The Institute of Responsible Tourism deeply mourns the passing, on January 27, 2026, of Cipriano Marín Cabrera, a distinguished member of our organization and one of the most influential and pioneering figures in shaping international thought and action around sustainable tourism.
From the team of the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI) and from Biosphere Sustainable, we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones, standing with them in these moments of profound sorrow over such an immeasurable loss.
For more than four decades, Cipriano Marín dedicated his professional life to advancing sustainability as a structural principle of public policy, territorial planning, tourism innovation, and the conservation of natural and cultural heritage. Trained as a mathematician and an expert consultant in sustainable development, his career was especially linked to the sustainable development of island territories, the UNESCO sphere, and the international ecosystem that brings together science, culture, biodiversity, energy, tourism, and governance.
He worked as an expert for UNESCO, the World Tourism Organization, and the European Commission, participating in the design, leadership, and coordination of numerous strategic plans, programs, and flagship projects in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. His contribution was key in processes as significant as the designation of the Biosphere Reserves of Lanzarote, Menorca, El Hierro, La Palma, and Fuerteventura, as well as in sustainable development plans, tourism mobility, renewable energy, water resource management, and tourism carrying capacity models.
Cipriano Marín also played a prominent role in the scientific and institutional fields, serving on numerous international scientific committees, including the Scientific Council of the UNWTO Knowledge Network, UNESCO-MaB’s Urban Futures program, and the Scientific Committees of various Biosphere Reserves. He was Vice President of the UNESCO Center of the Canary Islands and Deputy Secretary General of the International Scientific Council for Island Development (INSULA), an organization through which he made a decisive contribution to placing islands at the center of the international sustainability debate.
For the Institute of Responsible Tourism, his contribution also has a profoundly foundational value. Cipriano Marín was one of the main promoters and Secretary General of the First World Conference on Sustainable Tourism, held in Lanzarote in 1995, from which the first Global Charter for Sustainable Tourism emerged.
That historic milestone marked a turning point in the way tourism was understood and laid the foundations for an approach that is now widely shared at the international level. Cipriano advocated from that moment—when it was not yet a majority position—that sustainability should not be a slogan, but rather a framework of shared responsibility that is measurable and enforceable for destinations, companies, and institutions.
His commitment to that vision was constant, coherent, and deeply ethical throughout his professional career, and it was also reflected in his direct involvement in the development of tourism standards and certification systems, including the Biosphere series promoted by the RTI.
The last public event at which we had the honor of his presence took place on November 28, 2025, during the World Conference on Sustainable Tourism ST+30, held at Jameos del Agua (Lanzarote). It was a particularly meaningful gathering in which we commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Global Charter for Sustainable Tourism.
In that context, Cipriano Marín was honored as one of the key individuals who made possible the historic process that began in 1995. In his remarks, he left us with two messages that today take on, if possible, an even deeper meaning and that we wish to preserve for the collective memory of the sector:
“Thirty years ago, talking about sustainability seemed like a crazy idea that (today) truly became a reality… Now we see that sustainability in tourism is already an obligation rather than a recommendation.”
“Let us reclaim the art of doing tourism.”
Cipriano Marín has left us, but his legacy remains alive. It lives on in the Global Charter for Sustainable Tourism, in the territories he helped transform, in the public policies he helped define, in the institutions he served, and in the generations of professionals he inspired with his vision, rigor, and commitment.
From the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI) and from Biosphere Sustainable, we reaffirm our commitment to the values that Cipriano Marín defended with clarity, coherence, and perseverance. Today we bid farewell to an indispensable figure in international sustainable tourism, with gratitude, respect, and the responsibility to continue along the path he helped to open.
Rest in peace.