The Galician Tourism Cluster brought together members of the Galicia Sustainable Destination (GDS) Product Club today at an event that, under the slogan “The value of moving forward together,” sought to highlight the commitment to sustainability in all its aspects of the more than 130 companies participating in the initiative, which is about to celebrate its third anniversary.
The opening of the meeting featured speakers such as the President of the Galician Tourism Cluster, Cesáreo Pardal; the Director of Tourism of Galicia, Xosé Manuel Merelles; the Deputy for Tourism of the Pontevedra Provincial Council, Nava Castro; and the Mayor of Cambados, Samuel Lago. The Cluster’s head stated that “Galicia Sustainable Destination is much more than a project; it is a shared philosophy, an investment in the future for the sector and for our region” and reaffirmed the Cluster’s commitment to “working on its evolution and improvement to transform it into a brand linked to excellence.” Cesáreo Pardal announced that “we want to increase its reach and awareness, both inside and outside of Galicia, and that’s why one of this year’s goals is to launch an awareness campaign so Galicians can learn firsthand about this platform’s offerings.”
The event, held at the Martín Códax Winery, focused on the challenges of sustainable tourism and the sharing of best practices. Participants shared their experiences at participatory roundtables. The event concluded with a wine tasting, pairing, free networking, and the presentation of a communication kit to participating companies.
Action Plans 2024 and 2025
The event also presented the activities carried out within the framework of the Club’s Action Plan, such as the campaign aimed at the US market; social media outreach campaigns; the renovation of the GDS portal; participation in familiarization and recommendation trips with national and international media; and training and support activities for the S for Sustainability certification. In addition, the actions planned for this year were presented, such as participation in various fairs and workshops; the launch of a new outreach campaign; training and advisory activities for certification; and the update of membership criteria, to adapt the Club to the current situation and continue improving its operations.