The commitment of the main destinations to sustainability, the environment and the quality of their accommodation offer has been a decisive element in the reactivation of the tourism industry after the pandemic. The client now prioritises establishments and a holiday experience with a low carbon footprint and, for the moment, there are already 53 companies in Gran Canaria that have joined the Biosphere and Gran Canaria Tourism initiative and, therefore, are in the process of processing their personalised business sustainability plans.

Of the companies that are already benefiting from this line of participation, and have therefore passed the requirements, are the hotels Anamar Suites, Bull Dorado Beach & Spa and H10 Playa Meloneras Palace. These have achieved recognition for their good practices and hold their Biosphere certification to demonstrate to potential customers their sustainable efforts.

"Gran Canaria has a plan to become a sustainable destination, to diversify our offer and also to face the necessary digitalisation," said Carlos Álamo, Councillor for Tourism of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria. "The important thing is that we must be aware that we are facing a remarkable opportunity that must be seized. Beyond the immediate priority of mitigating the effects of the pandemic, territories like Gran Canaria, endowed with great natural attractions, we must create a 'new normality', if you will allow me to use the expression, for the tourism sector. A reality in which diversification, the progressive adoption of more sustainable models of tourism and investment in new technologies must be key factors in shaping the recovery of our economy," added Álamo.

The minister explained that the process, called Gran Canaria Biosphere Destination, requires the involvement of the whole of Gran Canaria society, especially the business sector of the island's tourism industry. In order to help companies transform their management towards more sustainable and environmentally responsible practices, Gran Canaria Tourism is actively involved in the Biosphere Sustainable programme. To this end, it has a bonus scheme that gives all the island's companies free access to this international sustainability management and certification system.

Gran Canaria's sustainability strategy contemplates its three fundamental axes: environmental, economic and socio-cultural, with actions that address the cross-cutting nature of the concept. Since 2021, Gran Canaria has been part of the Biosphere Community of Destinations promoted by the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), an entity that certifies the efforts made to align the tourism model with the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

With this programme, and through the support of the RTI's team of professionals, the destination involves the island's business network in the use of digital tools that promote more sustainable management models, also offering the opportunity to highlight and certify its good practices. The platform consists of an intuitive and user-friendly software for the management of business sustainability from which interested companies can benefit, as well as access to a certification system based on a set of simple standards that establish specific, identifiable and measurable objectives. This is an opportunity to contribute with concrete actions to the change of model for which Gran Canaria has been working and with which to contribute to its revaluation and differentiation as a committed destination. This purpose leads to an increase in competitiveness, while improving the tourist experience and the quality of life of residents.

You can find more information about the best practices of the companies participating in the Gran Canaria Biosphere Destination project here.

If you are a company from Gran Canaria interested in taking part in this programme, you can apply for your bonus code here.