The 8th National Ecotourism Congress takes place from 27 to 29 October 2026 in the comarca of Liébana The venue is the Centro de Estudios Lebaniegos in Potes. According to the organisers, the three-day programme is aimed at professionals from protected areas, agriculture, tourism businesses and local authorities. The focus is the contribution of the primary sector – agriculture, livestock farming and the local food economy – to the development of sustainable, nature-based tourism.
The programme includes expert talks, panel discussions, case studies from Spanish regions and guided excursions around Potes and Fuente Dé. Topics on the agenda include linking regional gastronomy with visitor experiences, certification in ecotourism, and balancing conservation with other uses in protected areas. Contributions have been announced from representatives of the Parque Nacional de Picos de Europa and regional local development groups. There will also be a presentation and tasting area featuring tastings of local products from Liébana.
The organisers emphasise the professional nature of the conference; registration is through the official congress portal. The available announcements contain no official figures for expected attendance or confirmed funding. References to regional infrastructure projects – such as visitor management, signage and access – appear in administrative documents as context, not as part of binding congress decisions.
The congress is seen in Spain as a forum for exchange between protected-area managers, providers of nature-based experiences and businesses in the primary sector. According to the organisers, successful examples of practice will be presented in Liébana, including cooperative models involving producers, land managers and tourism businesses. The aim is to strengthen value creation in rural areas, manage visitor pressure in a way that respects nature, and further develop quality standards for ecotourism offerings.
Forecasts of economic impact or visitor numbers remain the responsibility of the organisers and will be attributed to them as assessments. Information on the final programme, speaker list and excursion routes is expected to be provided locally in the coming weeks. The thematic framework is already clear: the contribution of agriculture, livestock farming and the regional food economy to resilient, nature-friendly tourism – and therefore to the long-term development of the mountain region of Liébana.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).