The Barcelona Provincial Council is committed to sustainable and responsible tourism based on the principles of environmental, economic, and sociocultural sustainability.
Therefore, the Barcelona Provincial Council is promoting the Barcelona Sustainable Destination program, which supports stakeholders in the sector in the transition towards business and organizational models that are more responsible towards the environment and its people. The goal is to transform Barcelona into the leading destination for sustainable tourism and project it as an inspiring and recognized model worldwide. The program began in 2017 as the “Commitment to Sustainable Tourism” and in 2026 changed its name to “Barcelona Sustainable Destination,” directly associating it with the territory's brand, as this is more recognizable to both local residents and visitors from near and far.
Furthermore, through the Turisme_s program, the Barcelona Provincial Council works to put people at the heart of tourism, so that it contributes to the well-being of local communities, reduces inequalities, and promotes respect for diversity. The program's areas of focus are social inclusion, universal accessibility, professional development in the tourism sector, and a gender perspective, with initiatives such as the first Protocol for Action Against Gender-Based Violence in Tourist Accommodation (in Catalan).
The Barcelona Provincial Council was the first provincial council to endorse the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.
With this adherence, ratified by the plenary session in March 2026 (in Catalan), the corporation officially joins the international community's commitment to halve emissions from the tourism sector by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Furthermore, it must submit its own Climate Action Plan (CAP), which will allow for the quantification of the evolution of tourism.
Goals
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To extend the culture of sustainable tourism to destinations, residents, tourists, businesses and tourism services in the regions of Barcelona. -
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To give visibility to the implementation of improvement processes, both in the Barcelona Provincial Council and in local destinations, companies and tourism services with the Barcelona Sustainable Destination program. -
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To attract responsible tourism demand, through product creation and marketing strategies aligned with the seventeen SDGs, allowing the selection of audiences and source markets sensitive to sustainability.
Featured actions
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BARCELONA SUSTAINABLE DESTINATIONProgram that promotes the transformation of the tourism model of Destination Barcelona, accompanying the agents of the sector in the transition towards business and organizational models that are more responsible towards the territory and people. -
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Program to promote the social dimension in the tourism model, aimed at putting people at the center and generating social value, contributing to well-being, coexistence and quality of life in the territories. -
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TOURISM MARKETINGThrough its channels aimed at the end public, the Barcelona Provincial Council promotes proposals and resources to enjoy and respect the regions of Barcelona by doing tourism in an ethical and sustainable way.
Sustainable tourism in data
In the Barcelona Destination, since 2013, several tourism sustainability indicator systems (SIT-DIBA and SIT-BCN) have been developed, and participation has taken place in indicator systems that measure the sustainability of different destinations (ETIS and GDS Index).
With these premises, and taking into account SDG 12.b, "develop and implement instruments to monitor the impacts of sustainable development, with the aim of achieving sustainable tourism that generates employment and promotes local culture and products," the Barcelona, City and Region Tourism Observatory (OTB), of which the Barcelona Provincial Council is a member through LABturisme, established as a strategic line indicators that measure the sustainability of tourism activity in the Barcelona Destination.
The new Tourism Sustainability Indicators System (SITS-OTB) is made up of 30 indicators linked to the 3 pillars of tourism sustainability, corresponding to 21 themes and addressing the 17 SDGs:
Having the SITS-OTB has also allowed us to become part of the INSTO network of observatories.
Annual compilation of the main indicators of tourist activity in the regions of Barcelona.
Report 2025 (in Catalan)
Analysis of tourism sustainability in Destination Barcelona conducted by the Barcelona Tourism Observatory: city and region
Main analytical reports of the Tourism Laboratory of Barcelona Provincial Council on tourism in the province of Barcelona.
European projects
Created in 2016 within the framework of the Interreg MED programme, the Sustainable Tourism Community of the Mediterranean seeks to turn tourism into a real driving force of inclusive and sustainable growth. The Barcelona Provincial Council leads this project, which encompasses more than twenty projects co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, with nearly three hundred organisations active in twelve coastal areas of the European Mediterranean.
Since January 2019, the Barcelona Provincial Council has led the Sustainable Tourism Thematic Community of the Interreg Euro-MED Mediterranean cooperation program. For seven years, the Community has been promoting and coordinating 22 thematic projects that work towards different objectives within the Interreg Euro-MED program's sustainable tourism mission, such as technological development and innovation, the promotion of a circular economy, adaptation to climate change, and the improvement of nature and biodiversity preservation and conservation.
The Barcelona Provincial Council participates in the European Urban Agenda Partnership on Sustainable Tourism, created in 2023 with 28 other partners. The objective is to address tourism issues in cities, as a crucial component of sustainable urban economic development, through multi-level governance and close cooperation between cities, the European Commission, other EU institutions and bodies, national governments and other stakeholders.
Pilot project to boost Catalonia's tourism sector in the transition to climate neutrality, developing a European hub that collects and shares best practices in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. Led by the Catalan Tourism Agency and with other European partners, the Barcelona Provincial Council is leading the "Coordination with regional and local public stakeholders" work package.
Online resources
