Iniciativas Eco-responsables y RSE

🚢 Elena Seco García-Valdecasas, directora general de la Asociación de Navieros Españoles (ANAVE), declares maritime transport moves over 80% of international trade, emitting less than 3% of global GHG emissions, which is 11% of the transport sector's total. ANAVE has invested nearly €2 billion in emission reduction and energy efficiency technologies, cutting over 500,000 tons of CO2 annually. In 2024, 28 million travelers used ferries at Spanish ports, a 3% increase over the previous year. The investment of €450 million by 2030 is aimed to electrify docks for ferries, cruise ships, and containers at 48 state-owned ports, potentially creating over 1,000 jobs. The Grimaldi Terminal in Barcelona launched an OPS in March 2025, supplying 100% renewable electricity to ferries and cutting emissions and noise. The ferry passenger traffic between Barcelona and the Balearic Islands increased from 852,000 in 2019 to 1.223 million in 2024.

🏖 Mastercard study in France reveals 76% of 15,000 respondents plan to increase tourism spending, with one-third of French citizens intending to spend a minimum of €1,000 per person on travel this year. Despite public desire, France and Germany implement strict policies limiting air travel due to environmental reasons, leading to potential conflict between government actions and voter preferences. The Spanish government holds an ambiguous stance, with left-leaning pressures for a green agenda. European countries like France, Ireland, Netherlands, and Germany are expected to face challenges due to these conflicting views.

🌋 Ecologists urge Tenerife's Cabildo to protect Teide National Park from tourist damage. Jaime Coello, a director at an environmental foundation, criticizes both the high number of visitors reaching the summit and their disrespect for the environment. EuroNews reported Coello's concerns, highlighting inaction on the escalating situation. Teide, Spain's highest peak at 3,718 meters, attracts three million annual visitors, making it Europe's most visited park. Access by car leads to frequent congestion and parking excess, contributing to the chaotic conditions.

😃 Finlandia named the world's happiest country for the eighth consecutive year in the World Happiness Report 2025, supported by the United Nations. The report, which assesses well-being perception in 147 countries, highlights "caring and sharing" as key happiness drivers. Finland scored an average of 7.7, leading Nordic countries, with Denmark (7.52) and Iceland (7.51) following. Spain ranked 38th with a score of 6.5, showing a decline over five years from 28th in 2020. Costa Rica and Mexico saw significant improvements, climbing six and fifteen places, respectively. Meanwhile, Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the list.

📍 Ecostars gathered sustainability leaders from top hotel chains to discuss the challenges and uncertainties caused by the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) yet to be transposed in Spain. The directive aims to enhance governance by changing how information is reported, impelling companies to consider sustainability in their strategic planning. At the event, technology was highlighted as a key tool for data management, and the need for industry cooperation was stressed, especially to support medium and small hotels facing the same obligations without adequate resources.

💰 Ashotel's president Jorge Marichal proposes a 5% wage increase for tourism sector employees in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where unions have called a strike for Thursday and Friday of Holy Week. The increase, according to the hostelry union, is only 4% and deemed "insufficient." Workers will vote on the strike this Tuesday. The proposal by Ashotel is partially retroactive from July, potentially nearing a 5% rise. Manuel Fitas, spokesperson for the Mesa Sindical de Hostelería, believes the offer falls short of the 6.25% demanded by unions, noting the current 4% plus a 2.25% increase would match the lost purchasing power. Negotiations continue with the looming strike and future convention discussions at stake.

🏖️ Pedro Sánchez, President of the Spanish Government, approved €660 million in the 2021 State Budget for sustainable tourism projects, aligning with his wife Begoña Gómez's involvement in 'Hola Pueblos' by Globalia and the UNWTO. Announced in January 2021 in Madrid, at the UNWTO Executive Council meeting, the funds were part of the EU's post-pandemic recovery plan, focusing on digitalization, sustainability, and sustainable development goals. Despite the budget allocation, legal issues and Globalia's financial situation halted the 'Hola Pueblos' project.

🏖 La quinta edición de los "Premios Traveling for Happiness", organizados por AEHM y Connecting Heads, resalta la importancia del turismo sostenible. En 2024, se presentaron 40 candidaturas. Este año se espera un aumento, con una nueva categoría "Preservación de fauna y flora" propuesta por National Geographic. Las candidaturas muestran compromiso y creatividad, evolucionando hacia proyectos con visión a largo plazo e integración de la sostenibilidad como pilar empresarial. Los ganadores se anunciarán el 2 de junio tras la deliberación del jurado el 28 de mayo.

🛠 Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, through Invat·tur and in collaboration with ITH, Visit València, and HOSBEC, launched the second edition of TechYRoom, an intelligent room-turned-living innovation lab for the hotel ecosystem. The initiative was presented at Caro Hotel, València, after its debut in Benidorm in December. The inauguration featured José Manuel Camarero, Javier García Cuenca, Tono Franco, and Santiago Máñez. Over 20 tech companies participated, 40% Valencian, marking a 23% increase in local company involvement from the first edition. TechYRoom 2.0 now encompasses the whole hotel ecosystem, expanding beyond individual rooms to include communal areas and operational processes.

🏖 La Secretaría de Estado de Turismo lanza una nueva edición de Anfitriones, un programa de formación turística, disponible desde el 31 de marzo, con cursos a partir del 7 de abril en un nuevo campus virtual. La iniciativa se alinea con la Estrategia Turismo Sostenible España 2030 y ha evolucionado con una oferta formativa ampliada y tecnología avanzada. Desde 2011, Anfitriones online ha registrado más de 15.300 personas, con 77.000 inscripciones y 33.000 certificados otorgados.