Clúster

• The annual meeting of the Galicia Tourism Cluster, held on Thursday, July 17 in Santiago, reviewed last year’s activities and reported on those planned for 2025.
• The entity that represents the sector in the region participated in the most important international tourism fairs in 2024 and strengthened its presence at national events.
• The presentation of the 2030 Strategy, efforts to recruit members for the “Galicia Sustainable Destination” product club, the completion of the Xacobeo Xove program, and the implementation of SIMADA were notable initiatives last year.

Promoting Galicia beyond our borders is a strategic line of action for the Galician Tourism Cluster, which in 2024 will result in the organization’s participation in the main international tourism fairs: ITB Berlin, BTL Lisbon, TTG Incontri Rimini, WTM London, MAST Chicago, and BTL Lisbon. The cluster has also participated in other marketing support initiatives with Turespaña, targeting markets such as the US and Canada, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, Europe, the Benelux region, and Latin America, as well as organizing a workshop in Lisbon.

Furthermore, national promotion was strengthened last year with the Cluster’s participation in national fairs and forums such as Fitur, Turexpo Galicia, GastroTur, Sun&Blue, Intur, Foro Exceltur, and the Ibero-American Conference of Tourism Ministers and Entrepreneurs; institutional events such as the Spanish Tourism Roundtable or the Galicia MICE Presentation in Madrid; and the organization of a workshop in Seville.

Work has continued to consolidate initiatives such as “Galicia, a Sustainable Destination,” through participation in national and international fairs, the holding of events that facilitate marketing, such as workshops, and the organization of familiarization and recommendation trips with a sustainable focus. All of this has led to an increase in membership in the Product Club, which focuses on sustainable tourism offerings, and has increased its visibility.

Furthermore, the implementation of the accommodation data monitoring system (SIMADA) was also expanded throughout 2024, with the initial forecasts for this summer already being provided. With SIMADA, the Cluster seeks to improve marketing by offering companies in the sector a system that provides up-to-date data on occupancy, prices, and sales channels so they can make strategic decisions and adapt to market trends in real time.

Last year, the Cluster managed the Xacobeo Xove program, which enabled more than 2,700 Xove Card holders to enjoy the Camino experience.

Services for businesses have also continued, including support for certifications. Nearly 50 companies have earned the S sustainability certification and more than 250 have earned the Q certification for tourism quality.

One of the most important milestones of last year was the development of the Galicia Tourism Strategy 2030, in collaboration with the Galicia Tourism Agency. This strategy seeks to enhance the unique identity of our destination with a sustainable and international approach, allowing for less seasonal and, at the same time, more profitable activity. This tourism will contribute to territorial rebalancing and will require improved internal mobility within our region.

Once again, collaboration with the Pontevedra Provincial Council enabled the organization of a sector-specific event entitled “Networking Rías Baixas: Tourism that Unites. Networks for Shaping Tourism Experiences.” The event aimed to foster networking among operators and a better understanding of tourism offerings, especially the most recent and innovative ones.

These are some of the activities included in the report presented this morning at the Cluster’s General Assembly, held in Santiago, where the 2025 strategic lines were also outlined.

• Future Cluster Actions

During this year, the Cluster will continue to focus its efforts, aligned with the Galicia 2030 Tourism Strategy, on the promotion, dissemination, and marketing of Galicia as a destination, focusing on internationalization, sustainability, and business profitability. To this end, it will continue to provide advice on implementing the Q for quality and the S for sustainability to tourism businesses. In addition, it will formalize an agreement with the Tourism Agency to expand the scope of SIMADA and incorporate new features into the system.