Friends of La Rambla and many associated establishments and institutions receive the Biosphere tourism sustainability certification
March 6th. 2025
Biosphere certifications reach 1,141, of which 168 are new adherences and 973 represent the renewal of the commitment already obtained
Barcelona has renewed its Biosphere Platinum certification and remains the only city, along with the three tourist brands of the province, to have this distinction since 2022
La Rambla stands out again as one of the areas with the highest density of certifications
The Destination Barcelona has achieved a new historic maximum in the number of Biosphere sustainable tourism certifications, reaching 1,141 seals. Of these, 168 are new adherences while the remaining 973 are renewals of the commitment already obtained. Likewise, out of the total certifications, 565 correspond to the city of Barcelona while the remaining 576 correspond to the province. La Rambla continues to be one of the territories with the most adherences to the Commitment with 22 businesses or institutions.
The awards were presented at an event held this Thursday at the Palau de la Música and attended by the Deputy Mayor for Economy, Finance, Economic Promotion and Tourism of the City Council, Jordi Valls, and the President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Josep Santacreu.
The Commitment to Tourism Sustainability Destination Barcelona is a shared project of the City Council and the Barcelona Provincial Council, in collaboration with the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the Barcelona Tourism Consortium, in order to promote responsible tourism aligned with the seventeen sustainable development goals of the United Nations, as well as international guidelines for sustainable tourism. In fact, Barcelona was the first urban destination to achieve this certification in 2011, and since then, the expansion of the seal has followed a growing trend. In 2022, the city of Barcelona and the three provincial brands -Costa Barcelona, Paisatges Barcelona and Pirineus Barcelona- became the first to receive the Biosphere Platinum certification, which recognizes not only the administration for ensuring that companies make sustainable efforts but that it also takes on as its own and executes the good practices it promotes.
During the event held this Thursday at the Palau de la Música, special mention was made of the good practices carried out by the Lluerna restaurant in putting people at the center, Melià Hotels for their greywater recovery, Casa Batlló for the employment of autistic individuals, Òptica Florit for the added value of sustainability and the circular economy, Hesperia Hotels Group for showcasing the local community, and the Palau de la Música itself for its carbon-neutral footprint.
In his speech, the Deputy Mayor of the Barcelona City Council, Jordi Valls, thanked the certified companies for their commitment to excel, not only in the quality of the service towards their clients but also in promoting social, environmental returns, or improving working conditions and gender equality. "You are paving the way forward, this is the tourism model we want for Barcelona," he stated, inviting the certified companies to be ambassadors of this project to extend their good practices throughout the sector.
The President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Josep Santacreu, congratulated the companies and encouraged them to continue betting on "the path of committed, sustainable, and responsible companies." Santacreu demanded a careful tourism model with the territory and responsibility and assured that the success of initiatives like this demonstrates that "it is possible to combine economic growth with respect for the environment, preservation of cultural heritage, and at the same time achieve a positive social impact."
The Barcelona Tourism Consortium, for its part, recalled that tourism is one of the most proactive sectors in achieving more sustainable practices, especially in accommodation, which shows the most adherences. In fact, among the new certifications awarded at the event this Thursday, 43% belonged to the accommodation sector. The Barcelona Tourism Consortium remains committed to the challenge of achieving higher levels of sustainability, as evidenced by the fact that almost half of the member companies have already joined the Commitment to Tourism Sustainability Destination Barcelona.
Amics de La Rambla received the certification for the first time in 2019.
In 2024, 22 businesses or institutions associated with Amics de La Rambla (you can check them at: https://www.amicsdelarambla.cat/cat/la-rambla-biosphere/entitats-i-comercos-certificats) signed or renewed the Commitment.
We would like to see many more in 2025 to ensure that La Rambla and its surroundings become a destination especially committed to responsible and respectful management of the environment, culture, working conditions, and social and economic return.
It is particularly relevant for the sector to take a step forward in adopting values based on sustainability and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, strengthening the commitment to Destination Barcelona.
Join the challenge of sustainable tourism at www.turismesostenible.barcelona
