The Barcelona Sustainable Destination programme has received a special award at the 10th edition of the European Public Sector Awards (EPSA), organised by the European Institute of Public Administration. The awards recognise outstanding initiatives that promote innovation and improve public services in Europe. In this edition, the award recognises the development and continuous improvement of projects submitted in previous editions.
The jury particularly highlighted the development and consolidation of a shared, sustainable tourism governance model based on cooperation between public authorities, joint work with the sector and a commitment to sustainable tourism. This approach strengthens public-private collaboration and helps improve the competitiveness of destinations.
A meeting that promotes European collaboration
The award was presented in Maastricht, where representatives of Barcelona Sustainable Destination also took part in a working and knowledge-sharing session with other award-winning institutions. The meeting forms part of the EPSA problem-solving and prototyping process, a forum for collaboration and learning between European public authorities that aims to turn shared public-sector challenges into solutions that can be applied in different regions.
For Barcelona Sustainable Destination, this recognition is also an opportunity to raise the international profile of the network of more than a thousand tourism stakeholders who work year after year to move towards a more responsible, balanced and cohesive tourism model.
Supporting the sector to promote sustainability
Jointly promoted by the Barcelona Provincial Council and Barcelona City Council, in collaboration with the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Turisme de Barcelona, the Barcelona Sustainable Destination programme supports and advises businesses and public authorities committed to responsible tourism management that takes into account the environment, culture, working conditions, gender equality and the socioeconomic impact on destination communities.
Participating businesses and organisations receive specialist advice from sustainability professionals, take part in training activities to support continuous improvement and attend knowledge-sharing sessions with other local stakeholders. This network-based approach facilitates the creation of synergies and partnerships that help integrate sustainability into tourism management and promote more balanced development of the destination.
