Spain to place biodiversity, inclusion and circular economics at centre of sustainability event
Several less commonly discussed "social sustainability" and responsible tourism issues will take centre stage at the Spanish Tourist Office’s second annual sustainability day later this month.
The event will address some of the new challenges the global tourism industry is facing, such as biodiversity, accessibility and inclusivity, and will also see Spain provide an update on its latest sustainability initiatives.
The first panel session of the day will focus on the circular economy, and will feature input from Abta senior sustainability manager Carol Rose as well as Nadine Pinto, The Travel Coorporation’s global sustainability manage.
Intrepid Travel managing director EMEA Zina Bencheikh, Turespana global marketing manager Blanca Perez Sauquillo and Travel Foundation sustainable tourism specialist Alicia Fajardo will then take on biodiversity, its impacts and potential travel industry interventions.
The final panel will explore accessibility and inclusivity in travel. Angus Drummond, chief executive at disabled-friendly holiday specialist Limitless Travel, will be among the speakers, and will be joined by Abta’s director of industry relations Susan Deer and Miguel Carrasco, tourism director at Madrid-based charity Impulsa Igualdad.
“This year’s programme highlights aspects of social sustainability which are often ignored in wider discussions around the term, and we expect the event to create important discourses on balancing different aspects of responsible travel,” said Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office.
“Above all, Spain sustainability day will enable our UK and Spanish industries to learn from one another.”
The conference will also host two keynote speakers. World Travel and Tourism Council head of research Nejc Jus will deliver an overview of the latest environmental and social indicators for both Spain and the UK, while Charlie Cotton, founder of carbon consultancy ecollective, will focus on how businesses can calculate their carbon footprint, and strategies to reach net zero.
The event will be held on 17 April at the Conduit in central London and will be followed by the sustainable media awards, honouring the top writers on sustainability issues and developments within travel.
Last month, the Spanish Tourist Office revealed how it plans to pitch its new sustainability-focused tourism strategy directly to holidaymakers after years of seeking to raise awareness via the trade.
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Ilaria Grasso Macola
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