begin with, they prioritise eco-friendly accommodation that does not compromise on exclusivity: from resorts powered by renewable energy to private villas in off-market locations or lodges in nature reserves.

 

In addition, Carbó explains that mobility is managed with an increasingly strong environmental awareness. Whenever possible, they opt for modes of transport with a lower carbon footprint: private jets with offsetting systems, electric yachts or hybrid vehicles. And all this without compromising on excellence or comfort.

 

Finally, she argues that exclusive access should not be synonymous with negative impact. That is why they work actively with conservationists and experts in regenerative tourism to create memorable experiences that also respect the environment. “Exclusivity does not only mean access to the unattainable, but also travelling with awareness and purpose,” she concludes.

 

Future prospects

Looking ahead, Santiago Vallejo Sánchez-Monge, vice-president of the Tourism Board, is optimistic: “2025 will be a continuation of 2024 if there are no surprises. We have had an impact on the balance of payments of 45 billion euros thanks to tourism. That money goes to healthcare, education, pensions, roads… When someone collects their pension or goes to the doctor, a significant part of that is paid for by tourism. We cannot disparage tourism. We have to take care of it.”

 

Finally, he issued two warnings: the urgent need to reform the Imserso programme, which he considers obsolete, and the state’s debt to airlines for discounts to residents of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, which stands at around €800 million. “Large companies such as Iberia can hold out, but smaller ones such as Binter are on the brink. This puts the connectivity of the islands at risk.”

 

“According to the UNWTO, Spain could become the most visited country in the world by 2040.”

When asked what she would like to hear said about tourism today in twenty years’ time, Natalia Bayona, executive director of UN Tourism, does not hesitate: “That it was the vehicle that brought about openness, transformation of peoples and peace. In a world where multilateralism and geopolitics are in transformation, tourism is the sector that can build bridges. It knows no political colours or cultural barriers. It is the strongest economic sector in the humanities. And it can be the force for cohesion that this world needs.”

 

Finally, it is worth highlighting the UNWTO report Tourism Towards 2040, which concludes that Spain could become the most visited country in the world by that date. But growth must be accompanied by technology, governance, citizen participation, and respect for the environment.