ARN Sostenible - Digital Magazine by Turismo Arona

ARN SOSTENIBLE Nº1 · JANUARY 2019

Digital magazine

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Editor: Sarah Hutchings Designer: Tania Gómez ARN Sostenible – Digital Magazine. All rights reserved. It is strictly forbidden to reproduce any article or part thereof, photograph, illustration or any other content featured in this publication without the written authorisation of:

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW DIGITAL MAGAZINE! We are delighted to be able to share with you the work we are doing to make Arona a world reference when it comes to sustainability. It’s true that the same sustainability hardly anyone was talking about a few years ago, at least not in the main councils and tourist destinations, has now become an inseparable part of any project that wants to have a future, that wants to survive the test of time. Sustainability is already synonymous with competitiveness. And the awareness of this pairing is vital because it has led social organisations, companies and professionals to commit to it when it comes to planning their strategies. The Arona Council, in our current mandate, has made sustainability one of the main pillars of its government action. Because we want to remain competitive in an increasingly aware, interconnected and complex world? Yes, that is definitely one of the reasons, but it’s neither the only nor the main one. The commitment to sustainability lies deep within our DNA, embedded in our values. We want and believe in a sustainable Arona, a sustainability that is environmental, of course, but also social and economic. We are working to achieve an environmentally sustainable municipality, that will allow us to remain competitive. Also, for a municipality that really values its traditions, its local produce and its primary sector. This will preserve our land and will contribute to the diversification of the economy and to a fairer distribution of wealth. Our hope is for the wealth generated by tourism to be distributed fairly among our neighbours and our workers. Because we want to be competitive? Yes, we do. But, above all, as a matter of principle.

– José Julián Mena (Mayor of Arona)

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In the end, being sustainable simply means working hard to leave our children and their children a better world than the one we have now. Is there anyone who doesn’t share that desire?

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CONTENTS

Our children, our future Online and free courses Looking after our beaches Cigarette butts, public enemy No. 1

Talking to: Sergio Hanquet

Goodbye to plastic water bottles!

10 easy ways to reduce the plastic in your life

Arona: Pioneers in drinking water!

LED it be

Protecting our own from invasive species

Saving our traditions

38 42 46 48 50

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Everyone is unique, everyone is equal Sun, sea and lots of vegetables! Our events Biosphere Destination Arona Culture & Business Pride

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PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT

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OUR CHILDREN, OUR FUTURE There’s a very clear reason behind everything we do in the Arona Council with regard to sustainability: to leave the planet in the best possible condition for our children, their children and the future generations. And where better to start than with increasing the awareness among our children? The earlier you lead a life that’s as respectful to the environment as possible, the better. For them, it won’t even be a matter of having to change their daily habits, as it is for most adults right now; they will have taken on board sustainable practices almost without knowing it, and living sustainably will come as second nature.

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A clear example of our commitment to our children is the “Mi Cole Recicla” (‘My School Recycles’) programme, which is now in its second year. The initiative was created in a joint effort between the council’s environmental department and a company called Clece and has been a roaring success, both with teachers and students as well as their families.

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DID YOU KNOW: ARONA’S “MI COLE RECICLA” INITIATIVE IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE CANARIES?

What is the goal?

How is it achieved?

As the Mayor, José Julián Mena, says: “the goal was to raise children’s awareness about the importance of recycling, teaching them how to differentiate types of waste and how to use each one of the containers according to their colour”.

Well, through what children love most: playing! A competition has been set up between the 12 infant and primary schools in the municipality. Because, as we all know, kids love competing and it’s so much nicer to have fun while you learn!

Beyond that, the idea is to help them understand how important it is to take proper care of our environment. Through talks, workshops, videos and games, students receive the knowledge they’ll need to become respectful members of our society.

Over the period of seven months, each school is equipped with at least two yellow containers, in which plastic packaging, cans and tetra bricks are collected. The prizes help Arona’s different learning centres to purchase, among other things, books, educational toys, sports equipment or even to set up a school garden project. A weekly ranking: How is your child’s school doing? Every week, through the Mi Cole Recicla Facebook page, a ranking is published, listing how each school is doing. Ready, set, recycle!

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THE RESULTS? AMAZING! This year’s campaign is still going, but the results of the first one, which took place last year, were really impressive:

1. 7 7 1

the number of full 1,500-litre containers collected in schools.

the number of TONNES of cans, tetra bricks and plastic containers collected by students.

UNITS

TONNES

5.233

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STUDENTS

Number of participating students

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“Our goal is to create members of society who are responsible, knowledgeable and aware of the need to take care of our environment. But it’s more than that; as we raise our children’s awareness with this campaign, they in turn take this awareness home and share it with their families, so that in the end, “Mi Cole Recicla” whether directly or indirectly, reaches several thousand of our neighbours” ARN SOSTENIBLE · ENVIRONMENT

– José Julián Mena

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MI COLE RECICLA TALKING WITH: DIEGO CABELLO MARRERO, FROM CLECE.

What’s the idea behind it? Mi Cole Recicla (“My School Recycles”) is a campaign that aims to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and reducing plastic consumption. To do this, we carry out a series of talks and workshops with children from different schools in Arona, and then, to encourage recycling, we hold a competition in which schools receive prizes depending on how much they recycle. With the idea that knowledge really transcends beyond children, they’re also allowed to bring what they recycle at home, so that it’s actually the children themselves who are making their families aware of the importance of recycling.

