As part of its Barcelona Sustainable Tourism (BST) programme, Turisme de Barcelona has established a committee to ensure that tourist activity is socially, environmentally, culturally and economically sustainable and also accessible.
The consortium’s managing director, Jordi William Carnes, explained that this group of experts will help strengthen the body ahead of Year of Sustainable Tourism that the United Nations has declared for 2017. Its objective is to make tourist activity sustainable in all areas, reaffirming its commitment to responsible tourism.
The committee is divided into four areas: Social Sustainability (which seeks to promote practices that result in socio-economic improvement), and leaded by María José Pujol, the chair of BST; Environmental Sustainability (this one is in charge of preventing pollution, saving natural resources and promoting energy-saving practices), and it will be run by Santiago Hernández; Cultural Sustainability, heritage and traditions (which aims to preserve the material and immaterial heritage and the maintenance of traditions), headed by Jaume Leon; and Accessibility (which seeks to sensitize and train tour operators to advance the inclusion of all people), in charge of Javier Torrescasana.
During the brief half a year in which the committee has been set up, this committee has been working on the definition, objectives, good practices and indicators, and a letter of adhesion is being prepared to promote the individual progress of each establishment in each of the axes mentioned.
