Arantxa Mérida · Tourism, Andalusia and a way of travelling that puts people first
Travelling has been part of Arantxa’s life since long before it became her profession. At just sixteen, she had already travelled through much of Europe, driven by a curiosity about languages, other cultures and different ways of life. That curiosity naturally led her into the tourism industry and, in 1995, to found Loymer Tours, a pioneering company specialising in the marketing of rural cottages and holiday accommodation in Andalusia for the European market.
After two decades at the helm of that project and subsequently becoming involved in other business ventures, particularly in the passenger transport sector, he returned to a more local scale with Loymer Travel. This is where he has been able to bring together the elements that define his approach to this profession: direct contact with travellers, showcasing Andalusia from the inside, and creating experiences that connect people with the region.
That same vision underpins Soul of South and also her new role at Skål International Málaga-Costa del Sol, where she has been particularly involved in developing talent in the tourism sector and building bridges between experienced professionals and the younger generation. We spoke to her about Andalusia, how travellers have changed, authenticity, and Skål and something it considers indispensable even in the midst of technological transformation: the profoundly human nature of tourism.
Travelling has been part of your life since you were very young. How did it end up becoming your profession?
Travelling has always been a part of my life. By the age of sixteen, I’d already travelled all over Europe. I was really fascinated by languages, discovering other countries, other cultures and other ways of life, so when the time came to choose what to study, Tourism was a fairly natural choice for me.
In 1995, I founded my first company, Loymer Tours, at a time when rural tourism was only just beginning to emerge as a tourist product. We were pioneers in marketing rural holiday homes and holiday accommodation in Andalusia, particularly for the European market. I ran the company for twenty years, and this gave me the opportunity to get to know both European travellers and an Andalusia that was then just beginning to open up to a different kind of tourism.
Other business ventures followed, some on a larger scale, particularly in the field of passenger transport. And years later, Loymer Travel was founded – a smaller, more specialised company, but one in which I have been able to focus on what I am truly passionate about: direct contact with travellers, showcasing our region and creating experiences that allow people to discover Andalusia in a more intimate and authentic way.
After so many years showing Andalusia to visitors from abroad, what have you learnt about your own region through their eyes?
When you see your homeland through someone else’s eyes, you realise just how extraordinary the things that are part of your everyday life can be.
Andalusia is a land of contrasts. It is spontaneous, natural, sincere, welcoming and incredibly diverse. It boasts a rich history, culture, landscapes and traditions, as well as its own unique and special way of life.
But if there’s one thing that really wins over visitors from afar, it’s our people: their warmth, their hospitality, their willingness to share, to chat and to make visitors feel, right from the start, as though they’re part of our community.
Andalusia is a place you can’t help but fall in love with. And I, even after all these years, continue to rediscover my own region thanks to those who come to explore it.
You talk about not just getting to know a destination, but experiencing it. What does that difference mean to you?
For me, getting to know a destination means visiting it; experiencing it means living it. And Andalusia is a region that lends itself particularly well to being experienced.
We have magnificent monuments and sites known throughout the world, as well as a wealth of treasures to be found in every village, every corner and every little experience. There is history, culture, cuisine, folklore, traditions, landscapes, contrasts and a diversity that is the result of everything we have been over the centuries.
To get a feel for a place is also to mingle with its people, chat, share a meal, discover their customs and become part of their way of life, even if only for a few hours. That’s why I believe that in Andalusia, even a short trip can turn into an experience to remember.
Because, at the end of the day, you might visit lots of places, but it’s the experiences, the people and the emotions that make you truly connect with a destination.
Are we doing a good job of teaching about Andalusia, or is there still another side to Andalusia waiting to be discovered and told?
I think Andalusia is being showcased well. The thing is, visitors usually have limited time and, naturally, want to see the most iconic and internationally renowned places first.
For me, that is precisely where the challenge lies: in ensuring that, even when visiting those must-see places, the traveller has the opportunity to discover something more. A visit shouldn’t just be about seeing a monument, admiring a landscape or hearing its history; it should also allow them to get a feel for the life around them, the traditions, the cuisine, the customs and, of course, the people.
It is not so much a question of seeking out another Andalusia to showcase, but rather of finding new ways of experiencing and telling the story of the Andalusia we already have.
That’s how Soul of South came about. What do you hope to achieve with this project, and why are you taking it to the international B2B market?
Soul of South stems precisely from that idea: to seek out new ways of experiencing and portraying Andalusia. We do not wish to present a different Andalusia, but rather to offer a different way of approaching it.
We want our visitors to discover our wonderful destinations and, at the same time, to experience everything that forms part of our identity: our culture, our cuisine, our traditions, our landscapes, our villages and, above all, our people.
Soul of South aims to create experiences that allow you to delve a little deeper into the authentic, down-to-earth side of Andalusia, to meet the people who keep many of our traditions alive, and to discover stories and places that are not usually part of a conventional tour.
