Ecotourism.- “Ecotourism is the journey to a natural area to know it, interpret it, enjoy it and travel through it, while appreciating and contributing in a practical way to its conservation, without generating impacts on the environment and impacting positively on the local population”.
This is how ecotourism was defined at the 1st National Ecotourism Congress in Daimiel in November 2016.
The Picos de Europa National Park is currently the third largest N.P. in Spain, regarding the number of annual visitors received. With this data we can get an idea of the diversity of the public that visits this protected natural space.
In the Asturian side of this park we, a group of businessmen related to tourism, have decided to create an ecotourism association. The aim is to perform environmentally sustainable tourism and, at the same time, draw attention to how we work and the way tourist enjoy it.
The Spanish Ecotourism Association includes the national ecotourism associations that have passed the relevant filters. This ensures their good way of working to benefict a tourism that offers experiences in nature while taking care of their environment.
This is the next goal of our association: to be part of that select club. Only those associations that meet special requirements have access to it. We hope to be accepted soon.
MEMBERS OF ECOPICOS DE EUROPA
Our association, Ecopicos de Europa, was created in June 2019 by the following entrepreneurs:
LODGES
FOUNDATION
Foundation for the Conservation of Lammegeier
LANGUAGE SCHOOL
ACTIVITY COMPANIES
Tourism and mountain activities guide
These are the seeds which we want to implement a different way of knowing this area of Asturias with. Enjoying the nature that Picos de Europa National Park has to offer. Helping to preserve it by carrying out our activities in an environmentally respectful way. Offseting the carbon footprint generated by our activity. Buying local products and keeping population in the territory, that is to say, having a positive impact on the local population.
In our particular case, we make an annual extimation for the carbon emissions generated by our activity, to make an economic conversion and use that money on two purposes:
