The Fluxá family is synonymous with footwear –Lotusse, Camper– but, above all, tourism. Within that fourth generation is Lorenzo Fluxá Domené, Chairman of LJs Group, who has interests in these companies and in the Iberostar group.

Together with his wife, the British Lisa Jane Cross, he now stands out from mass tourism in his commitment to sustainable luxury. Lj’s Ratxó Eco Luxury Retreat, a place that aspires to be self-sufficient, has just opened in the Tramuntana, in Mallorca.

How much does the surname Fluxá weigh?

Being a Fluxá is talking about three generations that have succeeded, and that is a challenge because it sets the bar very high. We are a hardworking family that has never been afraid to innovate. That spirit has allowed us to be the first in many areas, especially tourism.

His grandfather, Lorenzo Fluxá Figuerola, acquired Viajes Iberia, and was a pioneer in tourism.

He was a pioneer in the world of globalization. He bought a travel agency with four friends almost a hundred years ago, in a very different time, in the middle of two world wars and in the framework of a dictatorship. I was very clear that we were going towards globalization and that this would make everyone have more possibilities to travel.

You have chosen to follow in the footsteps of your uncle (Miquel Fluxá, president of Iberostar) before those of your father, Antonio, who was in charge of Lotusse.

My father was the person I have most admired in this life, he is my reference. He is the one who instilled in us a sense of responsibility with people, with workers. He liked to work in a team and that made him a more discreet person, and those values ​​and his philosophy of life is what has inspired the following generations, and myself: it is what has made us always want to do things new. The truth is that my father and I had our pluses and minuses when I finished my degree in Business Administration and Marketing in New Hampshire and I proposed to him that I wanted to travel and dedicate myself to tourism. I went to work for my uncle and, the truth is that I had a great time. It was too small for me to stay in the Inca factory, despite the fact that Lotusse is among the three most important footwear companies in Spain.

Does it bother you to see members of your family occupying the top positions on the list of the richest in Spain?

The family has worked hard and hard for many generations so that people stay on the facade. The Forbes list annoys me; I believe that a ranking should be drawn up that would affect how many jobs this or that entrepreneur creates, in how many families make a living from that business. Talking about who is richer is a simplicity.

One day he decides to go a step further and make the dream of creating a hotel with his wife come true.

We had been mulling over the idea for years, soaking up customer feedback, and we decided to transfer our lifestyle to the project. Tourism is now more responsible and we saw it as an opportunity. We carry in our DNA that need to take care of our environment.

Where did your commitment to sustainability come from?

The whole family, especially the last generations, and in our different areas, we already have that environmental awareness deeply rooted. Before acquiring this farm in Puigpunyent we got fully into the primary sector and planted our own vines; now we serve here the wine we harvest. What is true is that the change in large companies, such as Iberostar, is not so agile, but the work of my cousins, with that Wave of Change in the group’s hotels internationally, is a challenge, and they are doing it in a spectacular way. The luck that Lisa and I have is that at Lj’s Ratxó we can do it faster and with the idea that, in a few years, we will be self-sufficient.

Does that cost money? Can you give us figures?

I’d rather not, but the investment is high. When we opened this accommodation we already thought about how to use today’s technologies and tools to achieve that self-sufficiency. We intend not to consume electricity from outside, manage our own waste… hopefully in the future they will tell us that we were pioneers.

The Hilton chain has announced that it will clean the rooms of its hotels every five days in search of that sustainability …

It seems to me a very radical, ineffective and even unhygienic measure. For me that is not a sustainability issue. What we do is find mechanisms to save and take advantage of water, create our own energy to be able to dry the tablecloths … but that requires investment, of course.

What is luxury to you?

The simplicity, the moment to be able to enjoy yourself and the silence. Add to that being lucky that from here we can take care of a monument such as the Serra de la Tramuntana, where our hotel is located, and clients value and enjoy it.

You talk about caring for the environment and yet you are passionate about karts and three of your children compete professionally. How does this fit into your idea of ​​sustainability?

We are also working on this, on changing the use of current fuels, creating a gasoline that does not pollute and using engines that do not emit smoke. You have to really become aware and think about where we want to go as humanity.

His next challenge: Mexico.

Yes, we belong to the Eco Hotel & Resorts group, based in Mexico City, and we have made an alliance to bring the concept of Lj’s and sustainability to several establishments in the area. My wife and I are very excited about the project.

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