The Leaders visited the end of the Camino, one of the routes of choice among Australian tourists in Europe
Marta Lois González, Councillor for Equality, Economic Development and Tourism of Santiago de Compostela, welcomed the participants in the 2017 Leaders Programme at Santiago City Hall. The Galician city is considered to be the end of the historic Camino, a pilgrimage that is one of Spain's major tourist attractions. The Camino attracts hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors every year: over 262,000 people arrived in Santiago de Compostela in 2015.
The Camino is particularly popular among Australian tourists, and the number of pilgrims increased 14.7% in 2016 compared to the year before. Australia is among the top ten nationalities that choose to walk the route, and the number of visitors has increased by 800% since 2004. According to data published by Turismo de Galicia, 5,219 Australians and New Zealanders arrived in Santiago last year.
The interest shown by Australian tourists makes this region one of the markets with the strongest growth potential in Galicia. This month, Turismo de Galicia launched an introductory campaign for its tourist attractions with tour operators from Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland.
The Leaders took a guided tour around the city and visited its tourist hot spots, including the Cathedral, the University and the historical building which houses the city’s Parador, called Hostal de los Reyes Católicos. The city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.