Diputació de Barcelona is once again playing a leading role in the province's sustainable progress, with the renewal of the Biosphere certification of the tourist destinations it integrates under the "Barcelona is much more" brand: "Barcelona Coast" (Alt Penedès, Vallès Occidental and Vallès Oriental, the latter with the Montseny massif declared a Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve, Maresme, Baix Llobregat and Garraf), "Barcelona Landscapes" (L'Anoia, El Bages, El Moianès and Osona) and "Barcelona Pyrenees" (in the Berguedà region, a region stretching from the Cadí-Moixeró mountain range to the Bages highlands).

Recognised since 2016 by the European Commission for the "Sustainable Management Indicator System" project in the Global Sustainable Tourism Management category, these regions continue to develop projects and initiatives with Biosphere, aligning the tourism management of public administration and private companies with the 17 SDGs in the framework of the 2030 Agenda.

Thus, one more year and against the negative impacts of the situation caused by the SARS-COV-2 Coronavirus, these tourist destinations demonstrate their clear commitment and interest in the development of a model of responsible and accessible tourism, aimed at improving the sustainability of the province and its business fabric, based on respectful practices in the environmental, economic and socio-cultural spheres.

From Biosphere we would like to congratulate once again the efforts of Diputació de Barcelona, a pioneer in promoting the integral sustainable management of tourism companies and its recognition through its "Commitment to Sustainability" programme, as well as the collective work they carry out. Despite the devastating effects of the pandemic on the tourism industry, so far this year this initiative continues to reap success and a great reception among the business community in the province, with more than 900 tourism companies and services in the counties.

Biosphere Certification

In July 2017, these three tourist destinations in the Barcelona area, Costa Barcelona, Paisajes Barcelona and Pirineos Barcelona, obtained Biosphere certification as sustainable tourist destinations by meeting the requirements of the "Biosphere Destination" standard.

The certification involves assuming the principles of sustainable management, economic and social development, conservation and improvement of cultural heritage, environmental conservation, quality and safety, and visitor involvement. The Biosphere Destination seal, at the same time, helps to improve the positioning and international promotion of Barcelona's tourism brands in terms of sustainability and responsibility.

Its renewal is a further step towards the continuous improvement and sustainability of these territories.