Spain will invest 35 million euros in rehabilitation of historical heritage sites

• This investment is part of the Modernisation and Competitiveness Plan for the tourism sector financed with European funds.
• The renovation, restoration or rehabilitation projects affect the Museum of Tarragona and the Museum of Cáceres; the castles of Sagunto (Valencia), Adsubia (Alicante) and Santed (Zaragoza); the walls of Zamora and Burgo de Osma (Soria); and the National Library, the Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum and the Prado National Museum, all of them included in Madrid's Landscape of Light.

The Spanish Minister of Culture and Sports, Miquel Iceta, has signed an agreement in Tarragona with the Spanish Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, to undertake ten projects for the restoration and maintenance of historical heritage for tourist use owned by the state for an amount of 35 million euros. This investment is part of the Modernisation and Competitiveness Plan for the tourism sector financed with European funds. The objective is to improve the capacity of the rich historical and cultural heritage of Spain throughout the territory to continue attracting both national and international tourists.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports will be in charge of carrying out these ten projects in several cities, with direct implications for the cultural, environmental and economic sustainability of the environments in which they are located.

On the one hand, 15 million euros will be allocated to the reform and enhancement of the museums of Cáceres and Tarragona, both cities declared World Heritage Sites. Specifically, 7 million will be allocated to the Museum of Tarragona and 8 million to the Museum of Cáceres Museum.

On the other hand, almost 5 million euros will be allocated to the restoration and consolidation of castles and public walls declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and Tourist Interest. The castles of Sagunto (Valencia), Adsubia (Alicante) and Santed (Zaragoza) will be consolidated and restored. Several sections of the Zamora wall and the wall of the town of Burgo de Osma (Soria) will also be restored.

Finally, 15 million euros will be allocated to the Landscape of Light in Madrid, declared a World Heritage Site last year. Of this amount, 8.5 million will be invested in rehabilitation projects of the National Library, 5.7 million euros in the Reina Sofía National Art Center Museum and 1.1 million euros in the Prado National Museum.

Cultural and heritage tourism

The Spanish historical heritage is a key element in attracting tourists. Approximately 14.5 million of the trips to Spain made in 2019 were made for cultural purposes.

In Spain there are around 17,199 assets of cultural interest distributed throughout the Spanish geography, especially in rural or inland areas. Proper maintenance of historical heritage will allow destinations to promote themselves and attract tourists by offering visits or accommodation in these buildings and improving their socioeconomic indicators, such as local development and employment.

For more information, please contact us at helsinki@tourspain.es.