The Valencian Community faces a shift in its tourism narrative, with leadership denying a policy of endlessly increasing visitor numbers. Instead, officials argue the region is pursuing a sustainable model that weighs climate impacts and seeks to curb rising rents. Aitana Mas, deputy speaker in the Valencian Cortes, and regional MP Maria José Calabuig reiterated that travel should be enjoyable for everyone while policies address environmental and housing concerns that come with growth.
Compromís activates a portal with data on Edificant studies in the face of the danger of not being executed
Infrastructure remains central to Compromís’ tourism agenda. The bloc rejects a plan to build a second runway at Alicante-Elche and Valencia airports, arguing that the current system can handle more traffic without expansion. Calabuig criticized the Consell for prioritizing business interests and infrastructure that serves an opaque market, noting that the Airport Regulation Document shows El Altet could accommodate up to four million more passengers annually without new runways. Only Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga operate a second runway in Spain.
Area
Representatives from Compromís warn that expansion would bring environmental harm and unnecessary disruption. They cited Generalitat reports from the previous legislature under the Botànic administration, prepared by the Departments of Regional Policy and Ecological Transition. These documents highlighted ecological conflicts such as the Agua Amarga salt flat and increased noise in El Altet and Torrellano, Elche.
Calabuig insisted on a careful approach to the airport project, advocating for an inland railway route rather than a coastal one. Compromís stands in sharp contrast to the stance of the PP, which argues for a second runway to meet rising demand, a position echoed by provincial leader and Provincial Council president Toni Pérez in recent remarks.
Economical solution
While Calabuig focused on opposing airport expansion, Mas pressed for a shift in the PP’s tourism policy, moving away from the slogan “the more tourists the better.” He proposed keeping tourism tax benefits in place across more ports and airports and reframing the model beyond sun and beach dynamics. Mas stressed that climate change and resource depletion require tourism policies that actively respond to environmental realities.
The former vice president of Consell urged a plan to align tourism with climate resilience, highlighting heat waves, more tropical nights, and rising Mediterranean water temperatures as signs of the era. The plan envisions three action axes: urban planning, ecological design, and public transportation to support sustainable growth.
From tourism tax to workers’ insecurity
In a review of the tourism sector in the Community, Compromís outlined broader concerns. Aitana Mas expressed disappointment over the removal of the current Consell tax on tourism, arguing that a stable revenue framework is essential because working conditions in many cases have grown unstable. The emphasis is on creating a tourism economy that supports steady livelihoods while protecting ecological and social well-being.