Based in Palma, as its name shows, Palmawithpilar is one of our proud Spanish SMEs, led by Pilar Echegaray, who offers walking guided tour of the city. After finding out about the Biosphere certification during the TouriSME training in Valencia, Pilar decided to work hard to obtain this label! We had a call with her to find out more about her achievement.
Pilar joined TouriSME during the 2nd call for SMEs, and had never been part of a European project before. Her first trip as part of TouriSME was to attend the training in Valencia, in September 2022, and was a great success. Even if Pilar admits that the perspective of traveling alone was a bit intimidating, she was thrilled to meet other SMEs who shared the same adventure! For the occasion, a Biosphere expert came to the training to present the certification, and Pilar immediately decided to pursue it.
The Biosphere seal is attributed to companies who implement a sustainability strategy based of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Once again, this process was brand new to Pilar, but our partner ITC was of the greatest support. After submitting her application with her strategy, Pilar’s company underwent a thorough audit by Biosphere’s expert team. 4 months after discovering Biosphere, Pilar got certified, thanks to all the actions she initiated to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of natural environment. You’ll discover more about the details of her certification on the dedicated page on Biosphere’s website.
Pilar declared “This recognition highlights my commitment to sustainability and responsible tourism practices. As a tour guide in Mallorca, I have always been passionate about preserving the island’s natural beauty and cultural heritage for future generations. That’s why I have worked tirelessly to incorporate sustainable practices into my business operations and promote sustainable tourism to my clients. As a responsible tour guide, I believe that it is essential to educate travellers about the importance of sustainable tourism and encourage them to make responsible choices during their visit to Mallorca.”
Besides attending the training in Valencia, Pilar travelled to Paris, Rimini and Madrid to benefit from the project’s activities. “I am very grateful for the opportunity I’ve had. In no other context would I have been able to travel across Europe to learn more about sustainable tourism. During the trainings and matchmakings, I made some valuable friends and met many new clients. Thank you for giving me such an opportunity!”
