Partnerships to promote the sustainable transformation of the tourism sector

I would like to dedicate this article to the reflections we made at the 5th Illeslex Lawyers Forum, where it became clear that the sustainable transformation, we are seeking for our tourism system, requires alliances between tourism stakeholders.

Tourism is a sector that affects different levels of society and is present in all areas. Its role in the economy is essential, especially in regions like ours. We have a successful tourism model that we have pioneered and that has been praised by experts from all over the world. But today, fundamental changes are needed so that tourism becomes increasingly circular and not only leaves an ecological footprint, but manages to have a regenerative impact on the community. This would be a new concept of tourism that experts want to call regenerative tourism.

However, the circular economy is not about working in isolation. It is about creating an interconnected ecosystem between all local actors, whether public or private. Changing business models and managing all resources in a cycle is necessary to prevent them from ending up as waste instead of returning them to the cycle. Projects such as Circular Hotels, a local alliance that focuses on the organic waste cycle and transforms the waste generated in a hotel into resources, have shown that this is possible. At RIU, we want to implement this circular model in other destinations where we can achieve a similar alliance between different local actors.

The Impulsa Foundation, headed by Toni Riera, also does very important work and is a source of inspiration. It supports the hotel industry and develops strategies that can be perfectly adapted to all types of hotels. It is a base that makes it possible to start working in an organized way. This is something that requires a lot of thought and many changes that are often not easy to make, especially when it comes to business models that have a certain amount of experience and are already consolidated.

These are some examples that show that alliances are essential to achieve the circular and regenerative local ecosystem that we all want. Xavier Pastor, oceanographer and founder of Greenpeace Spain, has pointed out in other forums that decarbonization will be very difficult to achieve on these islands due to the terrestrial limitation we have. He has talked about the fact that we may have to complement terrestrial infrastructures with marine infrastructures. This is another challenge that shows us that it is about more than achieving the sustainable development goals that are set out in our agendas. It is about the responsibility we all have to improve our country and our society so that the legacy we leave to our children and grandchildren is better than the one our grandparents and parents left us.

Of course, in many cases these partnerships will involve investment. Important but necessary investments that will help us to change and achieve the goal we have set ourselves. As I did at the Forum, I would like to take this opportunity to call again and encourage us all to come together and talk about the problems we share. I am sure that our efforts to find solutions will allow us to thrive and improve as a society.

Lola Trián
Director of Sustainability at Riu Hotels & Resorts

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