Alba Delgado of Seville, Spain on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Alba Delgado. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Alba, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
As a freelance tour guide, I often get asked, “What do you do for a living?”…as if being a professional tour guide were just a hobby. Sometimes, travelers assume I’m simply a student working as a tour guide to earn extra money for university or something similar. Perhaps in other countries, the role isn’t taken seriously (I don’t know) but here in Spain, and I dare say throughout Europe, guiding is a respected profession that requires a university degree, specialized training, proficiency in foreign languages, and an official license. We take it seriously because our country boasts a rich and important history, UNESCO World Heritage sites, archaeological treasures, and invaluable cultural heritage that cannot simply be explained by a random student or passerby. That’s why I find it both amusing and a little sad when people ask if I have another job.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Alba, a tour guide from Seville, Spain. I run a website dedicated to offering unique experiences for travelers who visit my city and want to explore its history, art, architecture, and local culture. I work alongside other outstanding professional guides, each specialized in different fields, which allows us to meet the diverse interests of our visitors. I began this project in Seville, but the region’s historical richness is far too great to limit ourselves to just one city. That’s why, this year, we expanded our cultural and historical tours to include the city of Córdoba, the only city in the world with four UNESCO designations.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before entering the world of cultural heritage, I was on a very different path: studying Political Science as well as International Security and Defense. One day, while finishing my master’s degree, I stumbled upon this new career by chance, and I’m truly glad I did. As a guide, I feel I can share the significance of historical events and art history with visitors while connecting with them on a deeply human level.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Like many people in the tourism world, I faced my biggest professional challenge during COVID. Travel came to a standstill, and so did my work. At first, the uncertainty was overwhelming… I remember those first days of quarantine, wondering how I would get by with no income and no visitors. But instead of giving up, I decided to adapt. I launched my social media accounts (IG: @altaiturismo) and began sharing cultural videos to keep the spirit of travel alive. Soon after, I created online tours and interactive activities, giving people a way to explore from home and inspiring them to dream about traveling again once the world reopened.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies the tourism industry tells itself is that mass tourism is always “good for the local economy.” Yes, tourism brings money, but when it’s not managed responsibly, it can destroy the very things that attract visitors in the first place: our heritage, our neighborhoods, our way of life.
Another lie is that heritage protection is always a top priority. In reality, economic interests often come first, and rules meant to safeguard monuments or historical sites can be bent when there’s profit to be made.
We also like to pretend that gentrification is just modernization, but in tourist-heavy areas, it often means locals are pushed out of their own neighborhoods to make room for more hotels, souvenir shops, and overpriced restaurants. And don’t get me started on tourist traps! Those places that sell a fake, packaged version of “local culture” because it’s easier and more profitable than showing the real thing.
That’s why I believe in small-scale, authentic tourism for families, couples, friends, etc… Experiences that benefit the community, protect heritage, and give travelers something real to take home, other than a fridge magnet and soulless photos.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing? 
It’s not something I regret doing, but rather something I regret not doing sooner: starting in this industry earlier. Maybe if I had focused my studies on this field from the beginning, my project would be even bigger today. But, as they say, everything happens for a reason, right?

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