Spanish Tourist Office UK and Travel Forward: Tour operators back early action to manage growth in northern Spain
The Spanish Tourist Office UK and Travel Forward brought together leading specialist tour operators and ABTA on 8 June to explore how growing demand for Asturias and Galicia can be managed in a way that benefits communities, visitors and businesses alike.
The workshop built on discussions from April´s Spain Talks conference, focusing on how destinations can proactively manage tourism growth before pressures emerge. A key theme throughout the day was that successful destination management is not simply about visitor numbers, but about ensuring tourism supports local communities, protects the natural environment, maintains quality visitor experiences and delivers long-term value.
Participating organisations included ABTA, Brittany Ferries, Exodus Adventure Travels, HF Holidays, Inntravel, Intrepid Travel, Much Better Adventures and Pura Aventura.
Opening the session, Manuel Butler, Director of the Spanish Tourist Office UK, highlighted the growth of UK tourism to northern Spain and the opportunity to shape that growth sustainably.
“Last year, the most significant growth in UK visitors to Spain was to our northern regions. As demand continues to grow, we have an opportunity to work with industry partners to ensure tourism creates value for destinations and local communities while supporting year-round travel. Spain and the UK helped shape modern tourism in the 1960s. Today, we have a shared responsibility to help shape a more sustainable model for the future.”
Rebecca Armstrong, Head of Impact at Travel Forward and moderator of the session, said destinations benefit most when tourism development is planned collaboratively and proactively.
“Tourism works best when its direction is shaped early. Asturias and Galicia have an opportunity to plan proactively, bringing destinations and businesses together to focus not just on visitor growth, but on the type of tourism that delivers lasting value for communities, businesses and the environment."
“One of the clearest messages from the discussion was that destinations do have limits, though these are not always best expressed in visitor numbers. More often, they relate to community engagement, environmental protection, infrastructure, quality of experience and preserving what makes a place distinctive.”
Representatives from both destinations outlined their ambitions to grow international tourism in line with sustainability principles, highlighting opportunities across nature, culture, gastronomy and active travel.
José Manuel Merelles, Director of Turismo de Galicia, said international demand for the region continues to grow, creating opportunities to further develop nature, culture and active tourism products.
“The Camino de Santiago remains our most important attraction and a leading example of sustainable tourism. We see a clear opportunity to welcome more international visitors interested in active travel, nature, culture, history and gastronomy.”
Tatiana González Sales, Head of Turismo de Asturias, highlighted the region’s long-standing commitment to sustainable tourism development.
“More than a third of Asturias is protected territory and tourism development must remain in balance with environmental protection. Our tourism model has consistently been built on respect for the natural environment, and we remain committed to working with partners who share those values.”
There was broad agreement among participating operators that Asturias and Galicia are particularly well positioned for lower-impact, higher-value tourism, but that future demand should be carefully managed to protect the qualities that make both destinations distinctive.
Kasia Morgan, Head of Sustainability, Exodus Adventure Travels said:
“Today has provided a valuable opportunity to learn more about Asturias and Galicia beyond their rich product offerings, focusing instead on the type of tourism they want to attract and how to accommodate growth without negative impacts on people and place.
“As a B Corp adventure tour operator, Exodus is committed to offering holidays that prioritise community connection and nature-positive experiences. Working collaboratively across the industry to protect our planet, homes and holidays for the future is hugely important.”
Chris Bladon, Product Lead at Pura Aventura, added:
“At Pura Aventura, it is our mission to introduce visitors to lesser-known areas and more community-based experiences. Clear guidance from destinations on local priorities, capacity and product readiness is hugely valuable.”
The Spanish Tourist Office UK confirmed it will continue working with destinations, tourism businesses and industry partners on further discussions focused on sustainable destination management across Spain.
The workshop forms part of the Spanish Tourist Office UK’s wider programme of industry engagement following Spain Talks 2026, which examined how destinations can respond to growing visitor demand while maintaining quality of life for residents and high-quality visitor experiences.
For further information or interview requests with Manuel Butler, Director of the Spanish Tourist Office UK, or representatives from Travel Forward, please contact: Jessica Harvey Taylor on Jessica.harvey@tourspain.es
For all press enquiries contact Jessica Harvey Taylor on Jessica.harvey@tourspain.es or the Spanish Tourist Office’s PR agency LOTUS on spain@wearelotus.co.uk.