November 14, 2017

The second edition of the National Ecotourism Congress took place from November 8 to 10 in Guadalupe, Cáceres, in the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara UNESCO Global Geopark.

This event was promoted by the Spanish Ecotourism Association , which manages, in agreement with Turespaña, the Ecotourism Tourism Product Club . More than 200 industry professionals met to design strategies to promote ecotourism in the national and international markets and align the offering with tourists ' tastes and demands.

Ecotourism diversifies and de-seasonalizes tourism offerings and helps generate employment in rural areas and protected areas where nature conservation is limited. Many ecotourism activities offered in Spain, such as geotourism and birdwatching , are already listed by major foreign agencies . Furthermore, their significant contribution to the circular economy and the retention of population in towns is becoming increasingly evident.

One of the most applauded conclusions of the meeting was the proposal to create an Ecotourism Observatory to understand the current situation of ecotourism in Spain and begin working on it.

Spain is a country rich in protected areas, boasting, among others, 15 National Parks and 48 Biosphere Reserves . Furthermore, it contributes the largest area to the Natura 2000 Network , making it an ideal location for promoting and developing ecotourism.