Spain’s Ministry Of Tourism Presents Sustainability Strategy For Destinations With Public Investment Of 1.91 Billion Euros

By

Spain’s Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, presented Monday, together with the President of the Regional Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, the general lines of the Tourism at Destination Strategy, which will lay the foundations for a new tourism model to transform destinations in accordance with sustainable criteria aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda, within the framework of the ‘Spain can’ Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

The presentation also involved the participation of the President of the Island Council of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, the Chairman of the Tourism Committee of FEMP, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal, the State Secretary for Tourism, Fernando Valdés, and the Councillor for Tourism of the Regional Government of the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla.

During the event, held in Lanzarote, the Minister for Tourism stated that “the future of tourism will either be sustainable or not. Accordingly, over the next three years, we will invest more than 1.9 billion euros in our tourism destinations to strengthen their sustainability in its three dimensions: environmental, socio-economic and territorial”.

“From our most international sun and sea destinations to inland villages, including large cities and urban destinations with a tourism identity, we will support our destinations to transform them into genuine hubs of innovation and resistant tourism attractions to tackle such challenges as climate change and digitalisation, and contribute to diversify our offer and seasonally adjust the demand to attract higher-spending tourists”, added the minister.

Drawn up by the State Secretariat for Tourism with the participation of the tourism councillor of the autonomous regions and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (Spanish acronym: FEMP), the strategy establishes the goals and expected results of the programmes of Sustainability Plans, while defining the categories of destination in which these actions will be implemented.

“We are looking for balanced development of our tourism potential, sharing the wealth that this activity generates throughout the country, also creating job opportunities in those areas affected by depopulation. Another of the goals the strategy seeks is to increase the competitiveness of destinations, incorporating sustainability and digitalisation in the management of tourism resources, infrastructures and products, and improving the quality and the natural capital of the tourism system”, explained the State secretary, Fernando Valdés, in his speech.

Types of destination

Sun and sea tourism destination

This accounts for 65% of the whole offer in our country and faces a profound change of competitive paradigm. The strategy seeks to increase its competitiveness, strengthening the variety of tourist experiences and the management of these experiences thanks to digital tools and the constant raising of quality standards.

Rural tourism destination

With great tourism potential and a broad scope for development, the aim of this Strategy is the integration of rural tourism in the tourism system, complying with the aims of the demographic challenge and contributing to seasonal adjustments, reducing the concentration of tourism and re-distributing income from tourism. It also seeks to improve the quality of life of its populations, creating job opportunities, making older social communities more dynamic, generating an associative fabric and enhancing local businesses.

Urban tourism destination

This accounts for approximately a quarter of the international tourism demand in Spain. The Strategy will promote the renewal of the cultural offer and leisure, extending and diversifying areas of interest and the introduction of digital tools that allow tourist flows to be better managed. It will also improve old towns, reconciling the uses of neighbourhoods and commit to challenges associated with green mobility and naturalising cities.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *