He VII National Congress for Ecotourism It is an important event for the sector at national level, bringing together representatives of protected areas, experts in the field and members of institutions from different autonomous communities.
During the two days of the conference, fundamental topics for the development of the conference will be discussed. ecotourism in Spain, with the participation of representatives from three other invited geoparks from Extremadura, Castilla y León and Aragón. The opening ceremony emphasized the importance of these meetings as a space for debate and cooperation between different actors and administrations, with the aim of continuing the promote nature tourism.
Ecotourism and sustainability
The Geopark of the Basque Coast, host of the conference, stood out as a clear example example of a reference destination for ecotourism. This enclave has been integrated into the European and global network of geoparks since 2010 and was declared a UNESCO World Geopark in 2015. It is an emblem of geological heritage of exceptional value. Likewise, the Geopark is part of the Euskadi Tourism Code of Ethics, a groundbreaking commitment endorsed by the World Tourism Organization and to which more than 800 companies have signed up.
During his speech, the minister emphasized the importance of European funds and sustainability plans for destination tourism as key instruments for this consolidate Euskadi as an ecotourism destination. Two of the projects promoted with these funds, with an investment of more than 7 million euros, are allocated to the Geopark, aimed at developing high-quality products and services that promote sustainable tourism.
Among the initiatives to promote responsible and sustainable tourism and ecotourismthe minister has drawn attention to the Corridor project Ecotourism of Green Spain, the first Ecoturing route in Spain. “Green Spain is composed of the four Cantabrian communities, Euskadi, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia, and aims to strengthen the international promotion of our territories through joint actions,” he noted. Furthermore, the minister added that “we are preparing our own ecotourism route based on the Grand Tour for early 2025 in Euskadi.”
The general idea is to promote a sustainable tourism that does not pollute and is profitable. The proposals of ecotourism They are well suited to achieve this goal and a ‘corridor’ in Spain would be a viable solution to achieve this goal.