By Mirna Paul
In a country where overtourism increasingly defines the travel experience, Spain’s lesser-known regions are beginning to reposition themselves as quieter, more meaningful alternatives. Among them, Castilla y León stands out, not as a spectacle, but as a space promising a slower journey packed with culture and history.
For Chiara Sportoletti, president of the Federation of Tourism Guides in Castilla y León, the region’s identity is deeply rooted in its past. “Castilla y León has been the cradle of the history of the whole country,” she explains, pointing to its medieval legacy as a key narrative used to attract international visitors. From French and German travellers to Anglo-Saxon markets, the region is often presented as a gateway to Spain’s historical foundations, particularly as a place where centuries-old strongholds and architecture converge.
Yet history alone is not what sets Castilla y León apart. In contrast to heavily-visited destinations such as Madrid, Barcelona, or Spain’s beachfront towns, its greatest asset may be what it lacks: crowds. “The great potential that Castilla y León has as a destination is precisely that,” Sportoletti notes. “Being able to continue offering places that are not massified makes them more attractive.”
This absence of overcrowding is increasingly valuable. As cities struggle with the pressures of mass tourism, from congested streets and strained infrastructure to rising local tensions and a growing housing crisis, Castilla y León offers an alternative defined by openness. Here, tourism unfolds across vast landscapes, tranquil towns, and historic cities where visitors can engage more calmly with their surroundings. As Sportoletti suggests, the experience should be one of leisure and comfort, not urgency or anxiety.
The goal is clear: to transform Castilla y León from a transit point into a destination in its own right. This means persuading travellers to spend several days or whole weeks exploring the surrounding provinces around main cities as well. By doing so, tourism can be distributed more evenly across the region, benefiting smaller communities and reducing pressure on more trafficked areas.
According to Sportoletti, highlighting these smaller, lesser-known destinations is essential for the region’s future growth. She pinpoints areas such as the Arribes del Duero in the province of Zamora for its striking natural landscape, defined by dramatic river canyons and remote villages. Similarly, in Soria, one of Spain’s least populated provinces, natural spaces like the Lobos River Canyon offer both beauty and opportunity. In regions facing depopulation, tourism can serve as an economic lifeline, helping sustain local communities and preserve cultural heritage.
Nevertheless, while some institutions might only promote these destinations, Sportoletti emphasizes the importance of what happens once visitors arrive. As president of a federation representing professional tourism guides, her focus is on shaping tourists’ experiences, rather than attracting them. “Our role is to explain, to make people understand the territory,” she says.
A guided visit, she argues, allows travellers to engage more deeply with a place, thus maximizing their time and ensuring a richer, more informed experience. This emphasis on professionalism extends beyond guiding. Sportoletti strongly advocates for the use of qualified professionals across the tourism sector, from guides to hospitality services. “Hiring professionals is a guarantee for the customer,” she states, framing expertise as vital for both providing quality and building trust.
As global tourism continues to evolve, regions like Castilla y León are steadily redefining what it means to travel well. For many conscientious travellers, it’s now less about ticking off famous landmarks and more about cultural immersion, concentrating less on volume and more on value. If the future of travel lies in slowing down, extending stays, and looking beyond the obvious, then Castilla y León may already be ahead of the curve.
My Personal Reflection
Conducting this interview was both a challenging and rewarding experience, particularly because it required me to operate in Spanish, my third language. While I felt confident in preparing my questions, I was noticeably more nervous during the interview itself, as I had to focus only on the content as well as on communicating clearly and understanding nuanced responses in real time.
One of the main complications was ensuring that my questions were relevant to the interviewee’s expertise. Since Chiara Sportoletti represents a federation of professional tourism guides rather than a tourism board, I had to adapt my approach during the conversation. This required active listening and quick thinking, skills that are both essential in journalism yet can be difficult to apply under pressure, especially in a non-native language.
Despite these challenges, the experience was highly valuable. I learned the importance of flexibility in interviews, as well as the need to balance preparation with spontaneity. Additionally, I gained confidence in conducting interviews in Spanish, realizing that effective communication does not demand perfect language skills, but rather clarity, curiosity, and sincere engagement. Most importantly, this exercise helped me understand how institutional perspectives shape the way destinations are presented to the public. It reinforced the idea that travel journalism is about more than just destinations alone but also about the people and narratives shaping them.
This article is part of the practical work carried out by students on the Master’s Degree in Travel Journalism at the School of Travel Journalism.
