Gran Canaria is now 'Biosphere Destination' in sustainability

The island of Gran Canaria and its tourist destination are committed to positioning themselves in the European market as a more sustainable tourist destination. With this challenge, the Tourism Department of the Cabildo began, at the end of 2021, its commitment to sustainability within the Biosphere system, an international methodology for the management, recognition and certification of sustainability created by the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI). 

 

The island has obtained, in recognition of the efforts made in this area, the distinction as a 'Biosphere Certified' destination after passing an audit process, in which its commitment to sustainability, and that of part of its business fabric, has been recognized. based on its contribution to the 17 SDGs and 169 goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, and has thus positioned itself among the 15 European destinations with the highest number of accommodations with sustainability certification. 

 

On January 25, coinciding with the celebration of the second day of the Fitur tourism fair, in Madrid, the general secretary of the Institute of Responsible Tourism, Patricio Azcárate Díaz de Losada, will present this distinction to the president of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria , Antonio Morales, and the Minister of Tourism of Gran Canaria, present at the meeting in Madrid with the tourism sector.

 

Patricio Azcárate explained that “In an increasingly conscious market, the commitment to sustainability projects a clear message of adaptation. Biosphere allows and facilitates the connection between destinations, the business community, citizens and tourists to improve the sustainable practices implemented, and helps create synergies that represent a fundamental step towards a more responsible future.”

 

For his part, counselor Carlos Álamo highlighted the importance of making visible the efforts made to provide the destination with new tools and the growing value of these attributes in the current tourism market, “especially valuable for a new tourist client with environmental sensitivity who It is beginning to be the majority in the European environment and it is looking for accommodations and destinations that do not have a negative impact on the environment. Therefore, these certificates, like those that tourism companies can obtain, become a decisive factor when planning and choosing a destination and accommodation.” 

 

Álamo pointed out that there are currently 38 companies with this quality seal in sustainability and many more immersed in the certification process, thanks to the fact that they have joined the Biosphere program, demonstrating that they align with the 2030 Agenda through the platform offered by this entity. “This places us as one of the destinations with the largest number of certified accommodations and allows us to make visible, with little effort, attributes that many of them already had, so the process is simple. In this scenario we need the maximum involvement of the business community and, although the response is massive, we encourage companies that have not yet done so to integrate into this international platform." 

 

The Cabildo of Gran Canaria, through the Ministry of Tourism, joined the 'Biosphere Destination' program in December 2021 with the priority of adjusting its tourist destination to the three pillars of sustainability: socioeconomic, environmental and territorial. ; in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Since then, it has successfully passed an RTI audit that ended on December 20.  

 

The final report assessed, among other things, the Gran Canaria Cabildo's own initiatives on sustainability issues such as the organization of gastronomic events in sessions to promote sustainable products, respect and dissemination of regulations related to the protection of water ecosystems. , and a labor policy whose pillars are fundamental labor principles and rights. 

 

Initiatives and entities such as the transparency portal of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria were positively evaluated, which plays a fundamental role in the publication and dissemination of regulations in relation to the protection of ecosystems and the rules of use and management. For example, the Ministry of the Presidency and General Affairs Service publishes the Code of Ethics and Good Practices of the Taliarte Sports Pier, approved in 2021. Another positive example is in the LIFE COSTAdapta Gran Canaria project, an initiative organized by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Energy and Knowledge of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, the objective of which is to adapt the coast of Gran Canaria to the effects of climate change, especially the rise in sea level, through the implementation of innovative measures based in nature and in culture. 

 

The Oceans Free of Marine Litter campaign of the Ministry of Environment and Emergencies aims to raise awareness and inform about the problem of waste that pollutes the seas and affects both biodiversity and the environment.

 

The Tourist Loyalty Program included in the 2022 Action Plan of Gran Canaria Tourism also stands out, which aims to increase the loyalty and spending of regular visitors to the island, through actions such as: offering advantages and discounts on tourist services , send personalized and segmented communications, create an online community of loyal tourists, carry out satisfaction and consumption habits studies, and organize exclusive events and activities for this segment. 

 

 

 

 

Gran Canaria Tourism considers it essential in the development strategy of its offer and given the business opportunity that sustainability implies for the new international client, to value many of the already existing virtues of the destination and the development of others to attract and build the loyalty of a client committed to the environment and who prioritizes the impact of the tourism footprint through a sustainable proposal linked to active tourism, of recognized international prestige and which also aims to attract a younger client. 

 

“Gran Canaria is a modern destination committed to the conservation of its nature, as this is our main claim along with the good climate, and also with a sustainability that implies respect and good relations between this industry and the society that hosts it. We believe in ethical, environmental and also social values ​​and we understand that an important part of sustainable economic development involves not exceeding the limits of arrival in a fragile and limited geographic territory,” added the counselor. 

 

About the indicator

 

At the end of 2023, the European Union launched its new Environmental Labels and Schemes indicator, which indicates the number of accommodations per destination that have managed to demonstrate their sustainable practices, publicly recognizing them with an international sustainability certificate.

 

The Joint Research Center of the European Commission has developed this new Indicator in the EU Tourism Dashboard. Its function is to characterize the tourism ecosystem through indicators by country, and track progress towards a lower environmental impact, greater digitalization and greater socio-economic resilience.

 

Among the first 15 positions in this European indicator of territories with the highest number of certified accommodations is Gran Canaria.