Zaragoza joins six other major cities to create the Network of Urban Tourist Destinations

Seven major Spanish cities took a joint step on Monday to address the challenges of urban tourism. Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, ​​Málaga, San Sebastián, Seville, and Zaragoza signed the protocol in Valencia that launches the Network of Urban Tourist Destinations, an initiative that seeks to strengthen cooperation between cities and address issues such as the balance between visitors and residents in a coordinated manner .

The new network aims to share strategies for better managing tourism growth and addressing common challenges such as heritage preservation, visitor flow management, digital transformation, and economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The seven cities together have 8.3 million inhabitants and receive approximately 29 million tourists annually, representing 25% of the national total.

The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida; the mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá; the commissioner for Sustainable Tourism Management of Barcelona, ​​José Antonio Donaire; the deputy mayor and delegate for Tourism and Promotion of Málaga, Jacobo Florido; the general director of San Sebastián Tourism, 
Isabel Aguirrezabala; the deputy mayor and delegate for Tourism and Culture of Seville, Angie Moreno; and the councilor for Culture, Education and Tourism of Zaragoza, Sara Fernández, signed the protocol of joining the network in Valencia this Monday.

SHARED CHALLENGES IN URBAN TOURISM

The new network will work on common issues such as managing tourist flows, sustainability, heritage preservation, and digital transformation. The goal is to strengthen strategic cooperation between cities and jointly address the challenges and opportunities that tourism presents in urban environments.

The signed protocol establishes a provisional framework for collaboration to further define the network. It includes aspects such as its governance, participatory bodies, criteria for incorporating new destinations, and potential funding sources.

To this end, the cities will promote working sessions, regular meetings and the exchange of experiences in key areas such as tourist pressure, visitor management or the economic, social and environmental sustainability of tourism.

A KEY SECTOR IN SPANISH TOURISM

Urban tourism has become one of the most important segments within the Spanish tourism system over the last decade. Currently, 75% of global tourism is concentrated in urban destinations, and 50% of international trips are to major cities.

In Spain, this type of tourism already accounts for almost 25% of the sector’s revenue. Furthermore, forecasts indicate that by 2032 it will generate a market of €9.4 trillion worldwide. Until now, however, there has been no national framework to facilitate knowledge sharing and cooperation among urban destinations.

Madrid joins this network as one of Spain’s urban destinations with the greatest international reach. The capital closed 2025 with €17.896 billion in international tourist spending, 11% more than in 2024, and received 11.2 million visitors, with nearly 23.8 million overnight stays. Average spending per visitor reached €1,960 and average daily spending was €314.5, indicators that reflect the shift towards higher-value tourism.