Torroella de Montgrí – L’Estartit – Illes Medes has won second place in the World’s Best Sustainable Destinations. These awards are given to destinations selected from a list of the Top 100 destinations in the world.
Awards for the most sustainable destinations
Torroella de Montgrí – L’Estartit – Illes Medes came second in the Earth Award category of the World’s Best Sustainable Destinations, which were unveiled during the recent ITB trade show in Berlin. Thirty-two candidates selected from the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations competed for the award
The awards acknowledge the work carried out by tourist destinations towards achieving sustainability and single out the winners as examples of best tourism practice in local communities.
Top 100 Sustainable Destinations
In September 2017, the Empordà municipality was included in the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations ranking, organised by the international association Green Destinations, in collaboration with other organisations that work to develop sustainable tourism.
Aspiring destinations have to prove that they satisfy the 15 main criteria established by the Green Destinations Standard, which include the involvement of the local community in tourist development, the promotion of local products and the conservation of cultural heritage and the environment.
Over sixty experts on sustainable tourism take part in the broad panel responsible for assessing the candidates. This year’s ranking comprises destinations from 50 different countries spread over the five continents.
Commitment to sustainability
Since 2014 Torroella-L’Estartit has participated in the GROWTH project, which focuses on the sustainability and competitiveness indicators of European tourist towns, and it is a member of the Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism (NECSTouR). At the end of 2016, after two years’ hard work, the natural park obtained the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, a prestigious distinction awarded by the Europarc Federation.
The Local Council has published a comprehensive dossier aimed at international trade shows for active and nature tourism, tour operators and specialist media, in order to publicise the steps that it has taken towards achieving sustainability.
