Tourist dualism during the Spanish Civil War. Safeguarding of cultural heritage vs. tourist promotion

Abstract

This article aims at analysing tourism during the Spanish Civil War. As soon as the war broke out, the country and existing tourism management clashed. In that context of interests, each of the opposing sides –republicans and nationals– were to carry out a series of tourist initiatives to the ends of propaganda. As a result of both efforts, a dual image of the country was received abroad. The historical and cultural heritage would play a key role in formulating the different tourism strategies during the war. However, with the advent of the Franco dictatorship, the General Directorate of Tourism opted for policies oriented toward the "new" tourist model: sun and sand. This research is aimed at offering an overview of the two separate initiatives in order to better understand the subsequent impact on the history of Spanish tourism.