Spain’s holiday makeover: Beyond the costa coves!

Spain is preparing for another bumper tourism year, with international visitor numbers likely reaching the historic milestone of 100 million. But the country signals that its future is about far more than golden beaches and seaside resorts.

Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu says Spain’s embracing a fresh model designed to spread visitors across more regions and seasons, while offering richer experiences beyond the traditional “sun, sand and coast” formula.

The message is already taking shape through the campaign ‘Think You Know Spain? Think Again’, which swaps the usual postcard “sun-kissed” costas for historic churches, atmospheric paradores, spectacular landscapes, gastronomy, festivals and the lush beauty of northern Spain, even featuring…

rain!

The initiative follows major post-pandemic investment in modernising tourism, helping offbeat regions like Castilla-La Mancha, Galicia, Asturias and Extremadura showcase their hidden treasures.

The aim is not to abandon Spain’s famous coastlines (a huge attraction) but to add a new dimension to the holiday experience. Visitors increasingly combine relaxation with culture, nature and local traditions.

By extending the tourism season and encouraging discovery beyond the busiest hotspots, Spain hopes not only to create more stable employment and revitalise rural communities – campaign strategies I recently described here – but ensure its world-leading tourism industry (100 million visitors!) remains resilient in an ever-changing climate.

Talking of numbers, a message for yet another reader who purchased ALL 14 of my novels: if you enjoyed those, the 15^th – The Girl in Red – is about to be published too! Happy reading!

Nora Johnson’s critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers (www.nora-johnson.net), all available online at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.