More than 200 professionals, speakers and attendees have gathered in the Villa de Potes (Cantabria) on the occasion of the VIII National Congress of Ecotourism, where the current challenges of ecotourism in Spain have been debated, the funding channels have been reviewed following the arrival of the Next Generation European funds and the declaration of principles agreed upon in the first edition of 2016 has been updated, according to the organization stated in a note.
The meeting, promoted by the Ecotourism in Spain Association in collaboration with the Secretariat of State for Tourism and the National Parks Autonomous Organization, has served to present management experiences of destinations in La Garrotxa (Girona), La Subbética (Córdoba), the Geopark Costa Quebrada (Cantabria) and the Sierra del Segura (Albacete), as references for sustainable tourism planning.
During the sessions, the specialists have insisted on the need to intensify cooperation among local actors, increase economic support for those responsible for the Network of Destinations and enhance the visibility and commercialization of the ecotourism offer.
The working groups have also delved into the relationship between nature tourism, livestock farming and quality agri-food products with designation of origin, such as those of the comarca de Liébana, Mariñas Coruñesas or Sierra Espuña, highlighting their role in keeping population in rural areas and safeguarding the biodiversity of the territory.
In addition, the congress has studied more effective promotion formulas through projects such as the Ecotourist Reserve of Green Spain, with the aim of attracting a traveler committed to sustainability and consolidating ecotourism as a driver of direct employment and economic revitalization in local communities.