On May 7, the Digital Hub of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce hosted the virtual award ceremony of the Barcelona Biosphere Destination's Commitment to Sustainable Tourism.
The event was attended by the president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Mònica Roca, the councilor of Tourism and Creative Industries of the Barcelona City Council, Xavier Marcé, the deputy delegate of Tourism of the Diputació de Barcelona, Abigail Garrido, and the president of the Executive Committee of Turisme de Barcelona, Eduard Torres. The different personalities congratulated the more than 660 companies that stood out for their resilience and decision, due to the good reception they gave to the initiative despite the inactivity of the sector. In spite of the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus situation facing the tourism industry, 248 new companies have joined and 416 have renewed their certification.
These awards highlight the great capacity for reinvention of the companies, entities and services of Barcelona's business fabric, thus recognizing their commitment to responsible and environmentally friendly management, culture, decent and quality working conditions, gender equity and social and economic return.
The project, promoted by the City Council, the Diputació, the Chamber of Commerce and the Consorci de Turisme de Barcelona, in collaboration with the Institute of Responsible Tourism, consists of the adhesion of companies to the Commitment to Sustainability in Barcelona. This was created with the aim of stimulating and promoting continuous improvement towards sustainability among the business community and the destination.
As a novelty, in this special year, the distinguished companies can also apply for the 'Safe Travels of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council' to the Consorci Turisme de Barcelona. This seal is the first approved worldwide that recognizes companies, entities and destinations that carry out prevention and hygiene actions against Covid-19, with the aim of creating safe spaces for travelers.
On the other hand, the event emphasized the desire and effort to work for a networked and decentralized Catalonia, giving value to the diversity of the counties throughout the province. This is evident in the work carried out with all the local authorities and related companies in Barcelona and its counties.
We congratulate the companies for their distinctions and hope that more will join this project.
Get more information about the project: http://turismesostenible.barcelona/
