From 22nd to 24th October 2025, Catalonia will become the world centre of ecotourism with the celebration of the Global Ecotourism Forum (GEF2025) at the Hotel Món Sant Benet in Sant Fruitós de Bages, in the province of Barcelona. The event, organised by the Generalitat de Catalunya, in collaboration with the Diputació de Barcelona and the support of numerous companies and institutions in the sector, will bring together 50 international experts and more than 400 participants.
GEF2025 will be a meeting point for public institutions and governments, tour operators, sustainable businesses, academic institutes, NGOs and community platforms to discuss and collectively create a global roadmap for ecotourism in the next decade. It will also serve as a means to exchange knowledge and experiences, nurture a global network of professionals in the sector and share best practices that put people, biodiversity and the resilience of protected natural areas at the centre. The congress will also review the sector's progress and challenges twenty years after the Quebec Convention (2002), a historic milestone that marked a turning point in the development of ecotourism.
Catalonia, an extraordinary setting
The choice of Catalonia as host of GEF2025, ratified in August 2022, responds to the region's leadership in tourism sustainability and its experience in organising major international events. With 32% of its territory protected and having one of the best preserved and most biodiverse networks of natural areas in Europe, it offers an ideal setting for reflecting on the future of regenerative ecotourism.
Over the three days, participants will enjoy a programme that will combine strategic discussions, presentations of success stories and visits to protected natural environments. In addition, definite recommendations will be formulated to promote sustainable management policies, initiatives and models worldwide.
The GEF2025 is thus positioned as the international benchmark event in regenerative ecotourism, with the aim of defining the foundations of a more responsible, inclusive and nature-committed form of tourism.
Registration and ticket sales are now open on the official website of the congress.
