A Dozen Outdoor Activities Companies Will Adhere to The Charter for Sustainability in Nature
The text, promoted by the Cabildo, fosters a culture of quality based on the sustainability of tourism activities provided by the signatory entities.
A total of 12 tourism companies for outdoor activities have adhered to the Charter for Sustainability and Excellence in activities tourist that develop in nature. The document, promoted by the Cabildo through Turismo de Tenerife, has counted on its development with its own signatory entities.
The island's vice president and tourism adviser, Alberto Bernabé, explained in press conference that this initiative, which replicates the successful model of the Charter of Sustainability in Cetacean Sighting, seeks to foster a culture of quality and excellence in the tourist services that surround such activities based in the integral sustainability of resources and cooperation between companies and the sector public.
"Nine years ago we started working with sustainability in the activity of sighting of cetaceans and five years ago we started the Tenerife Walking Festival, already a benchmark in Europe. We also created a manual three years ago of good ecotourism practices and now we bet on this letter for sustainability in nature, which means that we have been convinced for almost a decade that there
that prioritize this model of tourism management, "said the counselor.
For his part, the president of the Association of Active Tourism 'Islas Canarias', Sergio González, has insisted on the need to strengthen the island of Tenerife "as a space sustainable tourism ". Through the Quality Charter, "active tourism companies have an effective tool to give more value to their commitment to the environment ambient".
Result of the public-private collaboration work, the document seeks to satisfy the needs and demands of the entire sector and consolidates the commitment of Tourism Tenerife for sustainability. This project is an open process that can still be target companies that offer activities in nature. The text also presents the figure of the 'ally', which will be companies that do not directly engage in outdoor experiences but that follow sustainable criteria and commit to collaborate with others who subscribe to the Charter.
The CEO of Tourism of Tenerife, Vicente Dorta, stressed that the membership of companies is "voluntary", but those that do "must commit to fulfill a series of points included in the Charter ".
Among them is the collaboration of the companies with the administration in working groups to promote measures and actions of all kinds related to the nature; the incorporation, as far as possible, of recyclable materials and products that are not potentially harmful to the environment as well as a efficient waste management in offices.
The cleaning of the environment during the activities and the client's awareness of the respect for the environment; the prioritization of unique elements of Tenerife as traditions and local products, as well as promoting different areas than those already they are excessively exploited; or the mandatory training of at least one member of each company in the courses and conferences carried out by Tenerife Tourism throughout of the year are other aspects included in the Charter.
The document itself also specifies that companies will have a term of six months to implement the 15 measures included and make use of the 'Manual of good ecotourism practices' as a supplementary tool to promote economic diversification and improve the tourist offer.
The dependent entity of the Cabildo de Tenerife will also have various obligations, from the promotion of the Charter and of the signatory companies, the improvement in public-private collaboration or the training of workers of these companies to through courses and seminars promoted by public bodies. Also the evaluation of business through the figure of the mysterious client, who will visit each company once a year, and will prepare individual reports of each as well as general operation of the project.