The Spanish tourist board is asking for agent help in promoting lesser-known regions, to ease pressure on the country’s most popular destinations.
Although anti-tourism protests aren’t “a concern”, Spain’s new strategy is focussed on promoting regions that aren’t as well known, to ease the pressures of overtourism.
“Data shows that the vast majority of tourists, 75-80%, visit five regions of Spain- Andalusia, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and Valencia,” said Manuel Butler, Director of the Spanish Tourist Office.
“But Spain is a huge country, so our strategy is to show travellers its diversity and open up new destinations and holiday ideas, including trips focussed on culture, or active holidays, to ease pressure on some of the cities.
“Spain is still largely relatively unknown, so there’s still plenty for UK visitors to discover. With climate change, the north could for example become more popular.
“We are not replacing one kind of tourism with another. The big challenge is to reinvent ourselves, with an emphasis on responsible tourism, in partnership with our valued agent partners.”
Alternative destinations in Spain include La Rioja, an area in the north known for high quality wines; Mariña Lucense, a coastal region in Galicia with an abundance of Blue Flag beaches, and the least visited island, Isla Del Hierro in the Canaries, ideal for diving to spot dolphins, manta rays, whales or sharks.
Agents can also recommend Murcia, the least visited major city, featuring a cathedral with a 90-metre tall bell tower, or the Monastery of Sanmillán de Yuso y Suso and Ciudad Vieja de Cáceres, two heritage sites that receive lower footfalls than popular alternatives.
New tours, that are on sale now, include a Extremadura cycling trip with Headwater, priced from £1,489 for seven days; and a multigenerational family adventure to the Spanish Pyrenees, hiking, kayaking, ebiking and exploring in the mountains, with Pura Aventura, priced from £1,400 for seven days.
Naturetrek is offering a vegetarian tour, trekking through Andalucia, led by expert local naturalist and vegetarian guides, from £1,795 for seven days; plus a one-off, 10-day holiday to witness Spain’s total solar eclipse in 2026, priced at £2,895.
An estimated 18.4 million British visitors travelled to Spain in 2024, accounting for 19% of the total international market share, an increase of 6% compared to 2023.
