La Rioja declares the Ventosa Trato Market a festival of tourist interest

The Official Gazette of La Rioja publishes in issue number 158, dated August 19, 2026, Resolution 551/2026, of August 3, by which the Department of Culture, Tourism, Sport and Youth declares the Mercado del Trato de Ventosa as a festival of tourist interest in La Rioja. The recognition, which is of an indefinite nature, is included in section III of Other Provisions and Acts, on pages 14457 and 14458, with official reference BOR-A-20260819-III–3233.

The declaration is in response to the request submitted by the Ventosa City Council on June 3, 2026, to the General Directorate of Tourism and Territorial Promotion, accompanied by the report and documentation detailing the celebration of the market.

Regulatory Framework

The declaration is based on Law 2/2001, of May 31, on Tourism of La Rioja, whose article 29.3 empowers the competent Department to institute and declare as festivals of tourist interest those cultural, popular, artistic, or sporting events that possess special importance as a tourist attraction, based on their antiquity, singularity, or deep-rootedness.

The procedure is carried out in accordance with Decree 10/2017, of March 17, which approves the General Tourism Regulations of La Rioja, specifically articles 201 and 202, which regulate the concept of the declaration of tourist interest and the necessary requirements to proceed with it. The framework is completed by Decree 54/2003, of July 14, which establishes the organic structure of the Department.

The Case File

Case file 2026081701234 followed the prescribed procedures prior to its resolution:

• Request from the Ventosa City Council on June 3, 2026, with a report and complementary documentation.
• Favorable report from the Tourism Service on July 24, 2026, which considers that all the terms and conditions of the Regulations are met.
• Proposed resolution from the General Director of Tourism and Territorial Promotion on July 27, 2026.
• Signing of Resolution 551/2026 by the Councilor José Luis Pérez Pastor on August 3, 2026.

Scope of the Declaration

The declaration is of an indefinite nature, without prejudice to the power of revocation of the competent Department in tourism matters if the characteristics and circumstances that determined it cease to exist. The recognition entails the obligations established in article 205 of the General Tourism Regulations.

The resolution concludes the administrative process, and an optional appeal for reversal may be filed before the Councilor within one month, or a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of La Rioja within two months.

Impact for the Municipality

The declaration of the Ventosa Market as a festival of tourist interest in La Rioja provides a boost to the promotion of the municipality and reinforces its appeal to visitors, while recognizing a tradition deeply rooted in the region. This official recognition places Ventosa on the regional tourism map and opens the door to greater dissemination of its celebration.

Source: Official Gazette of La Rioja, no. 158, August 19, 2026, section III. Other Provisions and Acts, pages 14457-14458 (official reference: BOR-A-20260819-III–3233).