Promoting a debate at national and international level on the importance of sustainability is the objective of the Municipality of Baião, which on the 25th of May organizes the conference “Sustainability in the Differentiation and Valorization of Territories”.
Baião is the first Portuguese municipality to be classified as a sustainable tourist destination and organizes this event with the presence of speakers from areas such as ecology, culture, tourism and local and regional development.
The president of the organization that oversees sustainable tourism rankings worldwide, Luigi Cabrini of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) will be present. This is a worldwide organization originally created in 2007, with the support of the United Nations Foundation, United Nations Environment Programme, Rainforest Alliance and World Tourism Organization. The GSTC works as an accreditation body for certifying entities and recognizes sustainable tourism programs/seals, being a world reference for the sector.
A representative from EarthCheck, a certifying entity and leader in scientific benchmarking and consultancy for travel and tourism, will also be present, as well as representatives from national and foreign territories with the same sustainability seal.
The meeting will take place at the Baião Municipal Auditorium and is aimed at professionals from the private sector and public decision-makers, and is open to the general public.
PROGRAM
“Sustainability in the differentiation and enhancement of territories”
1:45 pm – Reception for participants
2:15 pm – Opening session – Anabela Cardoso (Tourist Councilor of Baião City Council)
2:30 pm – Sustainability, Culture and Social Responsibility
Speakers: António Ponte (Director of the Soares dos Reis National Museum), Ivone Abreu (Member of the Board of Directors of the Eça de Queiroz Foundation), Paulo Monteiro (Director of Glorybox – Integrated Management of Cultural Heritage) and Pedro Fontoura (responsible for the area of sustainability of EDP Comercial)
Moderator: Lino Tavares Dias (Archaeologist)
15:10 – Changing the paradigm: a holistic view of environmental sustainability
Speakers: Joaquim Ribeiro (Managing Partner at JASE Hotels & Resorts), João Honrado (Researcher at CIBIO – Research Center for Biodiversity and Genetic Resources), Pedro Teiga (River Rehabilitation Specialist) and Daniel Frey (Auditor and CEO of the company Green Growth sustainability consultancy)
Moderator: Telmo Medeiros Pinto (Executive Secretary of the Intermunicipal Community of Tâmega e Sousa)
15:50 – Sustainable Tourist Destinations: Green is the new destination!
Speakers: Rui Mendes (Coordinator of the Baião Sustainable Tourist Destination Project – Baião City Council), Manoel Batista (Mayor of Melgaço City Council), Carolina Mendonça (Coordinator of the Sustainability Management Structure of the Azores Destination DMO), Anna- Lena Wallin (Järvsö Sustainable Destination Project Manager – Sweden), Luigi Cabrini (GSTC Chairman), Pau Pitarch (Earthcheck Representative for Southern Europe and Central America)
Moderator: Paula Nunes da Silva (Presenter of Planeta Verde – Porto Canal)
16:40 – Closing of the session – Paulo Pereira (Mayor of Baião)
17:00 – Café / Networking