And bringing this concept to the international B2B market allows us to take it a step further: to work with professionals from other countries so that this way of discovering Andalusia can reach travellers from different markets, whilst always preserving the authenticity and essence of our region.
Travellers have also changed a great deal. How has the market evolved, and what is now expected of tourism professionals?
The market has changed dramatically because travellers have changed too. Today’s travellers are much better informed; they have immediate access to a vast amount of information, they compare options, make their choices and have a pretty good idea of what they want to do even before they arrive at their destination. This also forces us professionals to evolve and offer increasingly well-thought-out packages tailored to different interests.
At the same time, I believe that Andalusia is doing a great job of promoting itself internationally, showcasing the huge variety of experiences the region has to offer and reaching a wide range of markets and traveller profiles.
And there’s one thing that I believe is essential: we don’t need to reinvent ourselves to respond to new trends. We have an extraordinary product. The challenge lies in knowing how to present it, adapt it to new ways of travelling and make it accessible to every type of traveller.
Andalusia captivates people just as it is. We don’t need to change; we just need to know how to present ourselves.
Your involvement with Skål began years ago in Cádiz and now continues in Málaga-Costa del Sol, where you have decided to play an active role. What does this new chapter mean to you?
I’m at a stage in my career where I’d like not only to develop my own projects, but also to get involved, put forward ideas and help create new ones. And to do so from Málaga-Costa del Sol, my home and the place where I carry out much of my work, holds a special meaning for me.
For me, Skål has enormous potential because of its ability to connect tourism professionals from all over the world, bring together experience, knowledge and new ideas, and, above all, turn those connections into real projects and opportunities.
That is precisely what has led me to get more actively involved: I believe that Skål can be not only a great meeting place for professionals, but also a platform from which to drive initiatives and contribute to the future of the sector.
As secretary of Skål International Málaga-Costa del Sol, what would you like to contribute to the club, and in what direction would you like to see it develop?
For me, the important thing is to harness the full potential that Skål already possesses. We are part of an international organisation that is unique in its ability to bring together and connect, on a global scale, professionals from all sectors of the tourism industry: travel agencies, the hospitality sector, transport, the catering industry, destinations, experiences…
What’s more, alongside all that diversity, there is something else that I find particularly valuable: the coexistence of different generations, from professionals with a very long career behind them to the younger generations who are just starting out in the sector.
My aim is to help ensure that all this potential translates into real collaborations, initiatives and projects. That we know how to make the most of what each of us has to offer and, above all, that we do things together.
You have spoken out in favour of the need to support, mentor and open doors for the younger generations. What did you miss out on when you were starting out, and what can those of us who already have experience do today?
When I started out, breaking into the sector was much harder. You had to knock on a lot of doors, seek out your own opportunities and gradually build up your professional network.
That is precisely why I would like us to start building a genuine connection between those who are just starting out on their career path and those who already have a track record in the sector.
And this is where something comes in that I believe is fundamental: Skål can be an extraordinary bridge between generations. Our companies need talented professionals, and we have the opportunity to play a part in developing that talent – by introducing them to the realities of the sector, sharing our experience and helping them develop the skills they will need in their careers. At the same time, we can get to know and support those who may one day join our companies.
A partnership that benefits both parties and, ultimately, the tourism sector itself. It is precisely from this idea that the Tourism Talent Network – Tourism Talent Development Programme was born, a project that I have launched through Skål Málaga-Costa del Sol and which we wish to develop in collaboration with the University and the students themselves.
How can Skål attract new generations and strengthen Young Skål through projects such as the Tourism Talent Network?
I believe that, in order to attract younger generations, we need to ensure that they recognise, right from the start, the value and benefits that being part of Young Skål can bring them: joining a network of tourism professionals from all over the world, making contacts, sharing experiences and gaining an insight into the world of work whilst they are still studying.
That idea was precisely my starting point for the Tourism Talent Network – Tourism Talent Development Programme, a project through which I aim to forge links between future professionals, current professionals and businesses, whilst at the same time introducing students to the world of Skål in a natural way.
We are embarking on this journey with the University of Málaga, but the aim is for the project to grow gradually, reach other institutions and contribute to the next generation of members and the growth of Young Skål.
To conclude, in a tourism sector that is evolving so rapidly, what do you think we should never lose sight of – both those just starting out and those of us who have been in the sector for years?
I believe we should never lose our curiosity or our desire to keep learning. Those just starting out have a great deal to learn from the experience of those who have been in the sector for years, and those of us who have been here for years also have a great deal to learn from the younger generations – from their way of seeing the world and the tools they bring with them.
Technology is transforming our profession and we must evolve with it, but tourism remains a profoundly human experience. We travel to discover other places, other cultures, other ways of life and, above all, to meet other people.
We can change the tools we use and the way we work, but that essence is what we should never lose.