Participate in the Fairway activities!
Tourism and Camino Forum
When Fairway began its journey in 2015 in the Galician City of Culture, no one was betting that a forum like this would survive 10 years as a meeting point for public and private professionals of the Camino de Santiago. Since our inception, we have been committed to creating a space for dialogue and collaboration with many ideas, proposals, experiences and shared solutions that have left their mark year after year.
Tourism has grown in the city, and we are proud to welcome thousands of visitors who come to Santiago every year moved by spirituality. The first Fairway gave us a phrase that continues to guide our spirit: “Tourism can be a path to reach the true pilgrimage.”
Today we are here: older, more inconvenient and more eager to ask what others prefer to keep quiet. Under the umbrella of the “Tourism and Camino Forum,” in this 2025 Fairway we do not beat around the bush. We focus on the shadow that hangs over Compostela: touristification. We speak with respect and understanding with those who decide, with those who experience it and with those whose future is at stake. When does the Camino cease to be the Camino to become what we do not want? Welcome to the debate that no one wants to have, and that we cannot avoid.
Opening Conference
Seeking excellence in sustainability
The word “sustainability” holds it all. But here we do not come to repeat slogans, but to put the cards on the table.
The main public administrations collaborating with Fairway will show how they manage and promote the Camino de Santiago under the focus of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Is it possible to balance tourism, heritage and sustainability… or is it just a nice headline?
Speakers
- Xosé Regueira, Vice President of the Provincial Council of A Coruña
- Xosé Merelles, Director of the Galician Tourism Agency
- Fairway Co-Directors
AUDITORIO FAIRWAY
10:30 - 11:30 H
OPEN DAY
Escape room. "The Relic of the Apostle," special edition for tourism students
The old belongings of a mysterious pilgrim were found in the tunnels of the Galician City of Culture. Since then, nothing has been normal again. They say that a curse hangs over the building. Only those who dare to follow the clues will be able to solve the mystery of the pilgrim.
Capacity: 10 people per group
No cost
You must book a place beforehand on the website
You must be in the room 10 minutes before the activity. Otherwise, your place will be assigned to the waiting list.
Museum Floor -1 (Room 4)
11:00 / 12:00 / 13:00 H
COFFEE BREAK
11:30 - 12:00 H
CONGRESS. DISCUSSION TABLE
Touristification: Visitors or Invaders?
Santiago sells itself as a dream destination, while it deals with the challenge of managing its own fame in the run up to Xacobeo 2027. The hotel moratorium, numerous tourist apartments closed, a tourist tax that divides opinions, public services at the limit and a stressed airport. Success or saturation?
At the same time, the big question arises: do tourists invade us, or do they simply come to visit us? Tourism phobia hovers over the social aspects, but is it a minority fear, a real outcry or a populist political resource? How can we maintain our splendour without killing what makes us truly unique? Can we focus on managing our success once and for all or do we continue making a big thing about supposed problems that seem to absorb everything? We debate without filters about the tourist pressure, the management of the territory and the policies to be applied for a present future that is looming ever larger.
Speakers
- Ildefonso de la Campa, Director of the General Secretariat of the Xacobeo Plan
- Tourism Representative of the City Council of Santiago de Compostela
- Teresa Ferreira, Director of Tourism Resources Promotion of Portugal
- Cesáreo Pardal, President of the Galician Tourism Cluster
- Bernardo Fernández, President of the Association of Councils of the English Way
- MarÃa Luisa RodrÃguez, President of the Association of Councils of the Fisterra-MuxÃa Way
- José MarÃa de Juan Alonso, Managing Partner of Koan Consulting
- Invited specialized journalist
AUDITORIO FAIRWAY
12:00 - 13:30 H
Speakers
Mega Tastings. "Beer Culture"
In the tastings of MEGA – Beer Culture, tradition and innovation are perceived in every sip. A journey through time that you will know how to appreciate thanks to experts who will guide your palate through its elaboration and nuances that you have never noticed before, showing you that beer is much more than a drink.
Capacity: 20 people
No cost
Museum Floor -1 (presentation stage)
12:00 - 17:00 H
LUNCH BREAK
13:30 - 16:30 H
Workshop
Define your KPIs and measure your business objectives​
Everyone talks about data, but few really know what to do with it. Without analysis, it is nothing more than dead numbers. Each visitor leaves a trail of data that, if interpreted well, helps us to make strategic decisions, optimize resources and improve the tourist experience. This Workshop highlights that in tourism it is not those who have the most tourists who win, but those who know how to interpret them best.
AUDITORIO FAIRWAY
16:30 - 18:30 H
Moderator
Speaker
Beer and Camino. "Sensory Route through Beer Culture"
Just as the Camino de Santiago unites pilgrims from all over the world, beer has been a companion for centuries of routes, inns and encounters. In this workshop for adults we will explore the shared history between travel and beer, discovering traditional European styles and local artisan proposals inspired by the spirit of the Camino.
By means of a guided tasting we will learn to identify aromas, colours and nuances, while toasting beer culture as a living and social heritage. An activity to enjoy, learn and celebrate the pleasure of relaxing… and sharing.
Tasting led by: MartÃn Gómez Toba, Beer Culture Technician at Hijos de Rivera
Capacity: 30 people
No cost
You must book beforehand on the website
You must be in the room 10 minutes before the activity. Otherwise, your place will be assigned to the waiting list.
