At the 25th General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the Spanish Film Commission unveiled the Spanish Screen Grand Tour. This initiative reimagines travel by weaving cinema, television, and other audiovisual productions into the experience of visiting Spain. By leveraging the appeal of on-location shoots, it blends tourism with the audiovisual sector to promote the country as a vibrant filming destination for audiences in North America and beyond.
The Screen Grand Tour of Spain represents a growing tourism category known as screen tourism. The emotional resonance of films and series draws travelers to the actual places where scenes were filmed. Viewers discover cities, landscapes, and venues through the lens of beloved productions, often forming an intrinsic curiosity about the location before setting foot there. This creates a distinctive, immersive pathway from screen to scenery, inviting travelers to explore culture, heritage, and local life through a cinematic narrative.
The project aims to offer curated routes that guide audiovisual travelers to filming locations across Spain. The typical traveler is someone who forms a strong emotional bond with places they visit, actively uses social networks, and values sustainability. In short, these travelers become ambassadors for the destinations themselves. The Spanish Film Commission seeks to promote the country’s image and cultural richness by using cinema as a dissemination tool, expanding the reach of Spanish culture through the power of film and television.
Gran Vía in Madrid stands as another iconic film setting and a focal point for ongoing productions. The image highlights Spain as a living backdrop for storytelling, where iconic streets and contemporary venues intertwine with the narratives audiences love. This visual footprint is part of a broader strategy to position Spain as a premier location for audiovisual projects on a global scale.
Carlos Rosado, President of the Spanish Film Commission, spoke at the assembly in Uzbekistan about the strategic significance of the initiative for the tourism industry. He described the project as a strong commitment to a segment with exceptional growth potential and noted that the trend toward screen-driven travel is accelerating worldwide. He emphasized that the very name of the project signals a broad journey—an invitation to discover every corner of Spain through cinematic exploration, from classic films to the latest productions, and to experience what these destinations have to offer firsthand.
Spain stands at the intersection of tourism and the audiovisual sector, a position supported by recent research. TCi Research has indicated that roughly one in ten European travelers in 2022 chose a destination influenced by movies and TV series. This data underscores a critical window of opportunity for the tourism sector, particularly for screen tourism, which is expanding rapidly as new productions emerge and consumer interest in audiovisual content grows. The Spanish market is well positioned to capitalize on this momentum by integrating film-friendly infrastructure with compelling travel experiences.
Within Spain, the Spanish Film Commission operates as a non-profit association coordinating a broad network of regional film commissions and film offices. This network plays a central role in elevating Spain’s profile as a destination for audiovisual production and in facilitating collaborations that attract filmmakers from around the world. By aligning public and private stakeholders, the commission supports sustainable production practices and promotes regional assets—cities, coastlines, deserts, mountains, and historic sites—that enrich the country’s narrative for international audiences.
The Spanish Film Commission maintains its affiliation with UNWTO, marking a milestone in its global outreach. The assembly drew government representatives, industry leaders, and international organizations dedicated to tourism, underscoring the strategic importance of screen tourism within national and regional development plans. With UNWTO’s backing and ongoing participation in global initiatives, Spain aims to expand its role as a leading hub for audiovisual storytelling and tourism that resonates with diverse audiences across Canada and the United States.