Whatever you may have read in the headlines recently, I’m pleased to tell you that Spain is still very much open for business. 

There is an authentic and traditional Spain to discover. It isn’t overcrowded. It isn’t dominated by global brands. And it is respectful of local history and cultural traditions. 

It isn’t the Spain you’ve heard about or been to before. But it may just be the Spain you’ve been looking for.

The demise of unsustainable tourism

In recent months there have been some high-profile protests in a handful of Spanish cities and resorts, where locals have made their feelings known about the excessive numbers of holiday homes and tourists who flock there seasonally.

It’s hard not to have some sympathy with the cause, if not the actions.

Listening to the resident groups, there are some common complaints. Disrespect for the locals, their cultural identity and language. Economic concerns including poorly paid work and property price inflation that presents real challenges to locals who want to live and work in their home communities. And where tourism has become so overwhelming, resources like water are becoming highly contentious pinch points. 

In coastal regions, where seasonality plays a big role in tourist numbers, resorts can be bursting at the seams in summer, but ghost-towns in winter making it all the harder to plan resources and for businesses to survive.  

The common thread to the disaffection is a sense that the character of the town and the lifestyle that locals once enjoyed are both being eroded. Maybe even lost for good.

The three pillars of sustainability – economic, environmental, social – matter now more than ever, and it appears all three have been trampled underfoot in a tourism boom that started a generation ago.

Unregulated over development

Since the late 1970s, when Spain emerged as a mass tourist destination, some of the highly popular areas grew at an alarming rate. An overwhelmed planning system, unregulated establishments, and a lot of greed, fuelled a reckless expansion of tourist accommodation. Quantity prevailed, not quality.

While the last decade has seen much better controls emerge in most provinces, the sheer numbers of tourists continue to flow annually and pile pressure on fragile communities. The ease of listing premises on popular rental platforms caused volumes to spike once more, in spite of a clampdown from authorities on unlicensed operators.

And so here we are. From the outside it might feel like there is a Not Welcome sign hanging over Spain’s front door.

Sustainable tourism is the viable future

But Spain is vast, and there remain large parts of coastline and interior that are less well known, and that have not come anywhere close to the saturation elsewhere.

In the Valencian Community where Casa de Olivos is situated, the tourist sector has been regulated effectively over recent years. Fewer establishments operate illegally, and the issuing of new licenses is tightly controlled at the province level. Where tourist numbers are already high, it can be extremely hard to get permission for new accommodation. 

The Valencian Community has also been targeting off-peak activities like walking, cycling and gastronomy in their tourism development planning, spreading the visitor load throughout the calendar and away from the crowded resorts.

Developing responsible, sustainable tourism is key to promoting the region to visitors whilst respecting locals needs. Spanish residents and tourists can comfortably co-exist as long as there is meaningful and equitable governance.

Tourism is economically vital to Spain and will continue to be so long into the future.  Current planning controls and development policies are driving sustainability, raising quality, and creating a balanced tourist economy.

The Slow Life in Castellon province

Casa de Olivos is proud to be offering our registered 4-star, certified-sustainable, tourist accommodation in Castellon province. Our mission from the start has been to offer an authentic guest experience in our quiet countryside location.  We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously, reassuring to guests who want to leave a minimal footprint where they travel.

We’re small, with space for up to 6 guests. We’re off grid, meaning our carbon footprint is extremely low. We have integrated ourselves into the local community, meaning Casa de Olivos is well understood and a welcome addition to the town, socially and economically. We work with neighbouring businesses, offering experiences and supporting their trade or craft so that the economic benefits of tourism are shared at the local level.

Little known beyond the Spanish borders, the Maestrat region is unspoiled by mass tourism and offers visitors a friendly welcome. From our local town Traiguera it’s a short 15 minute drive to the coastal towns of Vinarós, Benicarlo and Peñiscola, where we have always been warmly received. Inland, the small towns and villages are welcoming to all, and proud to show off their produce – wines, oils, cheeses, and more. Our experience here has been nothing but positive, and our 5-star guest reviews show that theirs is too.

Avoid the over-crowding of the well-known Spanish hotspots and enjoy the sustainable slow life instead.

Discover real Spain.

Escape • Enjoy • Be Kind

Claire & Ed