The number of SMEs and large companies in the archipelago that are already managing and certifying their sustainability through the subsidised programmes in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and La Palma continues to grow. For this reason, representatives of the collaborating institutions wanted to highlight this milestone. Among them, the Delegate of Tourism of Tenerife, David Pérez, who highlighted the island's interest in "attracting a tourist profile committed to the environment" or the Councillor of Tourism of Gran Canaria, Carlos Álamo, who assured that "Biosphere is an excellent tool for dialogue between client and businessman to promote new models of tourist production and consumption".
There are already 439 Canary Islands companies that are part of the Biosphere Community, thanks to the subsidised access that Turismo de Tenerife, Turismo de Gran Canaria, the World Biosphere Reserve of La Palma and the SPEL of Lanzarote have made available to the companies on their islands. Through this initiative, entities can access the Biosphere platform and begin to draw up their own sustainability plans at no cost.
This platform allows them to work in an easy and intuitive way on sustainability processes that may seem complex at first. For example, how to be more sustainable in my business activity or how to differentiate myself and guarantee a return on my products and services by applying sustainability. On the other hand, by participating in the programme, they can opt to achieve the Biosphere Certified seal, internationally recognised by the main search engines and tour operators such as Google, Booking, Agoda, Easyjet and TUI, in their sustainable travel programmes and eco-labels.
The CEO of Tenerife Tourism, David Pérez, highlighted the island's interest in "attracting a tourist profile committed to the environment, interested in culture and traditions, and looking for unique places and experiences, but always respecting our environment", and added that "the Biosphere certification, which many of Tenerife's companies already have, endorses our commitment as a sustainable destination and positions us as a benchmark in this area".
For his part, the Councillor for Tourism of Gran Canaria, Carlos Álamo, said that "Biosphere is an excellent tool for dialogue between client and businessman to promote new models of tourism production and consumption that favour sustainable development, as it recognises establishments that comply with specific, identifiable and measurable objectives, and presents these virtues to the client so that he or she can make a decision based on sustainability criteria. For this reason, we encourage business owners who have not already done so to join this initiative, because it is a criterion that is being imposed on the market".
Likewise, the Director of the World Biosphere Reserve of La Palma, Ernesto Aguiar, commented that "a territory like the island of La Palma, which is a Biosphere Reserve, must adopt certification models that promote good practices in all areas of business activity, and that these practices are aligned with the objectives of sustainable development, which is a challenge to which we must respond responsibly".
The programmes subsidised by the different institutions offer codes so that companies can subscribe to the Biosphere Sustainable platform at no cost to the companies; a 100% online platform where they can create business sustainability management plans, fully customised and connected to the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs to measure how companies contribute to the fulfilment of the principles and goals of the United Nations.
