GRAN CANARIA AWARDED BIOSPHERE CERTIFIED LABEL

GRAN CANARIA AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS BIOSPHERE CERTIFIED LABEL 

The island of Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands, has been certified as a Biosphere Sustainable destination as of 2024, following three years of demonstrating its proven commitment to improving its sustainability practices.  

The prestigious Biosphere certification, part of the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), is awarded to destinations with verifiably sustainable practices being carried out correctly. The certification guarantees that the destination is complying with the commitments it has made to sustainability and conservation. Biosphere certification not only addresses a destination’s environmental and economic commitments, but also its commitment to socio-economic sustainability, making the accreditation a holistic indicator of a destination’s dedication to being as sustainable as possible. 

Since December 2021, Gran Canaria has been working to demonstrate its commitment to becoming a more sustainable destination, aligning itself with three pillars of sustainability: socioeconomic, environmental and territorial. Three years on, in December 2023, Gran Canaria passed an audit, which examined the island’s work against the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030. Gran Canaria was one of the top 15 European destinations with the most accommodations with sustainability certifications. At least 38 companies on Gran Canaria are certified for their sustainable practices, with many more in the process of obtaining certification. 

ON 25 January 2024 at FITUR in Madrid (one of the world’s leading travel trade shows), the Secretary General of RTI awarded the Biosphere distinction to the president of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, and the councilor of Tourism of Gran Canaria, Carlos Álamo. 

Gran Canaria is characterised by its distinctive volcanic landscape and for its exceptional biodiversity, which is most densely concentrated at the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve, alongside being the home of the UNESCO-listed cultural site of Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria, where there has been found evidence of pre-Hispanic settlements.  

 For more information on Biosphere companies and travel in Gran Canaria, visit here. 

 For more information on visiting Gran Canaria, visit here.