The Generalitat announces twelve new ‘Tourist Municipalities’ in the Comunitat Valenciana

The Generalitat Valenciana, through the Regional Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Innovation and Trade led by Marián Cano, has announced a total of twelve new “Tourist Municipality” recognitions in the Valencian Community during 2025.

These municipalities meet the criteria and obligations set out in the Tourist Municipality Statute, regulated by Decree 5/2020 and later updated by Decree 203/2021 of 17 December.

This designation brings several advantages, including access to extraordinary funding from Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, enabling towns and cities to better respond to the needs of the tourists and visitors they welcome.

By province, three municipalities in Alicante received the distinction in 2025: Novelda, Poble Nou de Benitatxell and Biar, all recognised under the “Singularity” category.

In Castellón, five municipalities were recognised: Torreblanca (Excellence), Altura (upgraded to Relevance), Chilches (upgraded to Relevance), Segorbe (upgraded to Excellence) and Montanejos (upgraded to Excellence).

In the province of Valencia, four municipalities earned recognition: Buñol and Piles (Singularity), along with Alboraya and Bocairent, both upgraded to the Excellence category.

These twelve municipalities now join the official Tourist Municipality Register of the Comunidad Valencianna, which currently includes 82 destinations holding the “Tourist Municipality” label under the updated regulations.

To qualify for this status, destinations must demonstrate compliance with specific requirements related to tourist population levels, accommodation capacity, tourism resources and the role of tourism in the local economy.

Requirements vary depending on the category for which a municipality applies. The three categories are Tourist Municipality of Excellence, which recognises a destination where tourism operates at scale, with maturity, consistency and long-term vision, Tourist Municipality of Relevance, which recognises towns where tourism truly matters, shaping both the economy and the life of the municipality, and Tourist Municipality of Singularity, which recognises what makes a town special, rather than how many visitors it receives.

By category, the Comunitat Valenciana now has 37 municipalities recognised as “Singularity”, five of which were declared in 2025; 22 recognised as “Relevance”, including two added this year; and 23 municipalities holding the “Excellence” distinction, with five new recognitions granted in 2025.

Designated Tourist Municipalities in the Marina Alta include Calp (Excellence, 2021), Dénia (Excellence, 2021), Teulada (Singularity, 2023), Jávea (Singularity, 2024), Benissa (Relevance, 2024) and Poble Nou de Benitatchell (Singularity, 2025).