ECOTURIST Commitment

To ensure that tourism activities do not negatively affect the conservation of this natural heritage, but on the contrary, to serve as a tool to enhance its value, the Geopark, even before being declared by UNESCO as a World Geopark, has been implementing for years its strategic plan for sustainable development which includes actions such as the implementation of studies of carrying capacity, conservation and restoration of degraded areas or work with the tourism sector of the territory under sustainability criteria. Since 2021, the association that manages the Geopark, is part of the Association of Ecotourism in Spain and the Association TRINO Ecotourism Club of Castila y León. It is also a member of the driving group of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS) Parque Natural Montaña Palentina, developing various actions included in its Strategic Plan. Currently, more than 60 Collaborating Entities accredited by the Geopark, which include producers, artisans, rural lodging, restaurants, eco-shops and ecotourism activity companies, have adopted sustainability criteria for years, thus contributing to the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the Geopark. These companies participate each year in the training days or exchanges with other territories that the Geopark organizes to make ecotourism a hallmark of the territory. Since 2023, Las Loras Geopark has been incorporated as a Soy Ecoturista destination, with the outstanding participation of eight Soy Ecoturismo Member Companies. These companies, which are simultaneously Collaborating Entities of the Geopark, have decided to go a step further in their commitments to sustainability and conservation. This commitment guarantees their compliance with the necessary requirements to join Soy Ecoturista, thus reinforcing their link with the Geopark and their commitment to sustainable tourism practices.