The Galicia Destino Sostible Product Club, promoted by the Cluster with the support of the Xunta de Galicia, is committed to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN.
Companies that join the Club before 30 September will be eligible for a line of aid for the creation of new tourism products.
This is how the Royal Spanish Academy defines the word “sostener” (to sustain), an idea that is increasingly present in all areas of our society through the concept of sustainability. This also applies, of course, to the world of tourism. The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has made it one of the axes on which the recovery of the sector must revolve once the crisis of the covid pandemic has been overcome, assuming the Sustainable Development Goals postulated in the 2030 Agenda by the UN in 2015.
End global poverty, eradicate hunger; ensure healthy lives and promote well-being; achieve inclusive, equitable and quality education; achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; achieve access to affordable, safe, sustainable and modern energy; promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all; build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation; reduce inequality within and between countries; make cities more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas and marine resources; sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss; promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies; and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
These are the 17 postulates of the Sustainable Development Goals and many of them can be directly applied in the field of tourism, as advocated by the Galicia Tourism Cluster through the Galicia Destino Sostible Product Club, which has been launched with the financial support of the Xunta de Galicia. Thus, the promotion of local development while respecting the traditions and ways of life of the local inhabitants, the protection of biodiversity, the fight against climate change and minimising the impact of tourist activity, and guaranteeing inclusion, transparency and competitiveness in the way the sector’s companies work are some of the founding commitments of this initiative which, in just a few weeks of life and despite starting up in the middle of the summer season, has already managed to attract around twenty companies and will grow again with new members in the near future.
In addition to the endorsement of the commitment to sustainability that belonging to the Club entails, participants will enjoy advantages in terms of promotion and training. Likewise, those who join before 30 September will be eligible for a line of aid for the creation of new sustainable tourism products. The requests, which will be dealt with in strict order of application and will be articulated through sponsorships, will distribute 135,000 euros among wholesale travel agencies, 112,000 euros among retail travel agencies, and 65,000 euros among accommodation, restaurants and suppliers of complementary tourism products.
All the information and the membership form are available at https://galiciadestinosostible.com/adhiere-tu-empresa