Responsible Tourism Charter

Transcription

1 Responsible Tourism Charter On the 29th October 2011, the City Council of Barcelona presented in the Municipal Plenary, the Government Measure of the Strategic Plan of Tourism for the city. The Plan aims to construct the bases for a touristic model that boosts the balance between residents and visitors, preserving the values of identity and of coexistence in the city, and establishing the actions to be carried out by the different public and private agents involved in the tourist sector of the city, so as to ensure the sustainability and continuity of its success in the future. The Tourism Consortium of Barcelona is a mixed organism formed by the City Council of Barcelona and the Chamber of Commerce whose function is the tourist promotion and attention of the city. The Executive Committee of Barcelona Tourism approved in the October session of 2010, a series of actions corresponding to the field of promotion of the Strategic Plan of Tourism. The Strategic Plan of Tourism assumes a series of principles and goals that inspire and justify it. Among the inspirational principles of the Plan is included Sustainability (economic, social and environmental), and among the criteria and goals is included the vision of tourism, not as a closed, independent economic sector, but as a clearly transversal reality, present in the city in its various economic, territorial, social and cultural aspects. Furthermore, the Plan is committed to maintaining and consolidating the international leadership of Barcelona as an innovative destination and one of reference. One of its strategic lines of action is that of identifying environmental sustainability as one of the key axes for the competitiveness of the sector, taking into account the long and recognised trajectory of the city of Barcelona in issues related to sustainability and the environment. The Responsible Tourism Institute is a member entity of UNESCO and the World Organisation of Tourism, and member of the GSTC, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, backed by the Foundation of the United Nations. The main aim of the Responsible Tourism Institute is to boost the sustainable development of the international touristic industry in general, and specifically the Spanish one, by means of the System of Responsible Tourism and the associated BIOSPHERE brand, as a sustainable management tool in destinations, establishments and activities. 1

2 Within the framework of its goals, the Responsible Tourism Institute collaborates with associations and governmental and non-governmental organisations in especially sensitive areas for carrying out tourist activities, due to their importance in terms of cultural and natural heritage, located both in developed as well as developing countries, carrying out projects that follow the principles of sustainable development. The Responsible Tourism Institute emerged after the holding of the World Conference of Sustainable Tourism in 1995 on the Island of Lanzarote (The Canary Islands), and since then has carried out an intense task that has allowed it to position the BIOSPHERE brand as a reference in questions of sustainability. Certification as a sustainable tourist destination "BIOSPHERE WORLD CLASS DESTINATION" The Municipal Commission for Economic Promotion, Employment and Knowledge, in the session of the 13th July 2010, unanimously agreed to define an action plan for the introduction of a system of responsible tourism in the city of Barcelona obtaining the Biosphere certification. The Strategic Plan of Tourism proposes a series of actions for the period , among which is the Programme 15, Leadership, tourism and city, that gathers together various initiatives and projects to strengthen the strategic positioning of Barcelona: Specifically, the action "Certification as a sustainable tourist destination "Biosphere Destination", whose aim is that the city of Barcelona becomes the first destination certified as BIOSPHERE in the world, being able to take advantage of its prestige, its capacity and its notoriety of being the first to lead a future Network of BIOSPHERE Responsible Tourism Cities, a project that allows the consolidation of the positioning of Barcelona among the best and most innovative touristic cities in terms of sustainability at an international level. With the System of Responsible Tourism, the City Council of Barcelona tackles sustainability from a global and integrating point of view, including its environmental, social and economic spheres. Therefore, included in the System and within the Biosphere brand, are all the brands or labels related to partial aspects of sustainability (corporate social responsibility, quality of service, environmental management, etc.). The application of the System of Responsible Tourism signifies positioning the city as a leading, innovative tourist destination in terms of responsibility and sustainability, making sustainability a tourist product in itself, and a differential element of the touristic model of the city of Barcelona. 2

3 For all that is stated above, and in the presence of Mr. Luis Ramallo Massanet, President of the Spanish Commission of Cooperation with UNESCO, Mr. Jordi Hereu i Boher, Mayor of Barcelona and President of the General Tourist Board of Barcelona and Mr. Tomás Azcárate i Bang, President of the Responsible Tourism Institute in Barcelona, on the 20 th December 2010, they sign the following charter of commitment, 3

