Spanish Government and Autonomous Regions agree to invest 720 million euros in tourist destinations

• The Tourism Sustainability Plans will reserve 50 million for food and wine projects.
• Reyes Maroto: "We continue to improve the tourism competitiveness of our destinations throughout the country, both on the coast and in our inland cities and towns."
• 170 million euros are distributed among the Autonomous Regions to finance energy efficiency and circular economy projects in tourist accommodation.

The Government and the Autonomous Regions have agreed to launch a new extraordinary edition of the Destination Tourism Sustainability Plans, financed with 720 million euros from the Next Generation EU European recovery funds. 7 % of this budget will be reserved for projects focused on food and wine, the national priority for 2022.

“We continue to deploy the Modernisation and Competitiveness Plan for the tourism sector. After closing 2021 with more than 900 million euros committed to tourism, with this new extraordinary call for Sustainability Plans for 2022 financed with 720 million euros, we continue to improve our destinations throughout the territory, both on the coast and in our inland cities and towns. The richness and variety of our destinations is a competitive advantage that we have to continue betting on”, stated the Spanish Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, who chaired the Sectoral Conference, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés.

From 1 April to 17 May, local entities and Autonomous Regions may submit their projects to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism. The program finances both initiatives presented by local entities (subject to a joint evaluation process by the Secretary of State and the Autonomous Region) and Cohesion Actions between Destinations designed by Autonomous Regions.

In the 2021 edition, more than 500 proposals were submitted and 169 projects were approved, of which 153 correspond to Sustainability Plans that were presented and will be executed by local entities, and 16 are Cohesion Actions between Destinations led by Autonomous Regions.

Energy efficiency

The Sectoral Conference has also approved the distribution among the Autonomous Regions and cities of 170 million euros to finance energy efficiency and circular economy projects in tourist accommodation (hotels, campsites, tourist accommodation and rural accommodation).

The Autonomous Regions and the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla will convene the aid in their respective territories so that the tourist accommodation can improve its energy efficiency. As agreed by the Sectoral Conference, the Autonomous Regions and Autonomous Cities that so decide may carry out mixed calls, complementing the subsidies of the Recovery Plan with loans from the FOCIT fund from the Secretary of State for Tourism.

The eligible actions must be devoted to improving the energy efficiency of the thermal enclosure, the use of renewable energy in thermal installations for heating, cooling, air conditioning and domestic hot water, and the improvement of lighting installations.

The actions will have to achieve and justify a reduction in the consumption of non-renewable primary energy of 30 % with respect to the starting situation.

The term of execution of the eligible actions will be until 31 December 2024, unless the available budget had been exhausted previously.

The distribution of the aid is as shown in the following table: