OVIEDO – Asturias is doing very well as a tourist destination. The region is in a phase of growth, fuelled in part by the introduction of direct routes from Germany operated by Lufthansa.
But as regional president Adrián Barbón points out, they don’t want just “any kind of tourism”. The politician said this during the closing of the I Hackathon LabInnovación Pública in Ribera de Arriba, which was broadcast by broadcaster COPE. “Asturias doesn’t want mass tourism like Benidorm. We don’t want to be part of that kind of tourism,” the president stressed.
Focus on ecotourism
Barbón emphasised that the region wants to continue to grow as a destination for tourism, but that it wants to focus on ecotourism in particular. The emphasis should be on natural environments, combined with cultural and gastronomic activities, as well as activities focused on historical heritage.
The president also calls for long-term planning in this area. Therefore, the program of his party PSV-PSOE for the Autonomous Community focuses on the “strategy” to imagine what Asturias will look like in 2033.
There is a future in Asturias
The president also called for abandoning the “permanent pessimism that says there is no future in Asturias”. He stressed that the changes taking place in the regional industrial sector are “inevitable”. That’s why “you have to get involved in this change,” said Barbón.
Growth in tourism
Asturias was recently voted the most loved region of Spain by Spanish citizens and tourists. This is a well-deserved recognition for this region. Although the knowledge that it is a very beautiful region to visit is reaching more and more people. Especially since the corona pandemic, the figures in the tourism sector have continued to rise. Last Semana Santa, the occupancy rate was over 90% in establishments and hotels nationwide. That was even 100% for bungalows on campsites.
