Minister Jordi Hereu reviews sustainability works at Parador de Tortosa

International

Tarragona’s heritage site prepares for a major modernisation to enhance preservation and long-term tourism quality

The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, has visited the Parador de Tortosa to review progress on the establishment’s tourism-sustainability projects. The historic property will close to the public in autumn 2026 and remain closed until approximately mid-2028 to undergo a full renovation aimed at improving facilities, modernising operations and enhancing environmental performance.

Renovation works to build on current conservation projects

The planned refurbishment will complement the conservation works already in progress, which are scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2026. In total, the Parador de Tortosa has received €14.3 million in public investment, of which €4 million were provided by Turespaña and the remainder by Paradores.

The Parador recorded an occupancy rate of 71% in 2024 – six percentage points higher than in 2023. More than 18,000 guests stayed at the property during that period, an increase of over 1,500 compared to the previous year.

Commitment to preserving cultural heritage

During the visit, Minister Hereu was accompanied by the President of Paradores, Raquel Sánchez, and the Mayor of Tortosa, Jordi Jordan. He underscored the importance of continued public-sector investment in projects that help preserve and enhance Spain’s cultural and historical heritage while reinforcing the quality image of the country’s tourism industry. This approach, he noted, reflects a core principle of the government’s tourism strategy, centred on economic, social and environmental sustainability.

€338 million invested in tourism across Catalonia

Speaking to the media, Hereu highlighted that the Ministry of Industry and Tourism has allocated more than €338 million from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) and other programmes to support 217 projects across Catalonia. These initiatives cover sustainability, digitalisation, diversification and the conservation of historic heritage for tourism purposes.

Within the province of Tarragona alone, nearly €50 million have been channelled into 17 Tourism Sustainability Plans implemented across the territory.

Catalonia leads Spain in international tourism spending

Between January and September 2025, international visitors spent more than €2.7 billion in the province of Tarragona, a year-on-year increase of 19.9%. During the same period, the number of foreign visitors rose by 1.9%, reaching around 1.8 million.

Catalonia remains the Spanish region with the highest international tourism expenditure: by September, foreign visitors had spent €19.5 billion, 2.88% more than in the previous year, with nearly the same number of international tourists (around 16 million in the first ten months of the year).