Murcia moves to 'SlowDown' tourism across the Region

The Region of Murcia is taking part in the European 'SlowDown' project, promoting slower, more sustainable tourism

The Region of Murcia is not stepping back from tourism, but it is trying to manage it more carefully. During 2025, the regional tourism department has been working on a European project called SlowDown, which looks at how regions can attract visitors without relying on mass tourism.

The project is part of the Interreg Europe programme and focuses on what is often called ‘slow tourism’. This means fewer short stays, less pressure on peak summer months, and more attention on inland towns rather than already busy coastal areas.

Tourism is becoming more difficult to manage in many parts of Spain. In some regions, large visitor numbers have pushed up rents, strained local services, and changed daily life. Murcia’s approach suggests the Region wants to avoid those problems before they become unmanageable.

Murcia presented its tourism strategy in Brussels at the European Week of Regions and Cities. Tourism director Eva Reverte said the aim was to show what Murcia is doing and make sure the region has a voice in European-level decisions. The project is also about learning from places that already deal with rural tourism. Murcia has taken part in study visits to Galway in Ireland, where smaller towns attract visitors throughout the year. The plan is to implement similar ideas in Murcia.

Although Cartagena is still actively looking to attract more visitors, particularly outside the peak summer months as well. As part of this, Cartagena City Council has awarded a €194,810 contract to Iripress Magazine to improve the city’s online tourism presence. The focus is on how people now plan trips, searching, booking and reviewing destinations almost entirely online.

They want to make Cartagena more visible at the planning stage, increase visits to official tourism websites, and show a broader picture of what the city offers beyond its main attractions.

Basically, the overall goal is to attract more tourists but all year round not just in the summer. That means more activity in inland towns and a steadier flow along the coast, without overcrowding.

Image 1: Carm
Image 2: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena