Benidorm begins the path toward Biosphere certification, which will measure the sustainability of the destination and the tourism sector

The Local Government Board (LGB) of Benidorm City Council approved today the contract that will allow Benidorm to obtain Biosphere certification, developed by the Responsible Tourism Institute, which measures the sustainability of destinations and guarantees their commitment to continuous improvement. The initiative, which will be implemented by the Responsible Tourism Institute itself, falls within the fourth axis of the 2023 Sustainable Tourism Destination Plan, "Verde Benidorm," which will be financed with Next Generation funds.

The Mayor, Toni Pérez, recalled that "when designing and selecting the initiatives that would comprise our third Sustainable Tourism Development Plan, 'Verde Benidorm," we prioritised projects aimed at increasing sustainability and moving toward a model of sustained and sustainable socioeconomic and territorial growth." In short, "we wanted to provide ourselves with solutions and projects that promote sustainability in all its three dimensions."

The contract for certification and training in the Biosphere methodology is divided into three phases and six months of work. The first phase will consist of diagnosing the destination's sustainability, providing the City Council and the entire sector with a platform for managing and monitoring indicators, and offering ongoing online advice on all aspects related to obtaining the certificate and achieving the established objectives.

According to the mayor, "the actions included in this phase aim to develop a tool to improve the management of public services, especially those aimed at tourists; and also to position Benidorm internationally as a sustainable destination through a recognised seal. This seal is not only a snapshot of the specific moment in which it is obtained, but is also a future commitment to continue implementing measures to improve day by day."

In the second phase, an external auditing team expert in tourism sustainability and SDGs, will evaluate Benidorm to ensure that it meets all the objectives necessary to achieve the Biosphere certification. In a third phase, the improvement process will be analysed annually.

Toni Pérez clarified that "this project is not only limited to the management of public tourism resources, a City Council action, but also provides the sector and businesses with access to a sustainability self-assessment platform so they can determine their starting point and, from there, access advice to improve and achieve their own brand." For the latter, the contract provides for a minimum consultancy of 150 hours.

The mayor stated that "ultimately, this initiative will allow us to optimise Benidorm's existing tourism sustainability strategy by applying the Biosphere methodology, and through this certification, reaffirm our commitment to sustainability in its broadest sense and to continuous improvement in public tourism management policies." "It's an initiative that citizens don't notice at first glance, but it has a positive impact on services and, therefore, on the quality of life of residents, tourists, and visitors."

About the ‘Green Benidorm’ PTSD

Benidorm City Council's "Verde Benidorm" Tourism Sustainability Plan was awarded €5.5 million under the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union-Next Generation, Recovery and Resilience Facility, component 14, investment 1, submeasure 2 of the PRTR, in the extraordinary call for proposals for 2023.

The project awarded today is one of the 16 projects included in the PSTD and represents an investment of €44,406.34.