Donostia/San Sebastián has a Sustainable Tourism Master Plan, Visit – Bizi 2023-2027, created with the aim of responding to the evolution and transformation of tourism at a global level, from a local perspective and with a holistic approach. It is a collaborative working document, drawn up with the valuable contribution of a large group of experts, professionals from the private and public sectors, political representatives and citizens.

This plan has focused its efforts on three main objectives:
→ The prosperity of the city and the wellbeing of its residents.
→ Environmental, economic and social sustainability.
→ The balance between citizens, visitors and the tourism sector.
→ Quality of life and visits versus number of visitors.

There is no doubt that the patterns of behaviour and consumption in society that we have been observing over the last five years are becoming consolidated; the technological revolution continues to advance, unstoppable with the emergence of AI, while sustainability is establishing itself as one of the main issues that concern and occupy us. All this without losing sight of the turbulent political, social and economic situation at a global level, which inevitably affects us to a greater or lesser extent.
The evolution in which we find ourselves immersed as tourist destinations is becoming increasingly evident, placing greater emphasis on the management of our areas of activity, without forgetting promotion in much more targeted and selective terms. All of this leads us to focus more intensely on governance, a key principle in relations both in the public sphere between different levels of administration and in the private sector: everything is interrelated.

Tourism must be responsible and shared among all stakeholders: the public sector, visitors and citizens, each at their own level, to ensure the socio-economic development of the local community, the preservation of culture and identity, and environmental balance.
Finally, everything comes together and concludes with the understanding that tourism policy must be part of the city’s strategy, not as a parallel element, but as an integral part of it.