Industry and Tourism is leading, together with autonomous communities, city councils and social agents, a declaration of support for responsible tourism

The Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, presides over the plenary session of the Spanish Tourism Council (Conestur)

The Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, chaired the plenary session of the Spanish Tourism Council (Conestur) this afternoon, where a declaration of support for tourism was unanimously approved, establishing the priority of working towards responsible tourism, advancing towards triple sustainability (economic, social and environmental) and prioritising the well-being of citizens. The meeting has also served to make progress on the Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2030, which constitutes the roadmap for the change in the tourism model.

"The approval of this declaration of support for tourism is great news for tourism in Spain", Hereu told the media, "a clear message to the public that the future of a vital sector for so many millions of people in our country requires the consensus of all public administrations and also of the private sector".

Structured in five points - well-being of citizens, respect for diversity, partnership for the environment, generation of economic prosperity and collaboration between ecosystem actors - the declaration recognises the value brought by tourism to society as a whole, to the economy and to employment in the country. In the text, the signatories commit themselves to "maintaining a permanent dialogue", working on a "shared strategic agenda" and deepening the idea of "responsible and sustainable tourism".

Progress on the Tourism Strategy 2030

Together with the aforementioned declaration of support for responsible tourism, the ministry, the autonomous communities, town councils and representatives of the private sector have made progress on the so-called Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2030, the main lines of which were defined at the previous meeting of the Conestur plenary, in October 2022.

As Jordi Hereu explained, after two years of intense collective work, the eight strategic axes have materialised in today's meeting into specific objectives and goals on which to continue working. The main mission of the strategy will be to make Spain the world benchmark for sustainable tourism, putting people at the centre of the tourism ecosystem; and the main objective will be to consolidate the tourism industry as an engine for responsible economic development.

In order to deepen this international perception of Spain as a sustainable destination and coinciding with the celebration of Conestur, today Turespaña has published a new microsite (which can be accessed via this link) of sustainable tourism, which aims to improve the perception of international tourists of our country as a destination committed to sustainability, while promoting a more responsible way of travelling and with a more positive impact on local communities.

Opportunity for dialogue

The Spanish Tourism Council, created in 2005, is a collegiate, advisory and consultative body. Its members are from both the public sector (Autonomous Communities and City Councils) and the private sector (representatives of the CEOE, Chambers of Commerce, trade unions and renowned professionals from different areas of the tourism sector). It is conceived as a forum for dialogue, participation and public-private partnership.

"This Conestur is a great opportunity to convey a message of unity and plurality", said Hereu, at a particularly sweet moment for the tourism industry, with record spending by international tourists, 86 billion euros up to August, and tourism social security membership at an all-time high, with nearly 2.9 million people employed in the sector.

Non official translation