After participating in a pilot project promoted by Segittur through the Network of Smart Tourist Destinations (DTI Network), in which other destinations such as Tenerife, Donosti, the Somontano region and Valladolid have also participated, Sitges already has a roadmap to move towards a circular economy in the tourism sector.

This model aims to achieve sustainable growth by prioritizing the use of consumption, collaboration between actors in the territory and by reducing the consumption of resources.

It is an alternative to the linear consumption system and a way to meet the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

The councilman of Tourism, Brandon Jones, assures that "tourism sustainability is part of the sitgetà DNA and participating in projects like this allows us to be leaders, improve the destination, the quality of life of the citizens and the visitor's experience".

Sitges has had a group made up of technicians with knowledge of water management, waste, mobility, innovation and tourism promotion for the development of the project and also a second group of 10 entities or companies in areas related to tourism and that have sustainability as a strategic axis of its development. Based on this work, a diagnosis has been made which highlights that many companies in the territory are already committed to sustainability and are a good reference for the rest of the sector.

The final document gathers up to 16 proposals for actions to be developed in the short, medium and long term and which are distributed in 4 work axes:

⦁ Axis 1 - circular tourism strategy, management and planning.
⦁ Axis 2 - efficient energy management, mobility and emissions reduction.
⦁ Axis 3 - efficient waste and water management.
⦁ Axis 4 - production, responsible consumption and circular tourism supply.

Among the proposals are: training for local technicians and service providers, the creation of a system of indicators, awareness campaigns and support for companies, calculation of the carbon footprint and the creation of public-private collaboration networks for the promotion and implementation of specific projects. Some of the actions proposed are also included in the Tourism Sustainability Plan for Destinations - Next Generation Funds.

About the Network of Smart Tourist Destinations

Sitges joined in 2022 the Network of Smart Tourist Destinations, a project of the Secretary of State for Tourism to improve the competitiveness and digitization of the tourism sector. The program is coordinated by Segittur and allows entities that are part of them, access to innovative pilot projects in the territory that represent an opportunity for improvement for Sitges.

In recent months, pilot projects on the tourist life cycle have been developed and the company has participated in national working groups on tourism intelligence and sun and beach destinations.