More than 35 destinations around the world are part of Biosphere and all of them are united by their commitment to sustainability. They all demonstrate their interest in engaging in continuous improvement and sustainable development.
Any tourist destination can become a Biosphere destination. Our group of experts will accompany and advise you in the analysis of the sustainable status of your territory, assessing the contribution of the Destination's tourism to the implementation of the 17 SDGs in the framework of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the 169 goals.
Access the necessary tools for monitoring and continuous improvement with the development of an Action Plan with objectives, resources and monitoring tasks to be established to achieve continuous improvement.
With Biosphere, you will be able to carry out more inclusive actions with which administrations, companies, workers, customers, tourists and local people receive and design unique and quality tourism experiences from a more inclusive approach.
The Biosphere certification process for destinations has multiple advantages
Biosphere Destination is the distinction that recognises the efforts made by a Destination in its public tourism policies, once they are aligned with the 2030 Agenda and after having established an action plan for continuous improvement.
Being a Biosphere Gold destination means going one step further, encouraging the business community to make sustainable efforts, carrying out joint communication actions between the administration and companies and having access to real-time information on the global state of sustainability of the destination and its business community.
In order to become a Biosphere Platinum destination, in addition to encouraging companies to make sustainable efforts, the destination's administration itself must ensure that it promotes activities that make its participation in the sustainable commitment acquired by the destination effective. In addition to being able to visualise and monitor the overall state of sustainability of the territory and its business fabric, these destinations exercise greater control over the sustainable activities and actions carried out by their companies..
The largest sustainable tourism community in the world.
More than 30 million tourists visit Biosphere Destinations and companies.
Costa Barcelona is strongly committed to the development of a responsible and accessible tourism model, geared towards ensuring the sustainability of the destination and the tourism companies operating here.
The natural landscape of the Thompson Okanagan includes mountains, valleys, desert, and everything in between. Here foodies flock to the area's renowned orchards and vineyards.
A sustainable tourist destination has the capacity to promote sustainable tourism in its environment, raising awareness and involving society, visitors and private companies in its geographical area, promoting policies that allow them to achieve their own seal of sustainability.
To this end, Biosphere has designed the Biosphere Destination certificate, with which the Destinations guarantee a permanent commitment to sustainability and constant efforts towards continuous improvement.
Through this methodology, which stems from the work in development with REDS, the Spanish branch of the Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN), we achieve the commitment to a sustainable lifestyle, in which the administrations, companies, their workers and clients, tourists and citizens are involved.
The Biosphere Destination certification system, private, voluntary and independent, is based on a series of requirements with specific objectives and indicators that can be identified and measured, serving as a continuous improvement tool to measure the contribution of tourism to the achievement of the 169 goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
The continuous improvement of all these indicators together with the implementation of the policies set out in this seal, manage to establish a constant work plan that seeks continuous improvement and sustainability of the geographical area, regardless of its size, location and level of development.
Our destinations, both already certified and in the process of certification, advance along the path of continuous improvement, applying the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), thus managing to generate more sustainable tourism.
If you want to certify the continuous improvement of your tourist destination and recognise your sustainable efforts for this compliance, Biosphere Destination is what you are looking for.
Contact us and receive all the tools and support you need.
Let us accompany and advise you on this path towards sustainability.
Val d’Aran
Lanzarote
Biosphere Destination certification is a methodology of continuous accompaniment. Our objective is to collaborate with the destination to find out what tourism sustainability is, what impact it has, how to measure it, where to focus efforts, how to communicate it, etc. This analysis is carried out on the basis of a battery of indicators selected from among the 232 established by the United Nations 2030 Agenda to verify compliance with its objectives and goals. Thus, what we actually certify is the process of continuous improvement, recognising with our badge the work carried out by the destination in achieving compliance with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 goals of the 2030 Agenda and the continuation of its efforts on an ongoing basis based on an action plan.
Once the DMO decides to become part of this community, a Letter of Commitment is signed between the highest authority of the destination and the RTI, informing all stakeholders of the destination of this first step towards sustainability. Technically, a detailed but concise diagnosis and analysis of the starting point of the territory and the actions for improvement are elaborated. Once the actions have been implemented in the Destination, its performance will be evaluated through an external audit process, which will determine the granting of certification based on the contribution of tourism and its sustainable efforts. Throughout the whole process, the team of professionals of the RTI accompanies and supports the DMO in all stages of the project.
The price of this certification, both for the first year and annual renewals, depends on the number of inhabitants of the destination, as well as the services that the destination wishes to contract (training workshops, process of adherence of companies to the commitment of the destination, additional communication actions...). In addition, the destination can choose whether it wants to subsidise access for its business network to the Biosphere Sustainable sustainability management platform, in order to have a more global control of the state of sustainability of the territory.
*A discount applies to destinations in countries with a lower Human Development Index.
The requirements on which we will work to help you improve every day are those approved in the international summits of 2017, International Year of Sustainable Tourism, sponsored by the United Nations through the UNWTO and UNESCO, through a methodology that comes from the work in development with REDS, the Spanish branch of the Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN). So there is no better model to work on!
In addition to participating in the Biosphere Destination Community where you can share best practices and position yourself among the destinations that improve sustainability at an international level, you will increase your promotion and visibility by achieving international recognition, you will have access to a global management platform for the sustainability of your territory and business network, you will have access to training and capacity building for your team and the companies in your destination and you will have the support and continuous advice of a whole team of professionals.
Backed by the experience of more than 20 years of the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), Biosphere is the only international sustainability certification system capable of recognising the efforts made by companies and destinations in the fulfilment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, evaluating the contribution of tourism to the 169 goals of the 2030 Agenda and taking into account the assessment of citizens and tourists of their sustainable actions and projects. All of this makes Biosphere the seal that guarantees the commitment acquired by tourism companies and destinations to a sustainable lifestyle, involving administrations, private companies, employees, customers, tourists and the local population. This methodology thus establishes a guide for the sector for the development of tourism products and services, which is derived from the work in development with REDS, the Spanish branch of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
The destination certification process must be requested by the institution in charge of destination management (DMO). Any institution competent to apply for and implement the certification process in the territory, be it a province, a municipality, a city, a town, a village, a network of villages, a group of municipalities, among others, may apply to implement this certification in its tourist destination.
For certifications for tourist destinations, we need to get in touch with you to better understand your needs. Please fill out the form and we will contact you.
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