More than 800 tourism companies receive the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle seal for their commitment to sustainability

More than 800 tourism companies receive the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle seal for their commitment to sustainability

Tourism. Destination Barcelona, the city and the three tourist brands in the province, Costa Barcelona, Paisatges Barcelona and Pirineus Barcelona, has received Platinum Certification, thus becoming the first destination in the world with this badge

At a ceremony held at the Llotja de Mar in Barcelona this morning, a total of 884 companies received Biosphere certifications and awards from the Commitment to Sustainable Tourism Destination Barcelona Biosphere programme. Of these, 643 were renewing their certification, and 201 were joining the programme.

The event was attended by Jaume Collboni, First Deputy Mayor of Barcelona City Council, Abigail Garrido, Deputy Delegate for Tourism of Barcelona Provincial Council, Mònica Roca, President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and Eduard Torres, President of the Turisme de Barcelona Executive Committee. Representatives of the Responsible Tourism Institute and the Biosphere Destination Community addressed a few words to the companies that received the award today.

The project was launched in 2017, and promoted by Barcelona Provincial Council together with the Institute for Responsible Tourism (ITR) and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce; in 2019 Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Tourism Consortium also joined. The aim is to recognise those organisations that are committed to respectful management of both culture and the environment with a view to generating social and economic benefits for the city itself, and for the surrounding counties within the province of Barcelona.

This Commitment to Sustainable Tourism programme is based on a working methodology focused on the 17 sustainable development goals on the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

Companies that obtain Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle certification are eligible to apply for Safe Travels certification from the Turisme de Barcelona Consortium. This seal is the first to receive worldwide approval, and allows companies, organisations and destinations to be recognised in any country in the world for putting safety and hygiene measures in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19, with the aim of creating safe spaces for travellers.

The Commitment to Sustainable Tourism Destination Barcelona Biosphere programme responds both to tour operators’ desire to promote more mindful tourism, and to visitors’ desire to be able to travel with maximum respect for the environment.

The deployment of these measures implies a new tourism positioning, increasing the competitiveness of Destination Barcelona, which comprises the city of Barcelona itself, and the 12 counties within the province.

Destination Barcelona receives Platinum Certification

Destination Barcelona, the city and the province’s three tourism brands, Costa Barcelona, Paisatges Barcelona and Pirineus Barcelona, has today become the first destination in the world to receive Platinum Certification. The Responsible Tourism Institute has awarded Destination Barcelona Biosphere Platinum Certification for its commitment to promoting environmentally-friendly tourism through these institutions. In 2011, Barcelona was the first urban destination in the world to obtain Biosphere Certification. Later, the city of Barcelona and the three tourism brands in the province were awarded Biosphere Gold Certification.

Biosphere Platinum Certification recognises not only the administration’s willingness to ensure that companies strive for sustainability, but also that they take ownership of and implement the good practices advocated.

Through the Biosphere seal, the Responsible Tourism Institute has been promoting responsible tourism on an international scale for more than twenty years, helping the tourism sector to develop a new way of travelling and exploring the world. The organisation is associated with the World Tourism Organisation, linked to UNESCO and accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

The “More Sustainability in Tourism. June 2022” sustainability month comes to an end.

The ceremony for the presentation of the certifications and awards for the Commitment to Sustainable Tourism Destination Barcelona Biosphere also marked the closing of the series of activities programmed throughout the month as part of the “More Sustainability in Tourism. June 2022” campaign.

The “More Sustainability in Tourism. June 2022” initiative involves a series of events focused on sustainable and responsible tourism in the counties within the province of Barcelona. Promoted by Barcelona Provincial Council, Barcelona City Council and Turisme de Barcelona throughout the month of June, the campaign has aimed to offer initiatives and insights for the promotion of sustainable tourism in Destination Barcelona, targeted at both the tourism sector and the general public.

The companies participating in the Commitment to Sustainable Tourism Destination Barcelona Biosphere in numbers:

Companies by area:

844 companies in the province as a whole.
336 
in the city. 229 renewing their certification, and 107 joining the programme.
508 in the 12 counties of Barcelona. 414 renewing their certification, and 94 joining the programme.

Companies by county:

57 Alt Penedès, 21 Anoia, 31 Bages, 60 Baix Llobregat, 337 Barcelonès, 35 Berguedà, 95 Maresme, 64 Garraf, 8 Moianès, 51 Osona, 37 Vallès Occidental, 48 Vallès Oriental.

Businesses by category:

51 travel agencies, 47 rural tourist accommodation businesses, 193 tourist accommodation businesses, 7 camp sites, 34 wineries, 35 shops, 38 destinations, 40 events organisations, MICE, 5 natural protected areas, 28 tourism guides, 57 museums and visitor centres, 47 tourist information offices, 5 organisers of sporting events, 34 organisers of experiences, 4 conference centres, 46 beaches, 3 marinas, 64 restaurants, 17 public transport companies 1 wellness centre and 88 companies providing other services.