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María José Salgueiro, Minister for Culture and Tourism of Castile and Leon

Interview with María José Salgueiro, Minister for Culture and Tourism of Castile and Leon

1.  Jacobean Year 2010 will be an important tourist event in Castile and Leon. How has the general programme of activities in the region been organised?

The Regional Strategy of the St James’ Way in Castile and Leon is divided into four main areas, 23 action plans and 97 activities that will be carried out through 280 specific interventions.  At this stage, all the activities have been planned or have already been started (more than 70%). The strategy is not intended to be a final plan, but rather a permanent “observatory” and proactive promotional tool for the protection and management of the Way. It is built around specific constituent elements and the relationship they share with each other, with the region, with their history and concept of identity, all of which have played a part in it being appointed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2.  One of the new developments in relation to Jacobean Year 2010 is the system by which pilgrims can download guided routes to their mobile phones. How does this innovative application work?

Indeed, from the beginning of this year, to bring new technology to St James’ Way, we plan to introduce a system of guided routes for the French Way, which pilgrims can download to their mobile phones using Bluetooth. This information for pilgrims, with maps of the most important municipalities on the Way, points of interest, buildings of cultural interest, monuments, the current status of hostels and rural tourism accommodation on the Way, restaurants, craftwork, etc., will be saved to the mobile phone, and will not only be a souvenir of the trip, but also a promotional tool for the places visited, which pilgrims can share with other, future pilgrims.

3. Institutional backing and stimulation can be a formidable resource when it comes to promotion. In this respect, agreements have been signed with several associations, organisations, and even with Turespaña. Tell us about this.

The strategy has involved covering and inspecting almost 1,896 kilometres of paths all over Castile and Leon. It is intended to as a fully inclusive service to support the Jacobean Year phenomenon, given that it brings together action plans that have been carried out or proposed by the more than 100 agents involved, with whom the Castile and Leon government has had multilateral meetings. Among these are various national, regional and local bodies, Dioceses of the Catholic Church, Foundations, Universities, businesses, Development Agents, experts, teachers and Jacobean and Pilgrim Associations. We will sign two Partnership Agreements with Turespaña. The first will also receive the support of the Regions of the French Way. The Northern Ways (Aragon, Navarre, La Rioja, the Basque country, Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria) will also take part, with a view to boosting external promotion and marketing of these itineraries. Execution of the plan will involve implementing the Action Plan, with orientation trips, attendance at fairs, the setting up of a thematic channel in the framework of the tourism promotion portal www.spain.info, as well as drawing up a cultural agenda that will include a variety of graphic and audiovisual material.

The second agreement will involve the participation of the governments of Andalusia, Extremadura and Asturias, as well as the Cooperation Network of Towns on the Silver Way. Its purpose is to promote and support marketing of the Silver Way route among tourists. The plan will involve a marketing plan, the creation of promotional material, and on-line promotional and marketing actions.

4. There are also plans for the development of an internationalisation plan for this product to bring tourists to Castile and Leon. How has this plan been drawn up? What actions will it entail?

One of the highlights of the internationalisation plan will be an exhibition at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in New York in February 2010. This exhibition will be possible thanks to the partnership between the the Castile and Leon government and the US foundation World Monuments Fund (WMF), which will take shape in activities to raise awareness of and conduct research into the region's heritage. The Metropolitan Museum of New York will be involved, lending a sculpture of the Santiago Apostle from its collection. The piece originated in the Cartuja de Miraflores in Burgos. The intention behind the loan is to make a replica of the statue to be housed in the Monastery. In fact, the exhibition will be held to commemorate the loan of the reproduction of the St James the Pilgrim by the WMF, which will exhibit the historical and cultural heritage of Castile and Leon through monuments restored with the collaboration of the WMF.

5. Another new development for the coming year concerns Atapuerca, one of the main focal points of cultural, tourist and educational interest in the region. We are referring to the Museum of Human Evolution, which will be the largest museum of its kind in the world, specialising in evolution. When will it open to the public and what will the new centre offer?

The Museum of Human Evolution (MEH) will open in several stages throughout 2010. As well as housing recreations of important sites, it will be the main centre for museum conservation of all the originals that have been found, a research centre of sites and human evolution which will certainly become a world-famous scientific centre. The permanent exhibits and functions of the MEH will be complemented by the Archaeological Research Centre and an Auditorium, which will complete the cultural and educational attractions of this innovative centre.

6. Rural Tourism, one of the main attractions that bring visitors to Castile and Leon, has experienced general growth in 2009. Has this trend also been observed in the region? What is the secret behind the success of this type of tourism in Castile and Leon? What new developments are planned for the coming year?

Castile and Leon if one of the provinces leading rural tourism in Spain (it accounts for more than 20% of total beds in Spain, and more than 22% of the total number of travellers). It currently has more than 3,334 establishments classified as holiday cottages, rural tourism centres and boarding houses, as well as more than 30,279 beds. The spectacular growth in rural tourism in Castile and Leon and the increasingly demanding tourist market have led to our region making a strong commitment to quality as a hallmark of rural tourism. That’s why the Castile and Leon government has promoted the creation of a tourist product called Posadas Reales, the Tourism Quality Seal of Castile y Leon, which comprises a wide selection of rural tourism centres and boarding houses that have met high quality standards in their facilities, services and customer services. To date, 55 establishments have been awarded the seal.

Another new development is the Castile and Leon rural tourism reservations centre, set up during the summer of 2009. To date, more than 370 establishments have joined the network. The aim of the centre is to increase the number of bookings for accommodation, as well as to introduce active tourism activities and information about tourist destinations.