Gimena Llamedo: Asturias will be showcasing its full potential at FITUR 2026 and is turning its stand into a business centre
The Vice-President and Minister of the Presidency, Demographic Challenge, Equality and Tourism of the Asturian Government stresses that "Asturias is attending FITUR 2026 with a clear strategy: "sustainability, digitalisation and gastronomic excellence, three axes that define our present and our future".
How important is the tourism industry in the economy of Asturias and how has it evolved in recent years?
Asturias in the 21st century cannot be understood without the tourism industry. Tourism contributes almost 3 billion to the Asturian GDP and is already a pillar of our economy. Not only because of its quantitative importance, but also because of its qualitative importance, as it generates activity throughout the territory and has a special impact on rural areas.
Tourism is a growing industry, one that generates wealth and that has contributed very intensely to the recovery of the Asturian economy after the pandemic, acting as a driving force for other sectors and with a profound involvement in the generation of employment, both direct and indirect. In recent years, Asturias has broken records in terms of visitors and overnight stays, with tourism that is increasingly international and non-seasonal, which reflects the strength and future projection of our tourism model.
What are the strongest tourism segments in the Principality and what other niche markets do you plan to promote?
Nature, together with all the activities that take place in it, continues to be our main asset. It could not be otherwise for a community that is proud of its status as a natural paradise. But gastronomy and the richness of our heritage are also tourism engines that reinforce our identity. Gastronomy is expressed in an authentic Landscape Cuisine; industrial tourism, under the brand “Naturaleza Minera” (mining landscapes), is revaluing our legacy and activating a new awakening in the mining valleys; and cider culture has taken an extraordinary leap forward after being declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNECSO.
In addition to all this, there is the consolidation of rural tourism, in which Asturias is a pioneer and a national benchmark with destinations such as Taramundi and Somiedo. And we look to the future with the promotion of smart tourism, which integrates digitalisation, data and new technologies to improve visitor experience and destination management.
What actions are you taking to further enhance sustainability and deseasonalisation?
Sustainability and deseasonalisation are the cornerstones of our tourism policy. Sustainability is in the DNA of our model: 40 years of Natural Paradise prove it. We work from different approaches: strengthening quality, diversifying the offer, adapting the regulations and promoting the arrival of visitors outside the summer months. Here, connectivity plays a key role: the AVE high-speed train service, our air connectivity and international promotion are helping us to break the seasonality of tourism, bringing Asturias closer to new audiences and expanding the possibilities for growth in autumn, winter and spring.
Furthermore, the tourism sustainability plans represent a historic investment that reinforces the territorial cohesion of Asturias, financed with European funds that reach the whole territory and guarantee a balanced development that respects the environment.
How does Asturias' participation in FITUR contribute to the promotion and development of tourism in the Principality?
FITUR is much more than a trade fair: it is the great showcase of the international tourism industry and the moment when Asturias shows all its potential. FITUR is our window to the world and the great showcase for Asturias as a differentiated and competitive destination. Here we not only present our new products, but we have also converted this space into a real business centre, where B2B meetings open up new opportunities for the industry. We are attending FITUR with a clear strategy: sustainability, digitalisation and gastronomic excellence, three pillars that define our present and our future. And we do so by advocating the importance of tourism in Asturias, showing its values and its capacity to generate wealth, employment and collective pride. FITUR is much more than a trade fair, it is a business centre where Asturias generates opportunities for its tourism industry.