Benidorm Aims to Become the Sixth Spanish Destination in the UNWTO Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories

A few days after receiving the 'Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism' award from the European Union, the Benidorm City Council presented its candidacy on Tuesday to join the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) under the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This organization was created to support and connect destinations committed to regularly monitoring the economic, environmental, and social impacts of tourism to facilitate decision-making through data, while also promoting sustainable tourism practices at both local and global levels.

The city's mayor, Toni Pérez, was responsible for presenting the start of this project, which will be integrated into the Tourism Sustainability Observatory of the Innovation Hub. He stated that Benidorm also wants to "show itself to the world as an example of how a mature destination can lead the transition towards a regenerative tourism model, where technology, strategic planning, and the well-being of residents and visitors go hand in hand."

The Municipal Center of El Torrejó was chosen as the venue for the presentation of this project, in an event that brought together numerous representatives from the tourism and business sectors of the municipality. There, the mayor highlighted that Benidorm "is a destination that has not only managed to reinvent itself over the years but has also led, with vision and commitment, the path towards smarter, more sustainable, and regenerative tourism." He recalled that since 2018, it has also been "a global benchmark as the first Smart Tourist Destination certified worldwide," to which is added in 2025 the distinction as a Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism by the European Commission.

"Having conquered and consolidated this challenge, it is time to set a new one," Pérez stated, "and by presenting our candidacy today to the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) of the UNWTO, we take another step in that direction, reaffirming our willingness to measure, analyze, and continuously improve our tourism impact to ensure a more balanced and resilient future."

The mayor acknowledged that "being pioneers in smart and sustainable tourism is not just a title; it is a responsibility that we assume with pride and determination." In this regard, he explained that the project presented by the city in this candidacy aims to address three major objectives. The first is "to accurately measure the impact of tourism on our destination, using data and metrics that allow us to make evidence-based decisions and improve our planning, because what is not measured does not exist."

The second objective, he continued, is "to ensure a balanced evolution of the destination, guaranteeing that tourism growth is compatible with environmental, economic, and social sustainability, always ensuring the quality of life of residents and the visitor experience." And finally, "to promote innovation and continuous learning, connecting with other observatories in the network to share best practices and, at the same time, adopt strategies that strengthen our leadership in sustainable tourism."

Finally, the mayor thanked all the people and institutions that have made it possible for Benidorm to reach this point, because "this is a participatory and people-centered project," and encouraged them to contribute "their talent and proposals, to integrate into the different working groups, and to contribute to the city to position itself within this observatory."

Once its intention to join this network of UNWTO tourism observatories was announced, Benidorm will have to deploy a roadmap, which includes a series of actions planned to be developed throughout 2025, as explained by Esther Welters from Kalmas GE. Among them is the coordination and collection of letters of support; the creation and coordination of working groups; the implementation of dissemination and awareness actions; the conduct of up to 80 workshops in institutions, schools, high schools, or vocational training centers; and the drafting of a document for the Sustainable Tourism Pact, among others.

Regarding awareness and dissemination actions, a total of 17 talks are planned for various groups, covering topics such as green energies, zero consumption, sustainable gastronomic activities, local satisfaction with tourism, economic benefits of the destination, seasonality and employment in tourism, water and wastewater management, solid waste management, etc., all linked to the Sustainable Development Goals.

All of this, according to Welters, aims to obtain data and conduct an initial diagnosis of the indicators that Benidorm is already applying and how to enhance them and continue advancing in the application of the rest, as well as establishing strategic alliances with other supramunicipal administrations at the provincial, regional, state level, and with other countries that are already part of INSTO.

Regarding the indicators on which data will be collected, the Sustainable Tourism Observatory is based on a system of indicators that allows monitoring of 40 different areas, of which each destination is required to monitor at least nine, in addition to those it considers significant or relevant. In the case of Benidorm, the city has been working for years to understand local satisfaction with tourism, the economic benefits of the destination, employment, tourism seasonality, energy management, water management, wastewater management, solid waste management, and governance, to which new indicators could be added, which this network of INSTO observatories also works on.

The INSTO network currently has a total of 42 members from America, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe, of which five are Spanish: the Sustainable Tourism Observatories of Malaga and Mallorca; the Tourism Observatories of Barcelona and Navarra; and the Tourism Intelligence System of Bizkaia.