The Deputy President and Minister of Tourism, Lope Afonso, emphasises that “quality tourism cannot exist without sustainability”
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 9 April (EUROPA PRESS) –
A total of six initiatives from businesses, local authorities, and two university projects have been honoured in the ‘6th edition of the Competition of Sustainable Tourism Practices’ organised by the Cabildo through Turismo de Tenerife.
At the ceremony held on Tuesday afternoon at the headquarters of the island’s government, diplomas were presented to five new companies that have committed to sustainability charters for nature-based activities and whale watching, promoted by the island’s public tourism organisation.
The Deputy President and Tourism Councillor of the Cabildo, Lope Afonso, highlighted that the Cabildo advocates “a model founded on sustainable and equitable tourism management, where the destination’s quality and the visitor’s experience are intertwined.”
Afonso stated that “the goal is to achieve comprehensive tourism quality, which necessitates a significant step forward in the pillars defining its sustainable management: offerings, efficient public space and environmental management, digitalisation, and visitor demographics.”
The Deputy President affirmed that “quality tourism cannot exist without sustainability” and emphasised that “smart coexistence must be underpinned by sustainability to sustain our primary revenue and employment source while preserving our island’s distinct characteristics and reconciling these with the needs of its inhabitants.”
The CEO of Tenerife Tourism, Dimple Melwani, remarked that “good sustainable tourism practices seek to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions made by businesses, authorities, students, and society in general towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”
Melwani also highlighted that “sustainability is an integral part of Tenerife Tourism’s strategy across all its activities, engaging over 500 associated companies presently, and encompassing the entire tourism value chain with the aim of promoting the evolution of the conventional tourism model towards a more sustainable offering that respects our natural environment.”
According to Melwani, “committing to sustainable tourism entails the involvement of all stakeholders in a region: tourists, businesses, entrepreneurs from all sectors, and society at large.”
“This inclusivity is the linchpin to propelling towards a sustainable tourism model, ensuring Tenerife’s requisite growth and positioning through technological implementations and sustainable solutions,” she added.
The recognition for the best sustainable practice in local authorities was jointly awarded to El Rosario City Council and the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The former was commended for its initiative ‘El Rosario: Tourism with environmental awareness’, integrating various sustainability measures within the municipality, such as the El Rosario Solar local energy community.
The latter, the Port Authority, received recognition for its project ‘OPS Technology in Tenerife’, emphasising the implementation of shore-based electricity supply for cruise ships and inter-island services, thereby reducing emissions and enhancing sustainability in maritime tourism.
In the category of best sustainable practice in nature tourism, the winning project was presented by the Nostramo company, titled ‘Tenerife Dolphin: sustainable whale watching’, marking a progression towards a more conscientious activity aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Canarian Agenda 2030.
The award for best sustainable practice in accommodation went to Landmar Hotels for its proposal ‘Clean energies: it’s now’, consolidating all eco-friendly actions implemented by this hotel chain.
TAILOR-MADE EXPERIENCES
The Albergue de Anaga Restaurant received recognition for the best sustainable practice in gastronomy for its menu comprising up to 90% of products sourced from the Anaga region and the rest of the island, promoting local participation in the economy, agriculture, livestock, and fishing.
The award for best sustainable practice in other tourism services was secured by the activities company BE-canary for its proposal ‘BE Sustainable & Responsible’, offering bespoke experiences focusing on heritage, culture, or nature of the islands in collaboration with local partners, minimising the visitor’s impact on the environment.
In the category of the best university project promoting sustainable tourism practices, the award was jointly bestowed upon David Domínguez for his proposal ‘Challenges in marine tourism management’ and Carlos Taysen for his work ‘Innovation in hotel biowaste management. Tenerife km. 0: Circular Tourism Community’.
The former analyses the development of marine tourism in coastal destinations and how to establish cooperation mechanisms between the public and private sectors.
The latter, focusing on a pilot scheme in Adeje municipality endorsed by the Ashotel association, aims to ensure all biowaste from tourist establishments in Tenerife is composted, thereby providing organic produce to the tourism sector through neighbouring agroecological estates.
COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
The event also saw the presentation of diplomas to companies joining the Tenerife Tourism sustainability charter, affirming their dedication to environmental care and species protection during their operations.
Blue Ocean, Blue Jack Sail, and Catamaran Maxicat were recognised for their commitment to whale watching.
Ocean Friends and Macaronesian Divers were honoured in nature activities for complying with Tenerife Tourism’s voluntary evaluation standards.
With these additions, the Whale Watching Sustainability Charter now has 20 member companies, while the Nature Activities Charter has 15.
