The Mariñas Coruñesas Biosphere Reserve joined the Comprehensive Tourism Quality System in Destinations (SICTED) in 2020, an initiative promoted by the State Secretariat for Tourism and the FEMP that aims to improve visitor satisfaction and the quality of tourism services in a territory. The project offers training and advice to tourism companies and services to apply best practices, meet common standards, and obtain the “Tourism Quality Commitment” distinction.
In the Reserve, the program began with the restaurant sector, with the aim of improving customer service and promoting the consumption of local and nearby products, linked to the Biosphere Reserve Quality Mark. In 2019, the first sixteen restaurants were certified, and in 2020, participation was extended to other hospitality establishments, accommodations, and agri-food companies that were already part of the Brand. To coordinate the work, the Destination Quality Board was also created, a space for collaboration between public and private entities in the territory that allows for evaluating progress, planning improvements, and consolidating the Reserve as a sustainable and quality destination.
Creation of the Destination Quality Board
To achieve a participatory destination, we established the Tourism Destination Quality Board in 2019, which aims to be a good governance board among agents in the territory working towards tourism, and which is intended to be a genuine forum for debate, fostering public-private collaboration, which is considered essential.
The main functions of the Tourism Destination Quality Board are:
- Evaluate the project management in the destination.
- Establish short to medium-term objectives.
- Assess and approve proposals for destination improvement.
- Prepare the proposal for granting, renewing, or withdrawing the distinctions of companies and public services.
- Act as the Local Committee of the "Spanish Biosphere Reserves" Tourism Product Club (advisory body of the "Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo" Biosphere Reserve, consisting of technicians, experts, and representatives from the sector and territory, whose main purpose will be to provide support and technical advice functions, which contribute to implementing the objectives of the "Spanish Biosphere Reserves" Tourism Product Club and the State Ecotourism Club through the SICTED methodology, as well as promoting this tourism model in the territory).
- Act as the SICTED Destination Quality Board.
- Define and execute proposals, activities, and budgets related to the Tourism Geodestination.
- Good governance board among agents in the territory working towards tourism.
- Any other function assigned by the destination management entity, on which it depends.