4 CHARTER OF COMMITMENT In Barcelona, on the 20 th December 2010 Taking into consideration the general principles contained in the following international agreements and declarations: Universal declaration of UNESCO on cultural diversity (2001) Conventions of UNESCO for the safeguarding of cultural, natural and tangible heritage (1972) and intangible (2003). Global code of ethics for Tourism of the World Tourism Organisation (1999) World Charter for Sustainable Tourism (1995) Declaration of Rio (1992) and the Action Plan of Johannesburg (2002) Recognise that: 1. Tourism is one of the most important industries in the world and, therefore, is a very powerful vector for economic, social and intercultural relations that can stimulate social cohesion and the integration between peoples, contributing to peace, prosperity and mutual cultural enrichment in an unequal world. 2. The development of tourism is based on the use of social, cultural and environmental resources, the adequate conservation of which will be a key factor for the future competitiveness of the different tourist destinations. 3. When tourism is inadequately conceived and managed, it can generate negative impact on the identity, the heritage and the natural resources of the territories in which it acts, especially in those with a fragile balance between their elements. 4. Furthermore, the tourist resources, among which there is intangible 4

5 heritage of the territories, are, by definition, a common good of humanity and, as a consequence, it is a responsibility shared by all to achieve their preservation for future generations. 5. For this reason, touristic development should be responsible and sustainable in economic, socio-cultural and environmental terms, both at a global level, as well as for the local system itself of the receiver. 6. The wealth of the history of humanity and cultural diversity are a permanent source of creativity and innovation, for which they will be as necessary for the touristic development as the infrastructures themselves and the welcoming services of the tourist destinations are. In this sense, in the knowledge society, the new technologies can offer alternative strategies for the diversification of the tourist offer, contributing imaginative proposals that are able to give value to cultural and social heritage in each destination. 7. This new setting requires a change in the way of conceiving, managing and consuming tourism. The administration in its different levels, the tourist organisations and companies, the social agents and the tourists themselves have to take an active part in this process of change towards the sustainability of the system of tourism as a whole. 8. Tourism policy should therefore be the result of a process of open, participative and interactive dialogue between all the stakeholders involved in the touristic development, and in which the local community should play an essential role. 9. The tourist destination is a complex system in which different biophysical means and ways of social living coexist, that are defined as a framework of environmental, socio-economic and cultural relations. 10. The destinations have a defined structure and functioning by means of exchanges of material, energy and information that results from an interaction between tourist agents, visitors and local residents within an organization with its own behavioural patterns. 11. The destination is understood as a system, between the main components of which, regarding its own sustainability, it is worth highlighting the accommodation structure, the complementary services or the extra hotel offer and the infrastructures. For all the above reasons, it is considered that the tourist destination if it is sustainable, can be an excellent tool, as a platform for dialogue, for promoting new models of tourist production and consumption, that fosters cultural diversity, peace, and sustainable development, contributing in this way to the creation of a world based on understanding and respect for common socio-cultural and natural inheritance of humanity. 5

6 We therefore recognize this document and express our firm commitment to advancing a new model of tourist development based on the principles of sustainability, cultural diversity and social responsibility, sharing a common future, and defining a series of strategic actions based on: 1. Promoting an international debate around the problems related to cultural diversity and sustainability and its link to touristic development in social, professional or scientific forums. 2. Developing ways of awareness-building and forms of cooperation among all the actors involved with the destination, aimed at safeguarding and giving value to cultural diversity and better knowledge of tangible and intangible heritage. 3. Promoting and fostering the exchange of knowledge and best touristic practices aimed at boosting responsible tourism with cultural diversity and sustainable development. 4. Promoting demonstration projects that serve as a reference for sustainable touristic development and that highlight the cultural diversity of the destinations. 5. Incorporating cultural diversity as an essential touristic resource in the programmes of research, training and education specialised in tourism. 6. Boosting the application of the new information and communication technologies as an instrument for assessing the cultural diversity of the destinations and providing a better comprehension of this resource by the tourists themselves. 7. Incorporating policies and strategies of preservation and assessment of cultural and natural heritage in the process of touristic planning, giving special attention to intangible heritage, due to the fragile nature of this resource. 8. Contributing to the creation, development and implementation of new tourist products and activities that foster the respectful use of the cultural, natural and intangible heritage. And in proof of conformity, the present sign their commitment in triplicate at the time and place stated above. 6