"The Government of the Canary Islands advocates for the development of the tourism sector with a clear environmental commitment", said the General Director of Environmental Quality of the autonomous Executive, Emilio Atiénzar, during his intervention in the forum of "Work, Tourism and Environment", which is held in Lanzarote with the participation of representatives from the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, for the study of new strategies to improve the environmental quality of tourist destinations.
The head of the autonomous area of Environmental Quality has stressed that the interrelation between the environmental and tourism variables in both territories "is undeniable". He also warned that the growth experienced by tourism "has led to the generation of environmental impacts that endanger the very survival of the sector". Hence, he highlighted the importance of seeking alternatives that allow for the communion between tourism and environmental respect.
The objective of this meeting, sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Planning of the Government of the Canary Islands, in collaboration with the Cabildo of Lanzarote, is the sharing of practices developed in the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands aimed at achieving sustainable development in a crucial sector in both autonomous communities. Among the topics of discussion are the environmental compatibility of aquaculture farms in tourist areas, public works as an instrument to improve the quality of tourist destinations, and the actions undertaken to promote the sustainability of this sector.
Emilio Atiénzar highlighted the importance of holding this meeting, as it represents another opportunity for the analysis of criteria and practices that guarantee sustainable tourism development.
The General Director highlighted the relevance for the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands of the tourism-environment binomial. "Our intention with the convocation of this meeting is to take advantage of the experience and synergies resulting from it to undertake new projects that improve the tourism potential of both archipelagos".
