Barcelona province leads the ranking of tourist establishments with sustainability certification according to the new Environmental Labels and Schemes indicator. This achievement has been reached after years of working to build a tourist community respectful of the environment and society, as demonstrated by the thousands of businesses that already have the Biosphere seal.
Destination Barcelona, which includes the city and the province’s 12 counties, leads the European Union (EU) in the number of tourist establishments with sustainability certification. This data is from the Environmental Labels and Schemes indicator, as of December 2023, referring to the number of hotel establishments that have embraced sustainable practices accredited through an international certification.
The province of Barcelona leads the way with 283 points, more than double the score of Stockholm in second place (134 points) and the 95 points of Amsterdam. Other locations include the Greek island of Kalymnos (83 points) and Austria’s capital Vienna (74) which occupy the following positions in the ranking.
This result has been possible thanks to the intense and sustained efforts that the province has made to build a tourist community respectful of the environment, culture, and social and economic return.
A set of initiatives framed within the Destination Barcelona Biosphere programme
Commitment to Sustainable Tourism, promoted by Barcelona Provincial Council and Barcelona City Council with the support of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the Barcelona Tourism Consortium.
A project that, today, has consolidated its achievements with almost a thousand tourism-related businesses and entities now holding this Biosphere accreditation. A seal that aims to promote a more responsible tourism model involving institutions and the business fabric of the province.
The Biosphere system follows the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 169 targets of the United Nations; compliance with which is particularly valued by the EU Tourism Dashboard, a periodic publication responsible for the Environmental Labels and Schemes indicator.
This index will be updated annually and aims to monitor progress towards reduced environmental impact, increased digitalisation, and greater socio-economic resilience.
