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The president of the Xunta emphasized that the preparations for the next Holy Year, a project not only of Galicia, but of all Spain

“We are talking about one of the most relevant tourist and cultural events that the whole country will experience in the coming years. This was expressed by the president of the Xunta, Alberto Núñez Feijóo in his official visit to Fitur, where he invited all communities and the central government to cooperate in this great project. In this sense, Feijóo stressed that for the preparation of the next Xacobeo has created the Department of Culture and Tourism, which is already working at full capacity for the construction of a more competitive Galicia, which is committed to quality and excellence as a seal of identity.

The commitment to the arrival of high speed, which will be a reality in the Community for next Holy Year; the Plan to improve tourist accommodation or economic facilities for all those who want to support the event, through the program of tax benefits for sponsors, after it was declared an event of exceptional public interest were some of the milestones that Feijóo highlighted in his speech, after making the visit to the stand of Galicia at the fair.

He also stressed that is also working on the conditioning of the roads that lead to Compostela, providing them with more services and making them more accessible, “convinced that the xacobean routes are an experience for everyone, in which there is no barrier,” he said, underlining the agreement with the ONCE that will facilitate the pilgrimage to blind people. In addition to advancing the momentum of a whole cultural program that includes the second edition of the festival O Son do Camiño, to be held on 13, 14 and 15 June in Santiago.

Galicia, a diverse and possible destination all year round
Throughout his speech, the president of the Galician Executive stressed that the tourism strategy being prepared for the Xacobeo is based on the Depends: “Depends on when. Of whom. It depends on who. Even how much”, he said, highlighting that visitors can choose between the most religious tourism offered by Viveiro or Ferrol, with its Holy Week internationally recognized, the most pagan festivals such as carnivals, including Xinzo, declared this week as a Festival of international tourism interest, or the more contemplative tourism behind the three nominations with which Galicia opts for World Heritage – Ribeira Sacra, the National Park of the Islands Cíes-Atlantic Islands and the Ferrol of Enlightenment.

In this same sense, he referred to a more active tourism that guarantees new products such as the tours through the historic centres; a new itinerary that joins the mini-cruises through the Rías Baixas and that will allow to approach by sea a great part of the Phoenician vestiges that are conserved; or the first Atlantic route of diving tourism that begins to take shape – a joint project between Galicia, Portugal, United Kingdom and Ireland.

“They can also opt for a musical tourism that we want to reinforce through the brand Fest Galicia; for a historical and traditional tourism; or for a modern Galicia with new and ambitious bets for the future as the City of Culture,” he added, emphasizing the goal of making Galicia a diverse and possible destination all year round. Not in vain, Ourense is the province with a greater evolution in the number of tourists received and also increased the weight of tourism in the low season.

Feijóo concluded by highlighting the weight of tourism in the Galician economy that already accounts for 10.4% of GDP and gives jobs to 7.4% more people than a year ago.

After a historic 2017, in which marks were beaten in virtually all indicators, in 2018 managed to consolidate these figures. Thus, the 4.8 million tourists that Galicia received last year are 25% more than those registered five years ago, in addition to improving parallel occupation, average stay, hotel rates and, ultimately, the profitability of the sector.

Faced with these figures, the president of the Xunta said that the next few years will be key to Galicia remain the best destination of green Spain, comprising the communities of the northern peninsula.