Gijón/Xixón is an Asturian council located in the center of the Asturian coast, with a population of 280,000 inhabitants. The urban area of Gijón/Xixón extends to the south of the primitive Roman site, with an area of 14 km2 – 7.6% of the total area of the council – and concentrates 90% of the total population of the municipality.
It is a consolidated tourist destination, which has reinvented itself and transformed into a city of great tourist attraction, a benchmark in urban, gastronomic, cultural and shopping tourism, in addition to being a beach destination and a destination for congresses, conferences and meetings (MICE).
In Gijón/Xixón, the public and private sectors work together to defend the values of accessibility and sustainability in the city’s tourism offer in the interest of responsible tourism. The commitment of the entire local tourism sector to smart tourism has marked the work strategy and is committed to continuous improvement to promote demand with positive economic and social effects.
It is notable in the destination that the economic impact of the tourist flows it receives amounts to around 335 million euros annually.
| Admission to the Smart Tourism Destinations Programme |
- Start the diagnosis process and action plan for the Smart Tourism Destinations programme in 2020 and renew it in January 2024.
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| Outstanding initiatives
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- The Gijón/Xixón Sustainable Tourism Action Plan represents a solid tourism policy, in responsible and sustainable tourism, aligned with the 17 United Nations SDGs in the 2030 Agenda.
- In Innovation, the General Directorate of Innovation and Promotion at the municipal level coordinates innovation processes in the city.
- The Knowledge Mile Innovation Ecosystem plays a key role. On the other hand, LUCE Urban Laboratory includes among its purposes the application of social innovation techniques to create community and respond to the city’s challenges through collaboration between different entities. Thus, in 2023 more than 30 entities have collaborated and participated in the activities and initiatives that have been carried out.
- In this same area, the University of Oviedo – Gijón City Council Agreement that materializes in the MediaLAB Chair focused on social innovation projects and activities with an impact on the environment and with a technological focus.
- The destination is a reference in the development of innovative tourist products such as the Gijonomía merchandising line, carried out with sustainability criteria, taking into account kilometer 0 consumption and promotion of cultural identity or the new Cider Route, which puts value the cider culture by involving the cider sector in the product.
- Also noteworthy is the innovation in the marketing of tourist products with the launch of the portal www.reservagijon.es and the new Visit Gijón Card, a tourist card in app format, completely online.
- Innovation and technology came together to develop augmented reality routes and integrate immersive reality in promotional actions and to provide new tools to visitors to discover Gijón/Xixón.
- It has a local administration that is close to citizens and visitors, with two-way communication systems, an open data platform and cloud computing solutions.
- The Gijón/Xixón destination stands out in Sustainability, certified as a Biosphere Sustainable Certified Gold destination (Renewed in 2023) and the Gijón Decalogue of Responsible Tourist Services. Gijón/Xixón has had the Biosphere certification since 2013. In 2019 it became a “Gold” destination, an accreditation received thanks to the involvement of professionals from the local tourism sector in the Biosphere Sustainable program, which they have been joining in recent years to reinforce a joint strategy for a sustainable tourist destination.
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Technical data
VAT number:
P3302400A Address: Plaza Mayor, 1. Postal code: 33201 Telephone: 985181111 Region: Principado de Asturias Province:
Asturias Population:
Gijón/Xixón Country:
España Local entity type: Ayuntamiento Date of membership:
20/5/2020 Diagnosis: Sí Diagnosis date:
18/12/2023 Destination Type:
Urbano marítimo Population:
271,717 Area (km²):
182.00 Density (inhab/km²):
1,498.00
Level in the Network: Nivel 4
