Q&A: Spain Launches Global Dialogue on Sustainable Tourism With New Series

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A tourism boom in 2023 saw Spain welcome 85 million international visitors, surpassing even the most optimistic forecasts and breaking its pre-pandemic record. Continuing with this momentum, 14.5 percent more international passengers traveled to the country in the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2023. 

But this growth comes with a responsibility. With global traveler interest in Spain at an all-time high, the country is reinforcing its commitment to the planet by integrating more sustainable practices into its tourism management framework. Instead of simply attracting visitors, Spain’s focus is now on actively managing its success and sustaining a responsible tourism model for the future.

SkiftX sat down with Miguel Sanz Castedo, director general at Turespaña, to understand how Turespaña is reshaping its destination marketing to align with this renewed focus on sustainability.

SkiftX: As Spain’s tourism landscape shifts towards sustainability, what role does Turespaña play in leading and supporting this transformation?

Miguel Sanz Castedo: The global economy is undergoing a formidable transformation to meet climate action plans. With global warming surpassing the critical 1.5-degree temperature increase in a 12-month period for the first time in history, we need to increase our focus on climate change mitigation. Tourism accounts for around 8 percent of carbon emissions, so it’s our responsibility as public and private stakeholders of the travel industry to transform towards a more sustainable model.

NTOs play a strategic role in this transformation. We manage one of a destination’s most valuable assets: the national brand. Historically, our aim was to generate footfall and push people to visit, but the advent of the internet has shifted marketing to a two-way communication system. This has led Spain to shift from initially pursuing volume, to more recently, “quality tourism” or attracting visitors who contribute value to the destination economically, socially, and environmentally. Turespaña wants to help the tourism industry find ways to develop new products, market segments, and sale channels that drive consumers, companies, and destinations to more sustainable practices. This is the framework in which we operate.

SkiftX: How has the recent rise in international tourist arrivals influenced Turespaña’s approach to managing tourism?

Castedo: We’ve shifted our focus from primarily looking at visitor volume to developing new indicators that better reflect the local communities’ quality of life and the tourism industry’s quality of jobs. We recognize that traditional metrics like visitor numbers no longer serve as the sole indicator of success.

To this end, Turespaña co-chairs a UN Tourism statistics group working to establish a framework for measuring sustainable tourism, which was approved last year and is set for approval by the UN General Assembly this September. This new framework will help us identify and implement the right KPIs to manage tourism sustainably.

SkiftX: How does Turespaña effectively communicate sustainability to travelers and industry stakeholders to ensure meaningful engagement and understanding?

Castedo: Communicating sustainability effectively is a major responsibility for Turespaña. We’re currently working to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for 90 percent of our industry, to develop sustainable products and services. Our approach isn’t about creating a “Sustainable Spain” image but educating and engaging the entire industry about the transformation we need. We help those lagging in sustainability catch up, support leaders to advance further, and share best practices widely.

We also aim to inform travelers about the impacts of their choices and how they can travel more responsibly. Through surveys and interactions, we’ve found that many travelers are eager to be more sustainable but lack the necessary information to make informed decisions. We aim to provide the guidance they need to align their intentions with their actions, without compromising the quality of their experience, which is crucial.

SkiftX: Tell us about Turespaña’s new “Spain Talks” series. What inspired it, and what are its main objectives?

Castedo: Spain is one of the world’s most visited countries, with tourism accounting for 13 percent of our GDP and employing a similar share of our workforce. We possess the means, talent, and partnerships necessary to make impactful changes, so we feel a strong responsibility to help the industry.

Our goal with “Spain Talks” was to launch an industry-wide discussion and act as a conduit for sharing best practices. We connect with local communities, small and medium-sized enterprises, airlines, cruises, and more to create meaningful change and collaboration. The series focuses on bringing together players from different markets to understand the sustainable transformations happening within destinations and helping the industry adapt to new realities like climate change and evolving market conditions.

