Scientific and  experts in tourism met in Arona to discuss sustainability at a meeting organized by the City of Arona and the Responsible Tourism Institute, under the patronage of the United Nations through UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization, also with the support of the Secretary of State for Tourism.

The Arona Declaration establishes, first, that sustainability and competitiveness form an "inseparable binomial" for the development and future of tourist destinations. In addition to showing concern about the abusive use of resources, land degradation or the destruction of cultural resources, as well as increasing social inequalities, the document aims to respect "both local people and travelers ", as well as the cultural heritage and the environment. The declaration calls for a "significant" reduction of the ecological footprint, for innovation and for actively fighting against climate change.

Click here to view the Arona Declaration.

The text advocates the formation of alliances between tourism destinations in large areas, such as the preservation of cultural and natural heritage; Reinforce the economic and social responsibility of tourism; Ensure environmental integrity and well-being; Promote the efficient use of resources and responsible consumption; Make innovation a competitive advantage; Establish a firm commitment to climate and consolidate the commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

What means sustainability, what are the objectives and the evaluation criteria to certify a sustainable tourism destination. That is, what roadmap should be followed by tourism destinations globally. This is the main milestone marked by the so-called Arona Memorandum, which was approved in conjunction with the Declaration in the framework of the International Conference on Sustainability and Competitiveness in Tourism Destinations, which was held on 15 and 16 June in the Auditorium Infanta Leonor of Los Cristianos.

Click here to view the Memorándum of Arona.