The Government of the Generalitat and 111 entities -including employers’ associations, business associations, municipal entities, environmentalists, unions and city councils- have sealed an agreement to promote a change in the model in the Catalan tourism sector that makes it more sustainable both from the point of view environmental, social and labor.
The pact, called the National Commitment for Responsible Tourism, was presented this Thursday at the Llotja de Mar by the president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, the Minister of Business and Work, Roger Torrent, and the general director of Tourism, Marta Sunday About 400 representatives of the group of signatories attended the event, among which Foment del Treball, the Business Confederation of Hospitality and Restauration of Catalonia, Acave, Barcelona City Council, UGT or CC.OO., among others, stand out. The big absentee has been the management of the small and medium-sized company Pimec, which has decided not to adhere to the agreement due to discrepancies.
The document defines the main axes that will mark the tourist activity, 13% of the Catalan GDP, in the coming years and that will be concretized progressively through the action of the Government, the legislative activity and the companies’ own measures.
Among the 67 initiatives and objectives that have been agreed, the reduction of the average water consumption of tourists to assimilate it to the consumption of the local population in 2040 stands out. Various studies show that the water consumption of visitors exceeds that of residents . This aspect is especially worrying due to the drought situation that Catalonia is currently experiencing, with the Easter season just around the corner and travel bookings at maximums.
However, the agreement will promote structural measures beyond the situation. Halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 or expanding low emission zones to populations of 20,000 inhabitants, counting the full-time seasonal population are other initiatives.
Government and companies have also committed to work to diversify the economic activity of tourist municipalities. Within seven years, non-tourist activities in employment in coastal municipalities must increase by 20%, for example. They also propose limiting visits to highly saturated natural spaces and acting to increase the average stay of tourists, among other initiatives.
