In the Spanish Constitution, Tourism only appears once as a competence of the Autonomous Communities, who have the power to promote and plan tourism policies in their territory (Article 148.1 num. 18). The fact that the Constitution does not explicitly mention tourism anywhere else, and therefore it is not included as a competence of the State, has created certain ambiguities for the past 40 years regarding the division of powers on tourism policies.

Central level

State competences

• Responsibility for promoting tourism outside the national territory, together with the Autonomous Communities;
• Establishment of directives for the implication of AC in activities of promotion of tourism abroad;
• Promoting modernisation of tourism infrastructures through planning and provision of subsidies;
• Tourism-related decisions on matters of airports and transportation (such as defining airport taxes and benefits).
• Research activities.
• Management of grants and subsidies.
• Paradores Nacionales de Turismo.

Regional level

Regional authorities are responsible for:

• Promotion and organisation of tourism in the AC territories.
• Offer of touristic services as a public service.
• Touristic information.
• Limitation and policing of touristic activities (licenses, authorisations, prohibitions, etc.), both when accessing the exercise of the touristic activity and when developing it.

Local level

Provincial competences

• Securing coordination and provision of municipal services. 
  

Municipal competences[1]

• General competence in tourism; autonomy to devise and implement policies according to local need.

Responsible ministries/bodies

Central

Ministry of  Industry, Trade and Tourism

Sources

Sustainable tourism strategy of Spain 2030 [Estrategia de Turismo Sostenible de España 2030

Constitución Española, Art. 148.1 and 149.3.

Tercer Congreso de la Asociación Española de Expertos Científicos en Turismo, Gijón, 1996 [Third Congress of the Spanish Association of scientific experts in Tourism, Gijon, 1996].

Gonzalez Alonso, Augusto (2009), “Competencias comunitarias, estatales y autonómicas en materia de turismo", Estudios Turisticos, num. 180, p. 65-113.

[1] These competences shall be exercised in accordance to the conditions defined in the Regional and State laws, therefore there might be slight differences from one Autonomous Community to the other.