In 2023, Spain welcomed 85 million international visitors, surpassing even the most optimistic forecasts and breaking its pre-pandemic record. But this growth comes with a responsibility. Last month, at the Spanish campaign “Spain Talks” in Stockholm, four Nordic journalists were awarded for their articles on sustainable tourism in Spain.
The conference, organized by the Tourist Office of Spain, was held for the first time in the Nordic region and was a great arena for the travel industry to share experiences and discuss future solutions to the challenges the industry faces in connection with sustainable tourism.
The importance of sustainable tourism in Spain is evident looking at these figures from 2023:
- 85.1 million tourists visited the country
- Tourism representing 12.8% of GDP
- Tourism accounts for 12.6% of jobs in Spain
- Tourists spent 108.7 million euros
A number of speakers from the tourism industry gave presentations, among them editor of the prestigious travel magazine Lonely Planet, which recognized Spain as one of the Best Sustainable Destinations of 2024. The conference ended with awards for “Best experience” and “Best Media” from each Nordic country.
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Karin Møller-Olsen from the Danish newspaper Politiken was awarded for her article “Routes so Attractive That They Attract Cyclists From All Over the World”.
Finland’s Pekka Hiltunen was awarded for his article ‘Extremadura: At the End of the World” for the magazine Mondo.
Bjørn Moholdt, editor of Way to Go from Norway, had written an article about the destination Benidorm which tells the story of how Benidorm in the 50s started its journey towards becoming an established tourist destination – and how sustainability was already put in focus at that time.
“It was surprising to discover how a city, known for excessive mass tourism, has met its challenges in a positive way,” Bjørn tells us. “Everybody have contributed to the city retaining its position as an attractive destination,” he adds. “From Mayor Antonio Perez’ efficient water developments, showcasing the city’s unwavering dedication to pioneering tourism and sustainability, to players in the travel industry.”
The jury said, «The article manages to capture the various components that make up the concept of sustainability, far beyond the basic understanding that almost exclusively focused on the environmental about 10 years ago. It was also appreciated how the article highlights the importance of good management within the environment, but also the social and economic aspect which means that an apparently stressed destination can actually be sustainable on all levels.”
The article was first published in the Norwegian magazine Kapital Reise.
Swedish Jonas Henningsson was awarded for his story “Along the Wild Coast” for Vagabond Magazine. He was not able to participate in the conference.
Nordic Journalists Awarded for Articles on Sustainable Tourism in Spain, reported by Tor Kjolberg.
Feature image (on top): The winners of “Best travel experience” and “Best travel article” from the four Nordic countries are represented by the directors from the Nordic Spanish Tourist Offices. Norway’s new director at bottom left (Photo source: Spain’s Tourist Office).