Clúster

• In addition to this, it also announced a new call for the SME Energy Bonus for the year 2024.

During the Xunta Council last Thursday, November 9, a new line of aid was announced to promote sustainable and cultural tourism, the maintenance and rehabilitation of the unique Galician heritage for tourism purposes, the revitalization of rural areas, the creation of employment and the expansion of the accommodation and catering offer on the Camino de Santiago. The Xunta de Galicia, within the framework of the Xacobeo Next Generation Plan, allocates a total of €4 million for this action.

The aid line, aimed at small, medium or large companies, differentiates two types of projects: those that promote competitiveness and tourism sustainability in unique establishments; and those that seek to boost cultural tourism with the enhancement of assets of cultural interest. Both cases will be associated with the creation of new establishments, either accommodation or catering (restaurants, cafes or bars), and that are located in town halls along the Camino de Santiago. The order of subsidies for SMEs and large companies differentiates two types of projects, which may receive from 15% to 80% of the planned investment.

The first typology focuses on those projects that promote competitiveness and tourism sustainability. The establishments must be located in emblematic infrastructures of the architectural or technological heritage of Galicia as typified in the Cultural Heritage Law of Galicia. They will have to contribute to the green transition and job creation in the area around the Camino.

The second typology is about the revitalization of cultural tourism. The creation of the establishment must go hand in hand with the enhancement or rehabilitation of an Asset of Cultural Interest. It must be guaranteed that at least 80% of the establishment’s annual temporal or spatial capacity is allocated to cultural purposes.

The subsidies include different types of aid: sustainable rehabilitation of buildings, the implementation of energy measures and improved accessibility. In the case of projects that promote competitiveness and tourism sustainability, a maximum amount of 35%, 25% or 15% of the project may be subsidized (depending on whether it is a small, medium or large company). In the case of cultural tourism promoters, they will be eligible for a maximum aid of 80% of eligible costs up to a maximum limit of €2.2 million per project.

In addition to this, the Xunta announced a new call for the SME Energy Bonus for 2024, allocating a total of 3 million euros with the aim of facilitating the improvement of energy installations of 700 SMEs and the self-employed.