SkiftX: What key insights and takeaways has Turespaña gained from the “Spain Talks” series so far?

Castedo: The series has been a great learning experience. We’ve realized that while much of the industry is engaged in sustainable transformation, there’s a strong need for more information, best practices, and training, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. These insights have shaped our approach toward sustainability and emphasized the need for new metrics and KPIs beyond just volume or income.

We’ve also learned the importance of collaborative efforts across sectors, especially in air travel. Bringing together differing perspectives has proven that these groups can and are willing to work together to achieve common goals.

The series has also helped us stress the necessity of providing travelers with clear information to make sustainable choices. Additionally, our engagements have highlighted the effectiveness of starting with small, manageable goals for gradual progress. For example, we’ve shifted from promoting seasonal tourism in the Balearic Islands to developing year-round offerings like cycling, which has helped improve job quality and economic sustainability for local businesses.

SkiftX: What key initiatives is Spain implementing to reduce the tourism industry’s environmental footprint?

Castedo: Spain leads in several key areas. We top Europe in biosphere reserves and blue flags for clean beaches. We have the most extensive carbon-neutral high-speed train network in Europe and are second in producing renewable electricity — nearly half of our energy is generated from renewable sources. Over 40 percent of our territory is protected.

The Government of Spain has allocated $3.65 billion (€3.4 billion) from the EU NextGeneration funds to our tourism sector, with nearly two billion earmarked for sustainability projects to improve energy efficiency and promote environmental, social, and economic sustainability. These initiatives will be completed by mid-2026.

Local and regional initiatives further complement these national efforts. For example, the Paradores hotel chain is upgrading to allow electric vehicle charging at all its locations — many of which are in remote areas — which will help decarbonize travel to these destinations. Turespaña owns the Paradores hotel buildings and is also investing $107 million (€100 million) to conserve and improve its historical properties.

The European Commission has named Valencia the green capital of Europe for 2024, and the Balearic Islands have implemented a Circularity Law to create a more circular economy in tourism. Spanish hotel companies like Iberostar and Melia are leading sustainable changes in the private sector. For example, Melia recently opened one of Europe’s first net-zero five-star hotels in Menorca, a biosphere reserve. We’re committed to making Spain a sustainable destination by 2050, but it’s a work in progress. 

SkiftX: What steps is Turespaña taking to gather the necessary information and insights to ensure tourism growth benefits local communities?

Castedo: We’re running a pilot project to understand tourism’s impact on local communities through a large-scale survey with over 25,000 interviews across various Spanish communities. The survey will be conducted twice yearly — during the high season in summer and the low season — and will help assess tourism’s personal, seasonable, and broader community impacts.

We’ve also conducted an international visitor satisfaction survey over the past three years, polling over 20,000 travelers on aspects from hotels to gastronomy and local infrastructure. This survey also includes questions about visitors’ satisfaction with the destination’s sustainability efforts. This data informs our destination management teams across Spain and helps decision-making on the public and private fronts to foster visitor satisfaction with sustainable practices. 

SkiftX: What can other destinations learn about communicating and promoting a sustainable tourism strategy from Turespaña’s learnings?

Castedo: Firstly, sharing information and collaborating through public-private partnerships is critical because we all share a common goal. Engage and listen to your local communities and businesses. They can often provide insights or alternatives that lead to better solutions.

We’ve learned that sustainability spans several dimensions. Having green forests doesn’t automatically make a destination sustainable. For example, Lanzarote doesn’t have a green landscape. Still, it’s been at the forefront of sustainable tourism practices since the 1990s, when it was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, or more recently when it became the first destination certified by Biosphere Responsible Tourism in 2015.

It’s important to inform and educate people about these efforts to create a broader understanding of what truly constitutes sustainability. Ultimately, communication should be informative, clear, honest, and pledge-oriented toward achieving long-term goals.

Learn more about the “Caring for the Future of Tourism: Spain Talks” series.

This content was created collaboratively by Turespaña and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.