Concern for sustainability continues to make its way around the world. Already more and more destinations are concerned about aligning their policies with a more responsible management of their resources and from the RTI we are pleased to welcome the Brazilian destination Maricá to the Biosphere system of responsible tourism.

With the signing of the Letter of Commitment, the Secretary of Tourism of Maricá, José Alexandre Almeida, begins the path for the continuous improvement of tourism sustainability of Maricá as a Biosphere Destination, hand in hand with the Responsible Tourism Institute.

On Friday 18 March 2022, Mr. Almeida and the General Secretary of the RTI, Patricio Azcárate Díaz de Losada, met in Barcelona to sign the "Charter of Commitment to Sustainable Tourism in Maricá", with the aim of promoting a new model of tourism development that effectively contributes to the maintenance and protection of the heritage, cultural and natural assets of the destination, as well as the welfare of its local population and visitors.

The event is the first step in a process by which Maricá will be recognised for its sustainable work and good practices, achieving international recognition of certification that reflects its efforts to comply with the 17 SDGs of the United Nations to build a quality destination for locals and tourists, ensuring a balance between economic, socio-cultural and environmental aspects, leading to a new model of more sustainable tourism development.

Thus, despite the adversities of recent years, marked by great challenges to cope with the crisis caused by the global pandemic of the Sars-Cov-2 Coronavirus, Covid-19, Maricá Tourism demonstrates its interest and commitment to achieve the development and growth of the destination, this event being the first step on the road to sustainability and continuous improvement.

With the signing of this document, Maricá begins a process with which to make responsible tourism effective in the destination. From all the actions carried out throughout this process, it will obtain as a result and recognition the Biosphere Destination certification; an objective to be achieved throughout 2022 and 2023, constituting a distinctive with which to guarantee its firm commitment to contribute to the fulfilment of the 17 SDGs of the United Nations, in the framework of the 2030 Agenda.

From Biosphere and the ITR, we hope to continue sharing the destination's achievements on its path towards continuous improvement and we are proud that the concern for finding a more responsible tourism model continues to add Biosphere alinados to our large international community of destinations and companies aligned with the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.