Spain | Launched “Tourism Strategy 2030”, a New Plan to Make its Tourism Sector more Sustainable, Digital, and Resilient

Spain has launched “Tourism Strategy 2030”, a new plan to make its tourism sector more accessible, digital, and resilient by tackling issues like overcrowding and high housing costs with key initiative include creating a new Tourism Housing Observatory to manage short - term rentals and a focus on off - season and rural tourism to balance visitor numbers with resident quality of life.

The Government of Spain has approved this initiative in the Council of Ministers, a common agenda to guide the transformation of Spanish tourism, a strategic transversal plan made up of 5 programmes, 50 measures and 148 concrete actions that reflect its commitment to to making the defined objectives a reality, covering the five main axes involving different ministries and bodies, after the reactivation of Interministerial Commission on Tourism aiming to transform tourism in a more inclusive, balanced and environmentally conscious model.

The commitment is materialized in the approval of 15 common goals, resulting from the intersection of five axes generated by the partecipatory process and joint reflection with other administrations, companies, social agents and they are : 

• Destinations – This ax focuses on workers who create destinations aiming to strengthen tourism management and promoting collaborative governance boosting green and blue tourism that reduces emissions, protecting biodiversity and using natural and coastal resources responsibly. The purpose is to strengthen institutional strength as well as climate sustainability and resilience of the destinations. To this end a “Destination Regenerative Program”, a “Platform for the Adaptation of Tourist Destinations to Climate Change” and a “Rapid Response Committee in Tourism” will be implemented.

• People who create jobs - Regarding measures for people who create jobs, the strategy is intended to foster innovation and digitalization as drivers of competitiveness. The plan supports responsible companies that integrate sustainability criteria and practice a circular economy based on efficiency, waste reduction and local consumption. The actions will be directed to boost the digital transformation through a “Digital Advisory Programme” aimed at strengthening the technological capacity of tourism SMEs, as well as a “Programme to boost Circular Economy in Tourism” with goals also to create competitive innovation and responsible companies.

• Tourism workers - The aim is placing people working in the tourism sector at the centre of the model through continuous training, improved working conditions and inclusion, guaranteeing decent and sustainable jobs in the context of the dual green and digital transition. The objective of the plan is to evolve from a model based on temporality to one based on stability, through actions such as a “Pact for the Labour Wellbeing of the Tourism Sector” and the reinforcement of dual training in tourism. The goals are highlighting talent, labour equity, dual transition and boosting tourism employment.

 • Residents - Concerning residents, the objectives include strengthening social cohesion, balancing the use of public space, and protecting local culture, in order to harmonize tourism activity with the lives of host communities. The creation of a Tourist Housing Observatory to develop an atlas of tourism intensity has the aim of better reconciling tourism and coexistence with residents.The goals are social cohesion, culture and heritage, and environmental commitment. The objective is also promoting the development of digital tools that improve the management of public spaces, resources and public services, within the scope of the “Intelligent Platform of Destinations”. 

 • Tourists - With regard to measures aimed at tourists, and in order to attract a more responsible aware and participatory visitor, promoting responsible marketing actions will be developed to promote the geographical, temporal and motivational diversification of tourism with the aim to position Spain as a sustainable destination. This ax focuses to raise awareness among travellers and encourage environmentally respectful behaviour, implementing actions focus on responsible tourism, social and environmental awareness.

According to the Minister of Industry and Tourism Jordi Hereu, this strategy represents a commitment by the Government of Spain to place the country’s main industry at the centre of its political agenda.

The Minister also highlighted that with the preparation of this strategy and its implementation plan, the Spanish Government takes on the challenge of managing the current success of Spanish Tourism, believing in this industry as a responsible and redistributive activity which generates opportunities for all, including residents, and which preserves the cohesion and identity of the territories.

In a press release, the Spanish Government stated that the “Spain Tourism 2030 Strategy” is in line with the international consensus on sustainable tourism, drawing inspiration from recent milestones such as the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Palma Declaration (Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, 2023), the European Union Strategy for Sustainable Tourism,  and the Madrid Declaration, Conestur.

Link 
https://www.publituris.pt/2025/10/22/espanha-define-nova-estrategia-para-o-turismo