Hereu calls for boosting digitalisation and AI to achieve inclusive and sustainable tourism at the G - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

The Spanish Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, took part in the G20 Tourism Ministers’ Summit held in Mpumalanga, South Africa, where he presented the philosophy and overall objectives of Spain’s forthcoming Tourism Strategy 2030.

Digital innovation at the heart of sustainability

At the plenary session, Minister Hereu underlined the need to strengthen digital innovation and the use of artificial intelligence in order to advance towards tourism that is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable in its three dimensions: social, economic, and environmental. He highlighted Spain’s leadership as one of the pioneering countries in applying tourism digitalisation to crisis prevention and management, as well as innovation geared towards social sustainability.

According to Hereu, Spain is already a reference point in empowering small and medium-sized tourism enterprises through digital transformation. He stressed that digital innovation—one of the core themes of the South African summit—is a non-negotiable priority for the Spanish Government and a reflection of its commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

He recalled the milestones achieved in recent years: more than €337 million invested by the central government to launch, in June 2025, the Smart Destinations Platform, to continue expanding the Network of Smart Tourist Destinations, and to implement last-mile projects that digitalise the management and promotion of local destinations.

Social sustainability and air connectivity

The minister devoted part of his speech to the social dimension of tourism, a key pillar of Spain’s future strategy. This dimension revolves around three axes:

·         Territorial diversity, promoting heterogeneity of destinations instead of concentrating activity in a few hubs.

·         Measuring social impact, with the aim of reducing inequalities and preserving cultural and historical heritage.

·         Gender leadership and equity, ensuring women’s access to decision-making positions in the sector.

Hereu also underscored the importance of air connectivity as a driver of territorial development and as a tool to improve the redistribution of tourism benefits. He stressed the need to integrate crisis management into connectivity policies, particularly in the face of adverse natural phenomena such as fires or floods.

Spain’s priorities reflected in the final declaration

Minister Hereu thanked the international community for including several Spanish proposals in the summit’s final declaration. Among them:

A call for tourism policies to move beyond focusing solely on visitor numbers, and instead prioritise long-term value and impact, with an emphasis on triple sustainability.

The creation of a new international statistical framework to measure tourism’s contribution to sustainable economic growth.

Commitment to global tourism governance

Summing up Spain’s position, Hereu reaffirmed the country’s commitment to robust, collaborative international tourism governance, always oriented towards sustainable human development.

Alongside Secretary of State for Tourism Rosario Sánchez, the Spanish delegation also held bilateral meetings with representatives of several G20 member countries present at the summit, including South Africa (the host nation), Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

Image Credit: © Ministery of Industry and Tourism