The Regional Government and the Provincial Council of Cáceres expand the Gata-Hurdes tourism plan

The Junta de Extremadura and the Provincial Council of Cáceres have extended until June 30, 2026, the deadline for execution and final justification of the Tourism Sustainability Plan in Destination “Sierra de Gata-Las Hurdes 100% Culture and Identity and Ecotourism,” endowed with 2.5 million euros from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and funded by the European Union-Next Generation EU. The measure is formalized in Addendum No. 2 of the collaboration agreement, signed on April 16, 2026, and published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura (DOE) no. 193, of October 6, 2026, by resolution of the General Secretariat of September 29, 2026 (reference 2026062478, RCN202600268).

An extension to close the actions

The original agreement was signed on November 8, 2022, between the then Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports —now the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports— and the Provincial Council of Cáceres, to execute the PSTD actions included in the Extremadura Territorial Plan for 2021 charged to the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The project was submitted to the 2021 extraordinary call of the Tourism Sustainability Program in Destinations 2021-2023, within the framework of component 14 of the PRTR.

The first addendum, signed on December 30, 2024, set the required execution at 50% by the close of the fourth quarter of 2024 and extended the deadlines until April 30, 2026 (execution) and May 31, 2026 (justification). Given the difficulty of meeting them, the Monitoring Committee meeting on September 23, 2025, proposed a second addendum, which the Council accepted. The signature was authorized by the Governing Council on April 14, 2026, and by resolution of the president of the Council on March 24, 2026. The publication is supported by article 19 of Decree 154/2025, of November 18, which regulates the agreement activity and the General Registry of Agreements of the regional administration.

What the addendum changes

• Extends the execution and final justification deadline until June 30, 2026.
• Maintains the validity period of the agreement.
• Modifies the third, ninth, eleventh, and sixteenth clauses and Annex I.
• Requires that 100% of the actions be executed by June 30, 2026, following the mandatory 50% at the end of 2024.
• Does not entail budget execution for the Junta de Extremadura.

2.5 million distributed across four axes

The total budget amounts to 2,500,000 euros, distributed by annual installments: 1,077,500 euros in 2023, 720,000 in 2024, 492,500 in 2025, and 210,000 in 2026. By axes:

• Axis 1, roads and trails for cycle tourism, Gata-Hurdes green corridor GR-10 and crafts: 280,000 euros.
• Axis 2, smart park-and-ride facilities and sustainable mobility: 250,000 euros.
• Axis 3, digitalization, tourist portal and social networks: 250,000 euros.
• Axis 4, heritage, panoramic viewpoints, interpretation centers, pier in El Melero, gastronomic routes and plan management: 1,720,000 euros.

Signatories and control bodies

The addendum is signed by José Luis Gil Soto, secretary general of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports, and Miguel Ángel Morales Sánchez, president of the Provincial Council of Cáceres. The resolution ordering its publication bears the signature of the secretary general, David González Gil.

The Monitoring Commission, which has no legal personality of its own, includes two representatives from the Ministry —one of whom is the president— and two from the Provincial Council, with the manager of the managing body having a voice but no vote. The Directorate General of Tourism exercises the supervision and control of the plan and will justify the funds to the Secretary of State for Tourism before the end of the second quarter of 2026.

The extension provides leeway for the municipalities and tourism companies of the region to complete investments in trails, viewpoints, interpretation centers and digitalization which, otherwise, would have expired and forced the reimbursement of European funds. The new calendar sets June 30, 2026, as the non-extendable date to close the plan and justify the 2.5 million received.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura (DOE), no. 193, of October 6, 2026, section III, page 1 (official reference: 2026062478).