The National Congress of National Parks and Sustainable Tourism was inaugurated today under the slogan “Nature conservation and responsible tourism, a solution committed to natural and cultural heritage at the service of society”, which will be attended by more than one hundred representatives of the administration, companies, foundations and conservationists related to natural spaces and tourism.
This meeting is being held until 17 November at the headquarters of the Teide National Park, in the municipality of La Orotava (Tenerife), organised by the Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment (MAPAMA) and Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda, together with the Cabildo de Tenerife, the City Council of La Orotava and the Government of the Canary Islands. with the aim of reflecting on the concept of sustainable tourism and the approach that this sector should have in National Parks.
The inauguration of this Congress was attended by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo; the President of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Carlos Alonso; the Secretary of State for Tourism, Matilde Asián; the Mayor of La Orotava, Francisco Linares and the Director of the Autonomous National Parks Organization of MAPAMA, Basilio Rada.
The nature of our country is one of the main factors that motivate the trips of national and international tourists: Trips associated with nature tourism account for an average of 20% of total tourism in Spain, with an average indirect economic impact of 8,600 million euros being estimated.
TOURISM INVOLVED IN THE CONSERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
The Network of National Parks of Spain is made up of 15 parks to which are added 48 Biosphere Reserves.
The main challenge in the field of National Parks during this Congress, highlighted the director of the Autonomous Agency of National Parks (OAPN), Basilio Rada, is “to reflect on what we need tourism for”. In this sense, visitors-tourists must be involved in the conservation of the territory, make responsible use of it, integrate into its environment and its municipalities by knowing its culture, customs and traditions, make use of the services they offer. “Combining conservation and tourism is our real challenge and this is how we understand sustainable tourism at National Parks,” added Rada.
JOINT ACTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
The National Parks and Sustainable Tourism Congress is part of the actions foreseen in the Operational Plan for 2017 of the Collaboration Agreement signed between the Ministry of Energy and MAPAMA, on July 5, for the promotion of the ecotourism product in the Network of National Parks and in the Spanish Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Basilio Rada, in his speech, stressed that “the joint actions between both Ministries will reinforce the sustainability of the tourism sector in spaces where the conservation of natural and cultural values prevails, where appreciation for nature and its conservation is promoted, while creating wealth and fixing population in rural areas”.
In this regard, Basilio Rada stressed that “the mission of the OAPN with the Network of National Parks is to disseminate knowledge and enjoyment by all people of the natural values of these parks as the most effective means for their conservation”, as well as to actively contribute to sustainable development in the areas of socio-economic influence, those 169 municipalities in whose territory the current national parks are located.
This Congress is part of the events of 2017, the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, as declared by the LXX Session of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as to commemorate the Tenth Anniversary of the declaration of the Teide National Park as a World Heritage Site. In addition, the OAPN has just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first National Parks Law and in 2018 celebrates the 100th anniversary of the declaration of the first two Spanish national parks, Picos de Europa (then, the Covadonga Mountain) and Ordesa and Monte Perdido (Ordesa Valley in 1918).
