Roman Villas of Hispania, a commitment to sustainable and digital cultural tourism

The National Archaeological Museum (MAN) in Madrid hosted this Thursday the project ' Boosting the sustainability and digitalisation of the Roman Villas Association of Hispania as a unique experience for the development of an Archaeological Tourism Network in Spain' , which is part of the 1st National Meeting on Archaeological Tourism , which will be held on 12 and 13 June. There, the Roman Villas of Hispania Network was announced, a project supported by the Experiencias Turismo España programme, promoted by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism (MINCOTUR) and financed by the European Union Funds - NextGenerationEU, with the aim of promoting that other form of tourism that attracts millions of people every year.

The project, with an investment of 200,000 euros, thus becomes a national benchmark in the modernization, revitalization, and enhancement of archaeological heritage through cultural tourism . Its proposal also includes 19 actions organized into six main areas: governance, sustainability, competitiveness, digitalization, communication, and tourism narrative.

During the presentation, the structure of the Roman Villas Network of Hispania project was outlined. This project involves eight Roman Villas (Fuente Álamo, El Ruedo, El Salar, Villaricos, Venarés, Almenara Puras, La Olmeda and La Loma del Regadío), located in five autonomous communities: Andalusia, Murcia, Asturias, Castile and León and Aragon . Its potential to create a State Network of Archaeological Tourism and serve as a model for inter-territorial cooperation, cultural innovation and sustainable local development was highlighted.

"Tourism is a very important part of economic development in any country, especially in Spain, but also cultural development," recalled Carmen Marcos Alonso , deputy director of MAN, during the presentation of the event.

Sergio Velasco Albalá , mayor of Puente Genil and president of the Roman Villas of Hispania Cooperation Network Association, recalled that the organization was founded ten years ago "to preserve and disseminate archaeological sites and establish policies for the exchange of experiences, cooperation, and networking with other organizations to design, plan, and establish a common policy for their tourism promotion."

It should not be forgotten that, according to data from the Ministry of Culture, 18.4% of all trips made in 2023 for leisure, recreation, or vacation by residents of Spain were primarily for cultural reasons, reaching 22.6% in the case of arrivals by international tourists. Overall, more than 34 million trips in 2023 were motivated by culture, with a total associated expenditure of more than €32.5 billion.

Furthermore, 25% of the trips Spaniards made to our country involved cultural activities, a figure that rose to 36.1% among foreign visitors. The year-on-year increases recorded in 2023 in trips initiated for cultural reasons were 7.9% for residents and 38.5% for international tourists.

" Spain has an exceptional archaeological heritage , but its visibility and tourism use are uneven, fragmented, or underutilized," Velasco stated. "Hence the Network. We want to enhance each of our environments, promote access, and design a high-quality offering."