The Calp Town Council has taken another step towards making the destination more sustainable. It has obtained the "S" Sustainability Certificate for its main beaches, Arenal-Bol and La Fossa, as well as its two tourist offices, one in Plaza Mosquit and the other at the salt flats.
This certification is awarded by the Institute for Spanish Tourism Quality (ICTE) in recognition of the best practices and commitments undertaken by the Calp Town Council, which are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and constitute a new, respectful, and inclusive tourism model in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
To obtain the "S" Sustainability Certificate, the Calp Town Council designed a Sustainability Plan with strategic actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals it aims to incorporate. This plan includes actions already implemented as well as those planned for the future.
In this regard, noteworthy achievements include the addition of Arenal-Bol, La Fossa, and Cantal Roig beaches to the Smoke-Free Beaches network, the implementation of the ordinance prohibiting smoking on all coves and beaches in the municipality, the provision of a shuttle service for people with reduced mobility from their homes to accessible bathing areas, the purchase of equipment to facilitate accessible bathing such as two amphibious chairs and ten packs of amphibious crutches, and the certification of Calp's Climate Change Adaptation Plan according to the international standard UNE-ISO 14092:2021, which establishes the requirements for local entities to effectively plan their response to the effects of climate change.
Also included is the launch of a study on the carrying capacity of the municipality's beaches, which aims to assess the impact of current human activity on these natural spaces and will enable the implementation of measures to protect and preserve the municipality's coastal environment.
In addition, the electricity and water consumption and waste generation of the tourist offices will be recorded, as well as the fuel used by the Local Police patrols on the beaches and by the vehicles used for beach cleaning, and the waste collected in the promenade litter bins, among other parameters, to measure the negative impact of the activities carried out both in the tourist offices and on these two beaches.
Similarly, the Calp Tourist Offices Action Plan also includes the renovation of the Arenal-Bol tourist information booth, specialized training for tourism technicians on the improvements to be made to the SICTED system (the project to improve the quality of tourist destinations, promoted by the State Secretariat for Tourism - SETUR), and the implementation of the environmental education and awareness campaign “Take care of Calp today, enjoy it always!” This includes the installation of advertising panels and the distribution of a brochure outlining ten best practices for achieving a more sustainable municipality, as well as the creation of a brand to promote the Environmental Education program and disseminate all environmental information about the municipality through social media and its website, among other actions.
A sustainability committee has also been established to implement and maintain the "S" for Sustainability certification. This committee will promote sustainable criteria in the management of Calp's tourist offices and beaches, and will monitor compliance with environmental, social, and economic indicators and commitments.
The "S" for Sustainability certification was achieved as part of the "Consulting Services for the Incorporation of the Town into the ETIS Tourism Sustainability System" contract, which cost €29,023.06 and included, as an improvement, the processing of the certification process. This certification, which must be renewed annually, aims to foster more responsible and sustainable tourism, as well as promote environmental protection, cultural heritage, and local socioeconomic development.
Both the adoption of the ETIS Indicators System and the awarding of the S Sustainability Certificate are actions included in Calp's Destination Tourism Sustainability Plan (PSTD), within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, funded by Next Generation EU.
