490 Companies Have Applied for the Barcelona Biosphere Commitment to Sustainable Tourism to Obtain the Certification

Turisme de Barcelona has currently 2 stamps to offer to the companies interested in emphasize good practices but also to have a differentiating attribute in comparison with other destinations: the Barcelona Biosphere Commitment to Sustainable Tourism Destination and the security stamp by the WTTC to establish the protocols for a safe travel. In Barcelona and surroundings, there are already 490 companies with the Biosphere Commitment stamp.

From 2020, the Turisme de Barcelona Consortium has been collaborating together with the Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce to develop this project concerning the tourism sustainability and the improvement of Destination Barcelona competitiveness which includes 12 regions of the Barcelona province.

According to the vice chairman of the Turisme de Barcelona Executive Committee and Tourism and Creative Industries Barcelona City Council councillor, Xavier Marcé, “it’s a very good symptom that the tourism management includes the tourism sustainability in Barcelona, this means that it has been a positive interpretation in the vein of to the opportunity to add value to the sustainability at the tourism industry, but also in the economic context affected by the Covid-19 pandemic”. Marce has emphasized the effort of the companies and has reminded that “the orientation that the tourists want to keep in this city is the sustainability path, as well as the involvement in the responsible management, environment-friendly, the working conditions, the gender equity and the culture”.

The Chairman of the Turisme de Barcelona Executive Committee, Eduard Torres, claims that “now, with this crisis, we have the opportunity to win the tourism story-telling and to come out in a stronger position if we follow the responsible tourism with added value. We will work for a quality tourism, but with the industry in a leading position and to reduce the negative externalities and the ecological footprint to obtain a tourism to have a positive effect on a sustainable model”

During this year, ninety companies have applied to get the Biosphere Commitment certification. As Marian Muro explains “the interest to obtain the precepts of sustainability are increasing due to the Covid-19 context, but also due to the post-covid tourism where, according to the indicators, the sustainability factor will be decisive when selecting destinations”.

The companies showing interest come from different tourism subsectors, from tourist accommodation, travel agencies, shops, tourism transportation companies, active tourism companies, events (MICE), tourist guides, hotels, museums, tourist offices, congresses palaces and restaurants; although hotels are the biggest group. Last January, there were two online welcome Zoom sessions with a total of 90 companies participating. This March, there will be 2 online Zoom sessions (9th and 16th) and having in mind the fact of adding 90 more. All interested companies can register directly in the website www.turismesostenible.barcelona/en/ filling in the form “Join us in the fighting for sustainable tourism challenge” .

The success of the Barcelona Biosphere Commitment to Sustainable Tourism project has deserved the Tourism Innovation Awards delivered at the Tourism Innovation Summit, celebrated in Seville last November 2020, with the participation of the Turisme de Barcelona Chairman and the General Director.

Anti-covid Protocols

Inside the new methodology of the manuals adapted to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda and as a result of the needs generated by the global pandemic, the Commitment to Sustainable Barcelona Biosphere Tourism has adopted the concerning requirements related to the third SDG, which refers to health and well-being.

From last summer, security measures have been added and they are mandatory to obtain the certification. The entities which already have the distinction are receiving information and specific advice in this subject, so they will be able to restart their activity with more security and confidence for their clients.

In this way, the companies, entities and services which are participating in the Barcelona Biosphere Commitment to Sustainable Tourism (BBCST) project, are also able to obtain the Safe Travels stamps by the WTTC, a stamp promoted by the The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) which issues Turisme de Barcelona Consortium and it recognises, the worldwide safe travels protocols.

This stamp allows travellers to recognise, in any country around the world, the companies, entities and destinations which have adopted standardized protocols and security and health measures against the Covid-19.

Marian Muro believes that the high number of companies interested in the Sustainable and Health stamp certification is a clear symptom that “there are a lot of companies ready to invest their time and resources to obtain, in a point of inflection moment and the fact of joining the Biosphere Commitment together with the Save Travels stamp by the WTTC has strengthened both stamps”.

What is the Biosphere Commitment?

The Barcelona Biosphere Commitment to Sustainable Tourism (BBCST) recognises those tourist operators which are committed with responsible management but also respectful with the environment, the culture, the working conditions, the gender equity and the social and economic return. The implementation process to the BBCST adhesion is made under the Biosphere brand thanks to the certification of Barcelona and therefore with the ability of boosting the Commitment distinctive (Committed Entity).

A survey made for the Coronavirus impact to the companies ed to the Barcelona Biosphere Commitment to Sustainable Tourism shows that the 69% of the companies want to stay with the adhesion and the 24% have the intention to accelerate the process.

Running since 2019

From 2019, when this programme was launched, a total of 106 companies have completed the process to obtain the Barcelona Biosphere Commitment to Sustainability Tourism stamp.

The participant companies need to comply, every year, with actions and stages to obtain the sustainable requirements included in the Good Practice Guidelines. Each company has a specific manual for its sector and receives advice during all the process. With the Covid-19 situation, there are online sessions scheduled with a high interest from the companies in participating.