With the goal of promoting good sustainable management practices among tourism companies and services, the Barcelona Provincial Council, ​​the Chamber of Commerce and the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI) have promoted the recognition "Commitment to the Biosphere Destination". A recognition for tourism sustainability created from the "Biosphere Certification", which was collected yesterday by 245 companies and services of the region.

The president of the Barcelona Provincial Council, ​​Mercè Conesa, the president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, ​​Miquel Valls, the councilor for Business and Tourism of the Barcelona City Council, Agustí Colom, and the president of the Responsible Tourism Institute, Tomás Azcárate, participated at the closing ceremony of the event.  

Conesa has ensured that the "Provincial Council has a fundamental territorial strategy through sustainability and, respect for the environment and heritage." "We have to put in value - added the president of the Provincial Council - this Biosphere Commitment because we are creating the future from the tourism sector. We want to position our territory as one of the best destinations in the world».

Also, the second deputy chairman of the Provincial Council of Barcelona, ​​Marc Castells, who has participated in the initial session, explained in this same line that "the Biosphere Commitment recognition is a priority line for the Provincial Council of Barcelona and allows us to continue moving towards a sustainable and responsible tourism».

The "Commitment to the Biosphere Destination" aims to extend the culture of tourism sustainability in tourist companies and services in the districts of Barcelona. It is a program developed by the Provincial Council of Barcelona and the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), whose main purpose is to implement more sustainable management models among all the agents of a tourist destination. The development and territorial implementation of the program were articulated with the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, ​​as a representative entity of the business sector of the districts of Barcelona with a large territorial implantation, and the 11 regional tourism management entities in agreement with the Provincial Council of Barcelona.

In this way, the Provincial Council of Barcelona and the Responsible Tourism Institute have promoted, along with the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, ​​a methodology to guarantee the quality and sustainability of public and private tourist services of a destination. A methodology born from the international prestigious certification "Biosphere", which allows acquiring sufficient skills for the sustainable management of these tourist services, in close relationship with the different tourist services of a destination. As a result of this voluntary implantation, the participating tourist services obtain the "Commitment to the Biosphere Destination" badge that can be renewed annually.

With this methodology, the Provincial Council of Barcelona has the "Biosphere Certification" through its tourism brands and, from now on, its tourism services and companies can be involved with its sustainability through the “Biosphere Commitment”.

In 2017, the Responsible Tourism Institute, an organization linked through a Memorandum of Understanding to UNESCO and an affiliate member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), awarded the Provincial Council of Barcelona and the three tourist brands of the region - "Costa Barcelona", "Paisajes Barcelona" and "Pirineos Barcelona" -, the Biosphere certification as a sustainable tourism destination, a pioneer certification based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals integrated in the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations.

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