The Regional Government created a sustainability management structure (DMO)

The Regional Government approved the creation of the destination´s sustainability management structure, whose mission is to plan, analyse, coordinate, develop and enhance actions aimed, through qualification, at the development of Madeira as a tourist destination.

The DMO (Destination Management Organization) is responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing all procedures inherent to Madeira’s Certification process, in the context of tourism sustainability. Furthermore, it is responsible for developing, coordinating and executing all procedures inherent to the implementation of planning, management, evaluation, and monitoring instruments related to the Sustainability of Madeira as Tourist Destination in the environmental, economic, social, and cultural dimensions.

Throughout this process, based on the criteria defined by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the UN, it is important to include the involvement and collaboration of several entities of the public and private sector, such as, the local trade, our local community and our visitors.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board, a group that is part of the DMO, will be constituted, chaired by the Regional Secretary for Tourism and Culture, and formed by public, associative or private entities, representing interests directly related to the theme of the sustainability of Madeira as a Tourist Destination, with the aim of monitoring, analysing, debating, issuing opinions and making recommendations on the Certification process as a Sustainable Tourist Destination.

On the other hand, working groups will be created to include representatives of the Regional Government bodies and entities representing local interests, associative entities representing the community, companies and the local community with the aim of defining, monitoring and supporting the implementation of the several instruments necessary for the certification process of the Region as a Sustainable Tourist Destination.

Raise the destination level

The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Culture highlights that the work, which started in the summer of 2021, is now taking a new step towards the implementation of certification, which he emphasizes aims to “reinforce a logic of sustainability, raising Madeira to an important level that will provide an additional and relevant opportunity for notoriety and visibility“.

Eduardo Jesus highlights that, in addition to the importance of the Region itself, it is important to remember that, currently, travelers “increasingly value destinations that promote sustainability practices, and this translates into the choice of their holidays, which is why we all win, due to the growing demand for the destination, making it more competitive, through economic, social and environmental development, and equally for ensuring that natural and cultural resources are preserved for future generations“.

The new management structure will be led by Cora Maria Gonçalves Teixeira, Director of Touristic Qualification Services of the Regional Tourism Board.

Sustainability Policies

Madeira has long implemented environmental sustainability policies for the destination, known by the thousands of tourists who visit throughout the year.

The Regional Government went further and invested in the sustainability certification of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (Madeira and Porto Santo). To this end, the Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Culture, through the Regional Tourism Board, signed a contract, following the public procedure carried out for this purpose, with the Institute for Planning and Development of Tourism, which integrates the network of members of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the highest body in the definition and management of world standards for sustainable tourism: Criteria GSTC. It is also responsible for the accreditation of entities for the certification of companies and tourist destinations in terms of sustainability.

The sustainability certification process of Madeira will be concluded at the beginning of next year, and the next steps will count on the contribution of the Working Groups, the definition of the destination’s Sustainability Policy, as well as benchmarking that involves gathering several qualitative and quantitative KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), a Risk Assessment Plan, and a Sustainability Action Plan.

The World Tourism Organization considers Sustainable Tourism whom safeguards the environment and natural resources, ensures the economic growth of tourism, capable of satisfying the needs of the present and future generations.
In addition, the UN defined 2017 as the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism”, recognizing the importance of Tourism as a way to stimulate better understanding between people everywhere.

Source: Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Culture