Deborah Cater
Spain’s northern regions, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country, are at the forefront of a sustainable tourism movement. Collectively known as “Green Spain,” these areas are collaborating to establish the largest ecotourism corridor in Europe.
The Green Spain ecotourism corridor is a joint initiative by the four northern autonomous communities. Their aim is to create a network of eco-friendly tourist experiences across protected natural spaces. The project, supported by Spain’s national government, aligns with the national Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2030, with financing is via the European Union’s Next Generation funds.
The corridor offers immersive experiences in areas such as the Picos de Europa, the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, and the Rías Baixas. Not only are the areas promoted, but also activities like hiking, wildlife observation, and cultural immersion.
A key aspect of the corridor is its emphasis on community involvement. The initiative seeks to integrate local businesses, including rural accommodations, active tourism companies, and sustainability-certified enterprises, into the ecotourism network. To equip these businesses with the skills needed to offer authentic and sustainable experiences to visitors, training programmes are being developed.
Alignment with Spain’s 2030 Sustainable Tourism Strategy
This regional initiative aligns with Spain’s broader Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2030. The overall aim of the strategy is to transform the country’s tourism sector into a model of sustainable growth. As we have seen in recent years, the mass tourism issue has seen protests in cities across the country. Whilst Spain relies heavily on tourism economically, balance is needed between local and visitor requirements.
The national strategy focuses on areas such as socio-economic development, environmental preservation, social equity, collaborative governance, adaptability, and global leadership in sustainable tourism.
Regional commitment to sustainability
Each of the Green Spain regions brings unique contributions to the joint initiative, as they see tourism numbers rise annually since the 2020 pandemic.
Galicia
Galicia led the Green Spain initiative in 2024, focusing on sustainable tourism development. In 2025, the region launched the “+Galicia, +Sustainable” campaign to promote conscious travel and encourage off-season visits, aiming to reduce seasonal overcrowding.
Additionally, Galicia is investing €146 million in tourism in 2025, focusing on sustainability and modernisation. Projects include the development of ecotourism experiences in protected natural spaces and a new Tourism Sustainability Observatory to monitor the area and spot trends early. Plus, new sensors will be added along the Camino de Santiago, and crowd control systems put in place to help manage tourist numbers. The aim here is to ensure a better experience for both visitors and locals.
With over 12.4 million overnight stays from January to October 2024, an increase of 1.24%, the Observatory’s data should prove useful. International visitors accounted for 31% of the total, with nearly 3.9 million overnight stays. The region’s tourism sector improved its income by 6.6% in 2024.
Asturias
Asturias is actively participating in the cross-regional ecotourism initiative. The region is focusing on promoting its natural landscapes and cultural heritage to attract eco-conscious travellers.
In particular, it is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its “Asturias, Natural Paradise” brand in 2025. At its launch in Gijón, the deputy Minister for Tourism Lara Martínez said the anniversary is a chance “to reinforce a tourism model that respects local values and the environment.”
As with Galicia, Asturias saw an increase in tourist numbers in 2024 and a strong start in 2025. However, one of the challenges is weekend getaways rather than a slow tourism approach, with longer stays.
Cantabria
Nicolás Pérez, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
Cantabria is not just thinking green, but also blue by aiming to become a leader in sustainable coastal tourism with its CSL project. The goal is to boost innovation in the region’s blue tourism sector (tourism linked to the sea), through a digital platform to manage and promote eco-friendly marine tourism products and services.
CSL is part of a larger national marine science initiative called ThinkInAzul, which is supported by Spain’s Ministry of Science and Innovation and several autonomous regions. Francisco Royano, who leads the project, believes the model could inspire similar projects elsewhere.
“The development of the CSL project is a crucial step to transform Cantabria into a benchmark for sustainable blue tourism, because it promotes collaboration between the different stakeholders, the protection of the marine environment and the economic growth of the region.”
In 2024, Cantabria set new records with over 2.1 million visitors and nearly 6 million overnight stays, surpassing the previous year by 2% and 4%, respectively. The region’s tourism income grew by 5.9% in 2024, with a projected increase of 4.8% in 2025.
Basque Country
The Basque Country is integrating sustainable tourism into its broader environmental and energy transition plans. The region is also actively participating in European projects to accelerate local climate actions and promote eco-friendly tourism practices.
The Basque Country is also advancing sustainable tourism through projects like the “Gran Tour Euskadi.” This 8-day itinerary promotes ecotourism, cycling, and cultural experiences.
Furthermore, the region is also hosting the 8th National Ecotourism Congress in 2025, focusing on developing premium sustainable tourism products.
In 2024, Bizkaia welcomed over 2 million tourists, resulting in nearly 4 million overnight stays, with an average stay of 1.97 nights. International visitors, particularly from the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Japan, and China, significantly contributed to this growth.
Balancing tourism growth with sustainability
While these northern regions of Spain are experiencing increased tourism, they are implementing strategies to try and manage growth sustainably. For instance, Galicia’s focus on off-season promotion aims to distribute visitor numbers more evenly throughout the year. Asturias and Cantabria are enhancing rural and coastal tourism offerings to alleviate pressure on urban centres. Meanwhile, The Basque Country is placing emphasis on ethical tourism practices to ensure community involvement and environmental care.
These efforts contrast with measures in regions like the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, where authorities are capping visitor numbers to combat overtourism. Only time will tell whether the ecotourism push will be sustainable in the long term.
Consulted sources: Cadena Ser, ClusterTurismoGalicia Forbes IH Cantabria