Barcelona is a destination firmly committed to sustainability and safety in travel and tourism. A new model based on practices that respect the environment, the economy, society and culture that the BCB has made an integral and strategic part of its day-to-day running.
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: A PRIORTY
Barcelona Provincial Council, Barcelona City Council, Turisme de Barcelona and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to make Barcelona and its counties a single destination committed to sustainable tourism.
In 2011, Barcelona was the first city in the world to be awarded Biosphere Certification as a responsible tourism destination by the Responsible Tourism Institute, an international organisation supported by UNESCO to promote sustainable tourism at every level.
Since then, hundreds of enterprises have joined in the commitment to sustainability and Barcelona has renewed it Biosphere Certification until 2024.
Biosphere Certification guarantees compliance with the quality standards of the tourism offer in order to ensure they bring significant benefits to society. At the same time, it recognises the city’s good practices in responsible and sustainable tourism.
SUSTAINABLE BARCELONA IS GREEN, BLUE AND FULL OF LOCAL FLAVOUR!
Barcelona is a compact city, tinged with green from its tree-lined streets and parks, botanically rich and with its own unique personality.
Around the city, there are 12 natural spaces of outstanding beauty and great environmental and cultural value that guarantee the land and the environment are perfectly in tune.
The blue of the Mediterranean illuminates the city and coast of Barcelona and bears witness to its long-standing maritime and fishing tradition. The wide beaches, with their fine sand and shallow waters, are fully accessible for people with reduced mobility and follow a strict environmental policy.
And… there’s the food too! Barcelona brings a wealth of wonderful dishes focusing on the Mediterranean diet, featuring local and seasonal produce. The city’s world-renowned restaurants skilfully combine tradition and innovation.
A NEW MOBILITY
Barcelona is adapting its urban layout to ensure the areas occupied by different means of transport are more evenly distributed. New bike lanes have been introduced, the bus network has been improved and pedestrians have been prioritised with the widening of pavements and streets to make them more pleasant and safer to walk in.
Accessible Barcelona is ready to welcome functionally diverse visitors, regardless of their physical, sensory or cognitive abilities.
COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABILITY IN THE MICE SECTOR
At the Barcelona Convention Bureau, sustainability is a strategic element that is an integral part of our everyday running so that events can have a positive impact and both organisers and the destination reap the long-term benefits.
For this reason, we offer you the
guide Barcelona sustainable events. A tool that facilitates the integration of sustainable practices in the events at our destination, with tips and practical examples as well as a checklist with different levels of performance to continue improving the results in the development of sustainable practices in the long term.
Barcelona places at your disposal numerous spaces that are committed to sustainability and have implemented good practices in the spheres of social responsibility, promoting energy-saving and energy-efficiency measures and committing to selective waste collection and offsetting CO2.
At the Barcelona Convention Bureau, sustainability criteria are applied across its entire operations.
When we present bids to congress organisers, sustainability is one of the strong points.
