The Government announces a new 720 million euro public tender for tourism sustainability and a National Gastronomic Tourism Plan

IFEMA (Trade Fair Institution), Madrid

In addition to this, the head of the Executive highlighted that, as part of the tourism sustainability programme for 2022, the Government is going to launch the National Gastronomic Tourism Plan, with a budget of 65 million euros. "I believe that, between all the institutions, between all the administrations, and also with the collaboration of the private sector, we can make this leap in quality, in modernisation for our economy and also for employment", said Sánchez.

Within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, the Modernisation and Competitiveness Plan for the tourism sector has 3.4 billion euros available and is estimated to have a total impact of 6.732 billion euros on GDP. Sánchez pointed out that this 3.4 billion represents double the investment budgeted for the tourism sector between 2012 and 2017. In the first three years, 1.858 billion euros will be allocated to the transformation of the sector through the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plans, of which 660 million euros was allocated among the regional governments in 2021.

Sánchez highlighted the distribution of 45 million euros to destinations along the Camino de Santiago and the investment of more than 27 million euros for the recovery of tourism on the island of La Palma through the La Palma Renace Plan, which includes a programme of tourist vouchers or aid for connectivity to encourage travel to the island throughout 2022. The President of the Government of Spain stressed the importance of co-governance in the management of European funds through the regional governments, the regional councils, the councils, the city halls and local entities.

Recovery of the sector

The President of the Government of Spain pointed out that in the middle of the pandemic, 18.3 billion euros of ICO facilities were deployed for the self-employed and companies in the tourism sector, in addition to the 7 billion euros of direct aid to SMEs and self-employed workers and the hundreds of thousands of tourism jobs saved thanks to ERTEs (temporary redundancies).

At an event attended by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, Sánchez assessed the recovery of the sector, highlighting that the figures for average spending per tourist and length of stay are already higher than those recorded two years ago. In addition, employment in the sector closed 2021 with an increase of 233,160 affiliates compared to a year ago, to more than 2.3 million workers.

The Executive estimates that the Recovery Plan will allow for more than 200,000 additional jobs between 2021 and 2023, so that the full implementation of the investments derived from the plan will lead to the creation of another 100,000 direct jobs.

"Spain has established itself as a safe and thriving destination in an environment of great global uncertainty", the President of the Government of Spain pointed out. Sánchez argued that Spain, as a tourism benchmark, must lead the transformation of the sector, so the Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2030 will be promoted in the coming months, thus aligning national goals with the Sustainable Development Goals.

A model for the future

"Now, within the framework of the Modernisation and Competitiveness Plan associated with the European funds, I believe that we have an unbeatable opportunity to jointly define the development model for tourism in Spain for the next decade", he stressed. The 2022 General State Budget allocates 1.817 billion euros to investments in tourism, an increase of 35% compared to last year and the highest ever recorded.

Sánchez stressed that the Executive is deploying measures to make the sector more socially sustainable, facilitating work-life balance and training through the Fair Hotels initiative; more energy efficient, with aid to establishments; more digital, promoting the Smart Destinations Network; and more diversified. "We are counting on a thriving sector, which I believe is truly strategic for our economy, for job creation, for territorial cohesion and, in short, for the well-being and progress of our country," he said.

Non official translation