Every two years, the ICTES organizes an international congress bringing together experts and leaders from the tourism sector to analyze current challenges and opportunities. The eighth edition of this event, held in the Andalusian city of Córdoba, emphasized the importance of innovation, perseverance, quality, intelligence, and sustainability as fundamental pillars for the future of tourism.
Tourism is a consumer good and, as such, requires continuous evaluation and accelerating the certification processes of establishments to survive as a major industrial power.
Despite positive figures and favorable prospects for the sector, there is growing concern about the lack of concrete measures for adapting to sustainability goals. A particularly alarming aspect is the phenomenon of 'greenwashing', a practice that involves presenting an image of environmental and sustainable compliance that does not correspond to reality.
Miguel Mirones, president of ICTES, has denounced that many tourism entities disseminate misleading or confusing information in their marketing campaigns. These "partial truths" might, for example, highlight minor actions like straw removal, while ignoring significant measures for energy efficiency or water consumption control, which is a clear example of tourism 'greenwashing'.
In response, ICTES advocates for intelligent tourism that moves from declarations to action, demanding sustainability certification. The 'S' sustainability seal, managed by ICTES alongside the 'Q' Quality seal, aims to be a key tool for the sustainable transformation of the tourism industry and a reference for organizations in the sector.
Currently, ICTES is the only body authorized to carry out this certification, in line with European Union directives, which require a responsible declaration and an independent audit. This regulation seeks to combat greenwashing, promoting more sustainable decisions and strengthening consumer trust. Implementing these certifications presents a significant challenge, especially in a sector dominated by micro-SMEs, requiring meticulous effort from the Administration to disseminate these requirements.
Concurrently, recent data from the tourism sector anticipate a record summer, partly driven by travelers diverting to Spain due to conflicts in the Middle East. According to Exceltur, tourism GDP could grow by 2.5%, exceeding initial forecasts and contributing almost 16% to Spanish economic growth, translating to an additional 4.25 billion euros.
However, this optimistic outlook is tempered by the transport sector, which anticipates a 1.6% decline due to rising costs, particularly crude oil. This increase in costs and uncertainty regarding consumption and air connectivity represent the other side of the geopolitical situation, despite the influx of international tourists.
Regionally, stronger growth is expected in destinations like Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura, largely because they start from lower figures. More established communities, such as Andalusia, would maintain more moderate growth, estimated at 2.2%.
