Prado Museum: growth without losing focus on culture
7 May, 2025The Prado (Madrid) reached a record 3.45 million visitors in 2024, consolidating its position as the most visited museum in Spain. Despite this historic figure, the institution has reaffirmed its discourse against the superficial consumption of culture. According museum data, 60% of visitors come from abroad, but the museum’s strategy is not to attract tourists en masse but to offer an exciting and educational experience.
During his speech at the Tourism & Economy Summit 2025, the museum’s Director of Communications, Carlos Chaguaceda, stated that the Prado “is not a tourist product nor will it be one”, underlining the risk of transforming museums into “amusement parks” and distorting their cultural mission. In line with this philosophy, the Prado maintains the ban on selfies and photographs, not for technical reasons but to preserve the experience of artistic contemplation.
In addition, the museum has strengthened its commitment to social inclusion through initiatives such as free admission and the incorporation of new languages, such as Ukrainian, in its contents. It has also urged the tourism sector to decentralise the cultural offer and to direct the flow of visitors to lesser-known venues, such as the Victor Balaguer Museum, in response to growing concerns about tourist overcrowding.