There are many factors that have made Spain one of the most important tourist destinations in the world: the history of the country and its cultural heritage, the climate, the gastronomy or the richness of its natural environment have led our country to receive more than 83 million tourists in 2019, ranking second in the world.
Despite the hard blow of the pandemic, the sector continues to climb to reach again these record numbers. FITUR 2022, the leading trade show for national tourism professionals and inbound and outbound markets in Ibero-America, was held last January. In this event Castilla-La Mancha was consolidated as a reference among inland destinations.
Alcalá del Júcar, Albacete. Source: elsemanaldelamancha.com
Why choose Castilla-La Mancha as a destination for tourist investment?
The region benefits greatly from the national post-COVID recovery strategy, which focuses on the specialization and diversification of tourism products as the market recovers.
Castilla-La Mancha stands out for its rich cultural heritage, natural territory and exceptional environmental conditions, as well as the availability of skilled labor in the different sectors and value-added segments. In addition, it is worth highlighting the wide and varied range of resources related to active tourism, which is enhanced by the complementarity of the different provinces in relation to these resources.
Regional economic incentives
The tourism sector is one of the eligible sectors in the Castilla-La Mancha Regional Economic Incentives System. These are incentives aimed at projects for the creation of new establishments or projects for the expansion and/or modernization of establishments whose amount exceeds €900,000. Castilla-La Mancha is one of the Spanish regions that offers the highest percentage of available aid to the tourism sector.
In general, hotel accommodation, vacation camps, rural tourism accommodation, complementary leisure facilities and other offers for specialized tourism are considered eligible.
In this regard the sector aims to:
- Promote high quality rural tourism.
- Promote active tourism on a cultural, tourist or historical level.
- Promote the preservation of the natural or urban environments in which tourism businesses are located.
- Promote technological innovation in the sector.
To be considered eligible, the sector’s facilities must generally be dedicated exclusively to tourist use and favor the elimination of architectural barriers for people with disabilities or special needs regarding mobility (loading zones, strollers, etc.).
What do we offer?
› Great natural spaces: extensive network of protected areas, exceptional environmental conditions and conservation of the natural environment.
› Wide and varied offer of tourist products (culture, art, history, nature…). Historical and artistic heritage, accompanied by a wide range of complementary products aimed at the most diverse target groups: ‘ Nature, art and cultural tourism, hunting tourism, agro-tourism, etc., as well as the existence of spaces declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, national and nature parks and an attractive gastronomic offer supported by the presence of quality products.
› Developed infrastructures and local critical mass: tourist facilities, good communication channels, companies offering tourist services, etc.
› Excellent transport links: The five provincial capitals are connected to Madrid by high-speed trains. In addition, four of the six radial highways that begin in the Spanish capital cross our region. All this, together with the extensive network of secondary roads, makes Castilla-La Mancha one of the best connected Spanish regions.
› Growing number of annual tourists who diversify geographically, although this trend is currently affected by the pandemic.
› Exceptional quality of life and cost; high level of safety, comfort and health services.
› Availability of the latest technologies for the sector and for specific segments related to well-being.
› Lines of support and specific incentives to promote tourism in the interior.
As we have already mentioned, the Government of Castilla-La Mancha offers a system of regional investment incentives that include aid for job creation, promotion of risk prevention in the workplace, development of industrial land for the implementation of new business projects, reduction of municipal taxes and fees, support for innovation, marketing and export consulting.
Success story: Puy du Fou
The French company, world-renowned for its historic theme park in France, decided to build a new park outside the country. To do so, it began to study locations and contacted various investment promotion agencies. Thanks to all the advantages detailed in the previous section, Toledo was chosen as the ideal place to develop this new leisure centre. Today, only three years after its inauguration, it has already become a national reference point, attracting thousands of tourists to the region every year.
Photo of the show “El sueño de Toledo”.