BARCELONA — The Spanish government adopted a 2030 tourism strategy focused on social, economic, and environmental sustainability. This plan includes a €3.4 billion allocation of E.U. Next Generation funds to modernize the tourism sector.

Jordi Hereu, Spain's Minister of Industry and Tourism, said, "With that growth, we could reach 100 million." He identified decentralizing destinations over time and deseasonalization as key principles of the strategy. He said, "The third, very clear principle is the diversification of our offering away from all those decades of sun and sand and coast, which is where the Spanish tourist industry was born, and which is still the dominant offering."

Hereu noted that some places in Spain are seeing the effects of not regulating anything. Public demonstrations have been organized to address concerns regarding tourism-related infrastructure strain and housing availability, and the proliferation of short-term rental properties has altered urban neighborhoods and increased housing demand for residents.

Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni plans to ban tourist flats in the city by 2028. Hereu indicated that in some places there is a demand for a better tourism model. He commented on political perspectives, stating that the left is more in favour of regulating tourism than the right, which holds the view that the market will self-regulate.

Last year, foreign visitor numbers in Spain increased by 3.2 percent, reaching 96.8 million. Tourist spending also rose by 6.8 percent, totaling €134 billion. First-quarter data indicates a 3.4 percent increase in visitor numbers and a 6.7 percent rise in revenue compared to the previous year. Tourism contributes more than 12 percent to Spain's gross domestic product.

International visitor arrivals in Spain declined by 77 percent in 2020, reaching 18.9 million. Traditional beach tourism accounts for 37 percent of all visits. However, visitor surveys show an increasing demand for cultural and inland experiences. National tourism advertising campaigns now emphasize attractions in inland, historical, and northern regions. E.U. funding has supported tourism infrastructure development in various northern and central regions of Spain, including Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, and Navarre. Spain's decentralized administrative structure limits the central government's authority to implement localized tourism policies.