Lanzarote has started work to develop an ambitious action plan based on ethical and responsible tourism, an initiative led by the Cabildo through SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote and developed by the awarding company specialized in social transformation and sustainability.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, stressed that “the objective is to promote a more conscious tourism model, respectful of the territory and committed to the common welfare. And after this first meeting with the company that has been awarded this tender, we are going to send the message that in Lanzarote we need not just any tourist, but a tourist who loves and enjoys the island.”
“All of this will be transversal throughout the value chain of tourism in Lanzarote and also for the resident. We are creating a unique model in the world of ethical and responsible tourism, but, above all, in the dissemination and making people understand that, from before landing, you enter a deeply fragile and beautiful territory that must be conserved and promoted.”
As CEO of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, Héctor Fernández, underlined the innovative and transformative dimension of the project: “Today we have kicked off one of the most important tenders in which the Sociedad de Promoción Exterior has been immersed. This is an awareness campaign towards the search for ethical tourism, which will involve interdisciplinary work with key areas of the Cabildo. It is a different and transcendent campaign, which can contribute to changing the way tourism is perceived on the island. In addition, it is also aimed at the local population, and its messages will even be integrated into our actions with airlines and tour operators. It is a project that can help change the paradigm of the destination and the way the tourist relates to it.”
For his part, Antonio Collado, director of Innovation at CARSA, the company in charge of developing the plan, explained the participatory and transformative approach of the strategy: “The strategic plan for ethical and sustainable tourism in Lanzarote aims to change behavior towards a more responsible model, acceptable for the island and its environment. We want to generate a dialogue between visitors and residents, to transmit the value and fragility of the territory. To this end, we will hold working groups with different areas of the Cabildo, businesses and citizens, in order to build a plan that is not just a one-off marketing action, but a real change of model towards the future.”
The kick-off meeting was also attended by representatives of fundamental departments of the Cabildo such as the Biosphere Reserve, Environment and Geopark, whose top manager is Samuel Martín, and the Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism, which is headed by Ángel Vázquez.
