[ad_1]
The certification body EarthCheck has awarded Madeira with the Silver award, recognizing the region as a sustainable tourist destination at an international level.
According to local media in Portugal, the certification recognizes and validates all the work developed by this destination in the last years towards the territory’s sustainability at all environmental, cultural, social and economic levels, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
Madeira’s Secretary, Eduardo Jesus, says that this certification reinforces Madeira’s position as a tourism destination dedicated to sustainable development and that it gains more value due to the ability to initiate practices which make the region stand out from other destinations.
According to the official, the region receives the utmost importance through this certification, because it corresponds with consumers’ concerns and will have effects not only on those that visit but also on residents.
The official also added that this certification gives Madeira greater credibility, expanding access to tourist markets that seek and appreciate sustainability.
Furthermore, the certification is relevant for Madeira to become a global destination, based on the territory’s development, as well as the involvement of the entire local community.
This process of certification was developed by the Regional Secretariat for Tourism in Madeira, and it was launched in 2021. The region is expected to become a higher level of EarthCheck certification – the gold one, up from silver, where its current ranks.
“To do so, it needs to continue with its sustainable journey, privileging the preservation of its natural resources, involving the entire local community, complying with the measures it has undertaken in the 2022 to 2030 Action Plan, and implementing new actions that can make Madeira a destination even more sustainable,” Jesus added.
In general, Portugal is making a reputation for itself in sustainable tourism, as last year, a total of 431 beaches and marinas were awarded the blue flag for ecotourism, which is 32 more than in the previous year. This is a certification that is awarded to tourism operators with high environmental and quality standards.
In addition, the number of beaches, marines and other ecotourism vessels in Portugal has increased by 15 times in the last 25 years, with Vila Verde, Tabua and Alandroal municipalities applying for the first time during last year and Cascais and Marinha Grande returning to the Blue Flag programme at the same time.
Beaches with the most Blue Flag awards in the country are those in the North (82), Algarve (86) and Tejo (77).
[ad_2]
Source link