Spanish Tourism Minister defends power to set limits and prioritize quality against massification

Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, defended CNN the power to establish limits and prioritize the quality of experiences to minimize so-called mass tourism. In other words, the excessive arrival of tourists in a certain place, which usually causes inconvenience to local residents.

He stated that it is important that governments can sometimes restrict tourism, even to guarantee the service provided. Therefore, regulate the market even though Spain and Brazil are open economies.

“There are cities that have decided to really restrict the supply. In other similar cases they do not restrict as much. In any case, the important thing is to govern, to make decisions to obtain the best offer in order to attract the best demand. It is also an increasingly international debate, which are the limits. Sometimes, when, in moments, where there is massification, a (governor) has to put limits on the supply. Therefore, sometimes there are limits on cruises, on airlines.”

The minister preached that taking care of will make the sector well accepted by all local communities and cities. “This also guarantees long-term sustainability,” he highlighted.

In Barcelona – one of the most visited cities in the world and of which Hereu was once mayor, for example – Airbnb, a seasonal home rental platform, is expected to be restricted following protests by residents against rising property prices and the housing crisis. housing. In the Spanish city, it is relatively common to see banners against the flood of tourists. In July this year, protesters even threw water at tourists.

Other frequently visited cities have also adopted measures to regulate applications and services linked to the tourism sector.

The Spanish minister participated in the G20 meeting – a group of the 20 main world economies – focused on tourism, which took place this week in Belém do Pará. One of the focuses of the event is how to develop sustainable tourism.

“Of course we want to receive a lot of people. It generates a huge, very positive social, political and economic impact, but it is clear that our focus is increasingly on quality. Because of the quality of the experience of those who visit us and because tourism is a builder that helps to improve our populations, our cities.”

Spain is heavily dependent on international tourists — it is a country of 48 million inhabitants that received almost 86 million foreign visitors in 2023. So, in Jordi Hereu’s assessment, public policies are still needed to decentralize tourist destinations and diversify products, generating new experiences in less popular cities.

As for Brazil, the Spanish minister stated that it is a “magnificent country and destination”. “We are interested in Spanish tourism policy in promoting intercontinental travel, visiting countries on other continents. For us it is a very important element, because it is a factor of quality and greater added value.”