Smart Destinations Forum
The Tourism Show is committed to supporting the latest trends in the sector. At this year’s edition has hosted the first ever seminar dedicated to Sustainable Tourism: Smart Destinations. This event has involved professionals who work in the promotion of tourism in cities and hotels as well as experts from the energy, mobility and engineering sectors. The aim was to share experiences and come up with new initiatives to promote ‘smart’ destinations that are more innovative and environmentally-friendly and incorporate technology throughout the value chain to be more sustainable and competitive.
On the 29th October 2011, the City Council of Barcelona presented in the Municipal Plenary, the Government Measure of the Strategic Plan of Tourism for the city. The Plan aims to construct the bases of a touristic model that boosts the balance between residents and visitors, preserving the values of identity and of coexistence in the city, and establishing the actions to be carried out by the different public and private agents involved in the tourist sector of the city, so as to ensure the sustainability and continuity of the success in the future.
The Municipal Commission for Economic, Promotion, Employment and Knowledge, in the session of the 13th July 2010, unanimously agreed to define an action plan for the introduction of a System of Responsible Tourism in the city of Barcelona.
The application of the System of Responsible Tourism signifies positioning the city as a leading, innovative tourist destination in terms of responsibility and sustainability, making sustainability a tourist product in itself, and a differential element of the touristic model of the city of Barcelona.
On obtaining the Biosphere World Class Destination certification and with the application of the System of Responsible Tourism, the city of Barcelona is committed to becoming an urban destination of quality, leader and innovator in responsible and sustainable, that are turned into specific actions such as social corporate responsibility, the quality of the service provided or the environmental management of the effects of the touristic activities.
From the 28th to 30th June 2011the annual meeting of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) was held in Barcelona, a forum of international debate around the topic of tourism with the participation of representatives from the GSTC, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as the managers of leading companies such as Meliá, Amadeus, Royal Caribbean, Tui and Google Travel.
