From protests to redefinition – Spain presents its new tourism identity “Taking care of the future” at the international tourism exhibition WTM London, aiming for diversification, sustainability and longer trips.
From protests to action
Spain (WTM London stand N6-210) enters this year’s tourist season with a fresh strategy, influenced by the public debate around overtourism and this year’s anti-tourism protests in various parts of the country.
Although – as the director of the Spanish Tourist Office, Manuel Butler, stressed – the protests “have not affected bookings at all”, they have been the reason for a total redefinition of the country’s tourism policy, with the support of Abta.
“This is the biggest challenge we face – not just in Spain but in the entire tourism industry,” Butler noted, adding that the new approach seeks to take into account all those involved: “residents, tour operators, travelers, destinations, airlines.”
New identity: “Taking care of the future”
Spain’s new communication strategy carries the slogan “Taking care of the future,” with the key message being “Stay longer, discover more.”
The country, which welcomed 13.2 million British visitors between January and August 2025 (+4.33% compared to last year), is no longer chasing volume but diversification.
The main points of the strategy:
- Geographical, seasonal and demographic diversification, so that tourism benefits visitors and residents alike.
- Promoting responsible and sustainable travel, with an emphasis on collaboration with BCorp tour operators and hotel businesses, as well as using the rail network for slower, more meaningful exploration.
- Encouraging longer stays, showcasing lesser-known areas of the country.
The campaign materials will be presented at WTM London, while the collaboration with Abta is a key point of the new plan
New “Spain Tourism Agenda 2030”
On the second day of the exhibition, on November 5 (10:30 am), the “Spain Tourism Agenda 2030” will be officially presented by the Secretariat of State for Tourism, with references to the climate crisis and the sustainable development of destinations.
The Spanish Tourist Office will then present its “Stay Longer, Discover More” campaign, followed by a presentation by TUI’s commercial director, Phillip Iveson, on the group’s initiatives to encourage travellers to stay longer in destinations.
Extending the tourist season
Spain is seeing a shift in demand towards the mid-season, with arrivals up in the first months of the year compared to 2019, and a slight decline in June-July.
From January to May, there were 565,000 more British travellers than in 2019.
“The extension of the high season is now a reality,” said Butler, citing the example of Calvi? in Mallorca, where “beaches and businesses are staying open until mid-November – five years ago, they were closing in mid-October.”
Growing regions
The diversification strategy is already paying off:
- Murcia: +22% in British arrivals (Jan–Jul 2025)
- Galicia: +44%
- Basque Country: +65%
New air connections
Spain is strengthening its connectivity with the UK:
- New winter easyJet flight from Edinburgh to Malaga (Oct 2025)
- Liverpool – Almer?a (winter 2025/26)
- Stansted – Murcia with Ryanair
- New Wizz Air connections from Luton to Bilbao, Barcelona, ??Madrid, Valencia and Seville (March 2026)
Butler expressed the desire to strengthen connectivity with Seville and Oviedo, highlighting the need for better access to Extremadura, “an unknown but exceptional region, with landscape, history and people worth getting to know.”
The new face of Spanish tourism
Spain is attempting to change the narrative around its tourism – from a “massive sun and sea destination” to a mature, sustainable country that looks to its future and invites visitors to “stay longer and discover deeper”.
