The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism has earmarked 208.5 million euros to support a dedicated program aimed at boosting competitiveness and spurring economic activity. This initiative centers on leveraging historical heritage for tourist use and was published this week in the Official State Gazette (BOE). It represents a strategic move within national policy to strengthen regional economies through preservation, accessibility, and cultural vitality tied to tourism demand.
The core aim of the call, conducted under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, is to fund projects that raise the competitiveness of tourism destinations and promote cultural tourism. Projects focus on the protection, maintenance, and rehabilitation of historical heritage assets and real estate protected as Cultural Property (Bien de Interés Cultural, BIC) or under other equivalent protection categories. The objective is to align conservation with practical, market-driven outcomes that attract visitors, sustain local jobs, and support related sectors such as hospitality, transport, and small businesses.
Eligible beneficiaries include autonomous communities as well as municipalities, which are represented by the appropriate municipal authorities and, where applicable, provinces, islands, and regional bodies such as county councils. The program can also extend to other local actors and assets that are recognized for their cultural or historical significance. This inclusive design ensures a broad-based approach to regional development, enabling diverse actors to participate in preservation-led growth and to harness cultural assets as engines of local renewal.
In total, 208.5 million euros will be distributed across eligible entities. Autonomous communities will receive 69.5 million euros, with a minimum investment threshold of 750,000 euros and a maximum cap of 3,000,000 euros for individual projects. Local organizations will share 139 million euros, also with a minimum commitment of 750,000 euros and a ceiling of 3,000,000 euros per project. This structure incentivizes a mix of small and mid-size initiatives while maintaining a clear ceiling to ensure broad geographic coverage and multiple project cycles within the fiscal year. The capital deployment is designed to balance regional needs with national objectives, fostering both preservation quality and tangible tourism outcomes that communities can measure and report on over time.
The subsidy is structured with a two-stage disbursement. An initial payment of 50 percent will be released following the final funding decision, with the remaining 50 percent scheduled for disbursement within the timeline specified in the call. Applicants should prepare robust project plans that demonstrate both conservation integrity and viable execution timelines. The submission window opens with the order published in the BOE and remains open for one month from that date, giving applicants a concise yet practical period to assemble documentation, secure local approvals, and outline expected economic impacts, visitor projections, and preservation milestones. Source: BOE