ICTC reinforces Charter application in Galicia, Spain

A task team from the ICTC Bureau visited rural areas of Galicia, Spain from September 17-19, 2025 in order to reinforce the application of the ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Heritage Tourism 2022 in this autonomous community. The visit was an opportunity for different stakeholders to observe and reflect on how the Charter is understood and applied in tourism management in Galicia, and how the most innovative concepts it introduces can continue to be further developed in the region.

During the visit, Xosé Merelles, Director of Tourism of Galicia, met with ICTC Bureau members Celia Martínez Yáñez, Bartomeu Deyá, Cecilie Smith-Christensen and Stephanie Veith. In this meeting, the autonomous community of Galicia reaffirmed its commitment to responsible, transformative, and sustainable tourism, highlighting the heritage value of unique territories such as Ribeira Sacra, Os Ancares, and El Courel, among others.

The ICTC Bureau members also had the opportunity to analyse in situ how the seven Charter principles have been applied and can continue to be implemented in heritage sites and communities as emblematic as Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil, the viticultural agrarian landscapes, the region’s invaluable Romanesque monasteries, abbeys and churches, vernacular architecture, and the cultural and environmental heritage associated with watercourses and irrigation.

This was complemented by several meetings with all sectors involved in responsible tourism, as well as in the protection, dissemination, and awareness-raising of cultural heritage in Galicia.