The Way of Sant James

• The Head of the Department Roman Rodriguez explains that, in addition to the specific line item of 7.4 million, it is necessary to add another 12 for conservation, maintenance or signalling of the roads and about 8.5 for the rehabilitation of goods of cultural interest.
• In his appearance in Parliament estimates at 141 million the budget of the Department for the next year, representing a growth of 6.2%, which places it as the second with the largest increase.
• He stresses that the aim of the department is to reinforce the synergies between tourism and culture, “two strategic areas for Galicia, a fundamental source of resources and employment, and which also strengthen our brand as a country”

Santiago de Compostela, 29 October 2018

The Head of Culture and Tourism, Román Rodríguez, explained that the Department of Culture and Tourism will allocate around 30 million euros in 2019 to begin with the implementation of Xacobeo 21. This was said on the occasion of his appearance in Parliament to explain next year's budgets, in which the department he heads will have more than 141 million euros, representing a growth of 6.2% compared to the sum of the departments of Culture and Tourism in the past year. In addition, this general amount places the Department as the second with the greatest budgetary increase of the Regional Government; in the first, only own funds are considered.

In addition to providing details on economic data, Roman Rodriguez valued positively the evolution of Galician culture and tourism in recent years. In this sense, and according to the assessment made by the Council of Galician Culture and presented in 2018, there is a recovery of cultural sectors, while tourism is going through a moment of consolidation after a period of intense growth. Both sectors, side by side, represent 15% of Galicia's GDP.
In this way, and as stated by the senior official, the objective of the new Department is to strengthen the synergies between tourism and culture, "two strategic areas for Galicia, a fundamental source of resources and employment and that strengthen our brand as a country," he remarked.

Xacobeo 21, a collective challenge

The idea that Xacobeo 21 is more than an appointment for a particular year is reinforced in these upcoming budgets. The next Holy Year, in the words of Román Rodríguez, “is a transversal and collective challenge, not only for this Department but for the entire administration and for the whole of Galician society”. For this reason, Culture and Tourism will allocate about 30 million euros in actions related to the implementation of Xacobeo.
In this sense, in addition to the 7.4 million euro line item for its direct planning (this is the first time that a specific amount has been included for Xacobeo), we must add the 12 million for the conservation, maintenance or signposting of the Caminos de Santiago, as well as for the Shelter Network. Furthermore, it also includes the estimated amount of nearly 8.5 million for the rehabilitation of goods of cultural interest of the Caminos, as well as the various audiovisual, museum and exhibition activities around the Jacobean Route.

In short, the public accounts of Culture and Tourism for 2019 will allow us to continue with the main lines of work in development, create new programs that give a renewed impulse to Galician culture and tourism, and lay the foundations of Xacobeo 21. “A project on which we will build the Galicia of the third decade of the twenty-first century”, he concluded.

Commitment to the promotion of Galician in all areas

With the aim of further implementing a language policy that promotes the use of our own language in all areas, the General Secretariat for Linguistic Policy will have 8 million euros at its disposal in 2019, which is 3% more than last year. This increase will make it possible to reinforce the professors imparting the teaching of Celga, standardisation campaigns and training activities, or to create new Galician study centres: at the University of Santa Barbara (USA) and in Turin.

One of the main challenges is to encourage the affections of young people for Galician and, therefore, next year 150,000 euros will be allocated to the Plan for revitalization of the Galician language in youth. There will also be an investment of 50,000 in a 21-day pilot socialization plan in Galician for non-Galician-speaking children.

Cultural policy for local areas

For its part, the Directorate-General for Cultural Policies will experience a remarkable growth of 3.4%, thus exceeding 33 million. In this area, there will be a 20% increase in the amount of the programme of cultural promotion actions, as well as an increase in the budget for the activities of the Galician Centre of Contemporary Art. Furthermore, in order to articulate a cultural policy for local areas and encourage participation, the programme of collaboration with local councils in terms of cultural equipment and activities will also be increased, with 3 million euros.

With respect to the area of libraries, archives, museums and cultural facilities, it is worth noting the 125% increase in the area of archival projects; or the increase in the subsidy for the acquisition of library resources (500,000 euros, an increase of 16.5%). A new initiative will also be developed for mobile libraries in city councils that lack library service, with an investment of 160,000 euros.

Safeguarding and protection of cultural heritage

As for the Directorate General for Cultural Heritage, total expenditure amounts to 19 million, 5.7% more than in 2018. In addition to undertaking the rehabilitation of goods of cultural interest (BIC) of the Caminos, this budget will allow to write the decrees of declaration of the BIC already initiated, as it is the case of Cova Eirós or of the Carpintería de Ribeira; and to continue with the works of the three Galician candidacies to World Heritage: Ribeira Sacra, Cíes-Islas Atlánticas and Ferrol de la Ilustración. “Real, collective and serious candidacies”, said the official.

Tourism Agency of Galicia

The Tourism Agency of Galicia will have a budget of 64 million euros for 2019, 10.4% more than the previous year. In addition to the line item of 7.4 million to launch the first actions of Xacobeo—the open call for projects Tu Xacobeo, the call for aid for the conservation and restoration of the ethnological heritage, or the continuity of the festival O Son do Camiño—the Agency will have 12 million for different activities related to Xacobeo and the Caminos.

These actions include the conservation and maintenance of the Jacobean Route, the transfers to SA de Xestión do Xacobeo, the improvement and signalling of the Caminos (2019 will be dedicated to the Via de la Plata), and the maintenance of the Shelter Network, as well as the construction of a new one in Vigo that will mobilise an investment of 1 million euros.

End of the construction of the Cidade da Cultura

The transfers to the Foundation Cidade da Cultura will amount to 9 million euros and will continue to carry out cultural activities of the highest order and strengthen the largest Entrepreneurship Centre in Galicia. In addition, the 3.6 million capital transfers will go mainly to Phase II of the Gaiás urbanization and to the Fontán building, which will be the end of the construction of the Cidade da Cultura, “an end in accordance with the circumstances, based on savings and the use of the pre-existing structure”, said the head of Culture.

Support for cultural industries

Finally, the Galician Agency of Cultural Industries will have 11.5 million euros, which will enable to support the Galician networks of Theatres and Auditoriums and Live Music. Aid for the development and production of the audiovisual sector will also be maintained, while at the same time an audiovisual production on the Camino will be financed with a view to Xacobeo 21. In addition, Galician music and culture will continue to be promoted abroad (in February at Celtic Connections and in August at the Lorient Interceltic Festival) and music festivals in the Autonomous Community through grants for competitive calls and the Fest Galicia platform.