Capítulo 5. Adaptación y resiliencia del turismo post-covid de Santiago de Compostela, España

Abstract

The pandemic, in various economic sectors, caused social and economic imbalances directly and indirectly, such as tourism activity, whose significance, permanence and depth are still being analyzed. This is the case of Santiago de Compostela, one of the three Christian pilgrimage centers with the most visits worldwide. The objective was to analyze the adaptation to disruptive change or crisis of the tourist destination, to identify essential criteria that characterize positive, adaptive and resilient initiatives. The methodology was qualitative, with an expert perception approach based on the documentary review of secondary sources (media, plans, programs, reports, and public initiatives). Santiago registered a decrease in pilgrims of up to 80% on the routes, the number of people who were left unemployed reached 444.7, and hotel turnover was -78.9%. The institutional responses opted to apply health protocols, sustainability plans, insert innovation (virtual congresses, audio guides), digitalization to promote consumption, innovative communication, and promotion strategies, establish a value chain, diversify the business model, issue tax credits and financial support. Santiago showed a positive evolution in the short term, it is expected that in the long term the actions will mitigate the economic and social effects caused by the pandemic.