Museum Floor -1 (Presentation Room)
17:00 a 17:45 H / 18:00 a 18:45 H
Prize Draw. "My Camino at Fairway"
You can also win prizes at Fairway. Get your My Camino credential at the Information Point, visit the different displays and stamp the 10 boxes on your card. Upon completion of your tour, you’ll be entered into a prize draw for trips, stays, experiences, and other prizes, courtesy of our exhibitors and sponsors.
Exploring every corner of the Fairway is rewarding!
CONGRESS. DISCUSSION TABLE
The Compostela Certificate and the Caminos of the 21st century: Democratization of the Camino to everyone's liking?
The Camino de Santiago has always combined effort and symbol, but the rules of the game have changed. Recently, the Pilgrim’s Office has modified the conditions for obtaining the Compostela certificate. Now all you have to do is travel the last 20 km… and the rest can be added in any other section, inside or outside Galicia.
Who benefits and who is harmed by such a decision? At the same time, there is an increasing proliferation of routes that, without being part of the official routes of the Xunta de Galicia, allow you to accumulate valid kilometres for obtaining the credential. What is worth more, the tradition recognized by the Administration or the flexibility promoted by the Church? What criteria are there for the recognition of one way or another of obtaining the Compostela certificate? We debate a transformation that confronts the definition of the Camino with the era of postmodernity.
Speakers
- Ildefonso de la Campa, President of the European Federation of Saint James Way
- Begoña González Loroño, Deputy Director General for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Xunta de Galicia
- Jorge MartÃnez-Cava, Representative of the Spanish Federation of Associations of the Camino de Santiago
- Miguel Pérez Cabezas, President of the French Way Federation
- José Villa Plaza, First Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Tourism of Caravaca de la Cruz
- Representative of the Cathedral of Santiago
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Moderator
- Pepe Formoso, Journalist
AUDITORIO FAIRWAY
10:30 - 11:30 H
OPEN DAY
Escape room. "The Relic of the Apostle", special edition for tourism students
The old belongings of a mysterious pilgrim were found in the tunnels of the Galician City of Culture. Since then, nothing has been normal again. They say that a curse hangs over the building. Only those who dare to follow the clues will be able to solve the mystery of the pilgrim.
Capacity: 10 people per group
No cost
You must book a place through the website
You must be in the room 10 minutes before the activity. Otherwise, your place will be assigned to the waiting list.
Museum Floor -1 (Room 4)
11:00 / 12:00 / 13:00 H
COFFEE BREAK
11:30 - 12:00 H
CONGRESS. DISCUSSION TABLE
Tourist tax: Where does the money go?
The tourist tax is no longer being debated. It is the natural consequence of an expanding sector. The real question is another one. How is the collected money managed? Is it reinvested in the same area, is it diluted in the public coffers or does it end up serving to patch up problems that have nothing to do with the visitor?
We open up an uncomfortable debate with the experience of different cities to reflect on the efficiency and transparency of this tool that, one of two things, can serve as an instrument for sustainability or remain as a mere hidden tax of dubious execution.
Speakers
- José Manuel Lage Tuñas, First Deputy Mayor and Councilor of Economy and Strategic Planning of the Council of Coruña
- José Antonio Liñares, Spokesman of the Hotel Union of Santiago de Compostela
- AgustÃn Collazos, President of HOSPECO, Association of Hospitality and Lodging Entrepreneurs of A Coruña
- Representative of the City Council of Santiago de Compostela
- Barcelona Tourism Representative
AUDITORIO FAIRWAY
12:00 - 13:30 H
Ponentes
Workshop
Chat GPT applied to tourism business management
Artificial intelligence is becoming a turning point in the way we travel and manage tourist destinations and businesses. Ally or threat? In this Workshop you will explore how AI turns data into power: it anticipates what travellers want before they say it, automates processes and redefines strategies by creating smarter, more agile, accurate and sustainable management. The tourism of the future will not be managed by those who know the most… but by whoever best handles the machine.
AUDITORIO FAIRWAY
13:30 - 14:30 H
Moderator
Speaker
LUNCH BREAK
13:30 - 16:30 H
Beer and the Way. "Sensory Route through Beer Culture"
Just as the Camino de Santiago unites pilgrims from all over the world, beer has been a companion for centuries of routes, inns and encounters. In this workshop for adults we will explore the shared history between travel and beer, discovering traditional European styles and local artisan proposals inspired by the spirit of the Camino.
By means of a guided tasting we will learn to identify aromas, colours and nuances, while toasting beer culture as a living and social heritage. An activity to enjoy, learn and celebrate the pleasure of relaxing… and sharing.
Tasting led by: MartÃn Gómez Toba, Beer Culture Technician at Hijos de Rivera
Capacity: 20 people
No cost
You must book a place beforehand on the website
You must be in the room 10 minutes before the activity. Otherwise, your place will be assigned to the waiting list.
Museum Floor -1 (Presentation Room)
16:00 a 16:45 H /
17:00 a 17:45 H / 18:00 a 18:45 H
Prize Draw. "My Camino at Fairway"
You can also win prizes at Fairway. Get your My Camino credential at the Information Point, visit the different displays and stamp the 10 boxes on your card. Upon completion of your tour, you’ll be entered into a prize draw for trips, stays, experiences, and other prizes, courtesy of our exhibitors and sponsors.
Exploring every corner of the Fairway is rewarding!
GALLERY
Did you miss last year’s Fairway?
Here is a summary of the Congress 2023 activities in images.
