The Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site was the chosen venue for the presentation on 28 November of the study “COMPASS Project: Transformation of the tourism sector towards a circular economy”, with the conclusions drawn from the first year of operation of the project. This project, which is promoted by the Barcelona Tourist Board, Barcelona City Council and the TecnoCampus Chair for the Circular Economy and Sustainability, is aimed at fostering the circular economy in the tourism sector and directing business practices towards more sustainable models that contribute to the resilience of the Barcelona area.
COMPASS brings together environmentally committed tourism companies that wish to work together in addressing the main challenges of the circular economy. This collaborative effort has produced three initiatives: “Committed 4 Food”, focused on reducing food waste in the hospitality industry; “Circular Barcelona”, which facilitates contact between tourism companies and circular suppliers by promoting, among other actions, a second-hand market; and “Circular Friendly”, an information platform for tourists, offering responsible and sustainable tourism options.
Workshops on awareness raising and collaborative work
The project is guided and implemented by the Chair for the Circular Economy and Sustainability. Its coordinator, Maria Armiñana, is assisted by Doctor Mar Isla, who specialises in the circular economy, and the university lecturer and tourism expert Lluís Codinas. The project’s first stage, which got underway in 2023 and is now coming to an end, has focused on awareness raising. Four awareness-raising workshops have been held, attended by representatives of more than 150 companies in the tourism industry and other closely related sectors, such as textiles and catering. With the support and advice of the COMPASS technical team, the workshop participants have drawn up specific proposals for the aforementioned group projects. The proposals are described in the presented study.
Among other observations, the study indicates that a significant number of Barcelona-based tourism companies are interested in the circular economy and already had extensive knowledge of the concept before joining the project, demonstrating a high level of pre-existing awareness and sensitivity towards the subject.
The circular economy, key to the future of tourism in Barcelona
Barcelona City Council has underlined its conviction that companies that implement practices to improve the social and environmental wellbeing of the city will have the greatest capacity to be competitive and to achieve growth and consolidation. Accordingly, it is firmly committed to a circular tourism model that benefits both visitors and local communities, based on the efficient use of resources, non-pollution, the protection of the environment and the preservation of cultural heritage, identity and life in tourist destinations. All these goals are pursued by the COMPASS project.
As such, in COMPASS, Barcelona gains a more circular, collaborative and responsible business ecosystem, taking another step towards the tourism of the future.
The study is available here.
