The Gibraltar Tourist Board and the Department of the Environment, in partnership with ANIMONDIAL, have embarked on a Gibraltar Nature Positive Tourism (GNPT) Pilot. This initiative will explore how Gibraltar can continue to develop its tourism sector while protecting and enhancing the natural environment on which the destination depends.

The project will examine the relationship between tourism and Gibraltar’s natural environment, including where tourism depends on healthy ecosystems, where visitor activity may create pressures and where opportunities exist for tourism to contribute positively through areas such as visitor management, environmental stewardship, conservation, investment and nature-positive business practices.

An initial phase will include engagement with representatives from Government, tourism and hospitality businesses, tour and activity operators, marine tourism, transport, business organisations and environmental stakeholders. Their experience and perspectives will help identify priorities and shape the development of a Gibraltar Nature Positive Tourism Strategic Roadmap.

Daniel Turner, Co-Founder and director of ANIMONDIAL, a specialist consultancy helping the tourism sector improve its relationship with animals, biodiversity and nature, visited Gibraltar during the week commencing 14 September to undertake a programme of stakeholder meetings as part of this exploratory work.

Daniel Turner said: “I am excited about the potential of the Gibraltar Nature Positive Tourism Pilot to demonstrate a new way of thinking about destination management. By putting the ecological condition of a destination at the heart of tourism planning and decision-making, we can help businesses understand how their activities interact with nature and find practical ways to support both a thriving tourism economy and a healthier, more resilient destination.”

Minister for the Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change and Education, the Hon Professor John Cortes MBE MP, said: “Gibraltar’s tourism product has to be at the highest possible level. This is not only in respect of sites and facilities, which we are constantly improving, but in relation to how we manage and interact with our natural environment. Our Nature Reserve is our main attraction, and our macaques the most popular characters. We must ensure that all our natural assets are well looked after and all interactions have animal welfare as the main consideration. This project will involve all stakeholders to ensure that this is so.”

Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tourism, the Hon Christian Santos GMD MP, said: “Gibraltar’s natural environment is an integral part of what makes us such a distinctive destination. This project gives us an opportunity to explore how tourism can continue to develop while playing a positive role in protecting the natural assets on which our destination depends.”

The pilot will continue over the coming months, with the findings from the research and stakeholder engagement informing the next stages of the project and identifying opportunities for practical action.