What’s the reaction been like in schools?

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Overall, schools are showing a real desire to take part. Most of them already have recycling, reducing plastic consumption and other related topics in their curriculum, so in many cases Mi Cole Recicla serves to complement and strengthen the school’s initiative in the fight against the enormous problem we face with plastic.

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“One of the slogans for the fight against climate change is ‘Think global, act local’ and that is precisely what we’re doing with Mi Cole Recicla”

How important is it to start with the little ones? It’s absolutely essential! In most cases children aren’t aware of the damage caused by plastics, nor the problem in the oceans. For example, they don’t know about what happens when rubbish is thrown into the sea, and the longterm consequences this will have. And on top of that, the energy and positivity of children allows us to achieve so much more. We explain to them, carefully, the problems that exist and, in most cases, they are the ones who then take that message home and share it with their families.

How do you think initiatives like Mi Cole Recicla help in the fight against climate change? The excessive, mindless consumption of plastics is one of the major problems we face today as a society. Enormous quantities of plastic waste are generated whose final destination, if not recycled, will be landfill or incineration, which will then generate even higher emissions of gases such as CO2, which are causing climate change. And that’s without mentioning everything generated in the manufacturing process itself. ARN SOSTENIBLE · ENVIRONMENT

One of the slogans for the fight against climate change is “Think global, act local” and that is precisely what we are doing with Mi Cole Recicla. The campaign aims to reach all children in school in Arona. If we manage to spread this “recycling gene” we’ll be helping to make sure that our residents’ homes reduce their impact on the environment.

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Another milestone for Arona:

WE’RE THE FIRST MUNICIPALITY IN SPAIN TO OFFER SUSTAINABLE TOURISM TRAINING COURSES THAT ARE FREE AND 100% ONLINE! We really are insistent when it comes to improving the quality of life in our municipality. And the foundation for so, so much of the progress we’ve made? Education. We never tire of saying it.

Are you interested in knowing more about sustainable development and management? Do you want to stand out in the tourism industry? You can. And you don’t need to pay a thing. The Arona Tourist Board, along with the support of the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), has given workers within the tourism industry as well as residents with a general interest, the chance to take the first four free online training courses. And what’s our goal in doing this? To enable our residents to be better qualified and improve their employment opportunities with proper training on sustainable development and management. Easy to use and unique in Spain at the city council level, the programme currently offers four courses, which are:

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Sustainable management of tourist destinations.

Each course offers more than 40 hours of quality training, made up of animated presentations, audiovisual material, documentation, reinforcement material and test evaluations. Once completed, you will be given a certificate accredited by the RTI. Increasingly, sustainability is one of the main factors when it comes to choosing a destination, both for tour operators and consumers themselves. In other words, any destination that doesn’t have sustainability as a priority, has its days numbered. “Sustainability’s importance in the tourism sector both of today and tomorrow makes it absolutely essential that we provide our workers within the municipality all the tools they need for training and retraining in this field, so that we give them a greater opportunity to find skilled jobs in an increasingly competitive world.” – José Julián Mena

Biosphere regulations. Indicators of sustainable tourism and SDG. Basic foundations of sustainable tourism for companies.

Want to know more?

ARONA.BIOSPHERETOURISM.COM

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“We want our neighbours to be fully prepared for what the market is demanding now and will demand from them in the coming years” - José Julián Mena

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100% OF ALL TURTLES AND 80% OF SEABIRDS ON THE PLANET ARE AFFECTED BY PLASTICS

LOOKING AFTER OUR BEACHES A JOB FOR EVERYONE Is there anyone out there who doesn’t appreciate just what a blessing our beaches are? Especially living on an island like ours where, apart from being a place where unforgettable family memories are made, they’re also one of the key elements in our appeal to tourists, a sector so many of us depend on. In the Arona Council we work extremely hard to ensure that our beaches are in the best possible condition. In fact, of the 12 Tenerife beaches currently waving the famous blue flag, Arona is very proud to have 3 of them: Los Cristianos, El Camisón and Las Vistas.

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Did you know that every two weeks, we collect and test water samples from all the beaches in our municipality? We do this both to ensure the correct health standards of the water and bathing areas, and also to be able to provide our residents with regular, updated information on the hygiene status of every one of our beaches, with complete transparency.

Would you like to see the results? You can! We upload the latest results to our website every two weeks. We also make sure we provide sufficient rubbish bins on our beaches. These are separated by colour, according to their recycling category, so that locals and tourists can easily throw their waste into the correct bin. However, although we at the council are doing our part, the ongoing maintenance of our beaches is something that requires everyone’s collaboration, both those who live here and those just visiting.

Fotografía Francis Pérez

CLEAN-UPS

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Join a beach clean-up. There are several NGOs that organise regular cleaning events.. Canarias Libre de Plásticos is a good example.

› www.canariaslibredeplasticos.org

BE RESPONSIBLE

Never leave your rubbish on the sand, use the bins provided (and the correct colour)

The importance of a clean beach If we are part of the problem, we must be part of the solution. One of the biggest problems we face today is the pollution of our oceans and our coastlines. This brings with it several consequences, all negative. Among them, we’ve chosen to highlight the following: A dirty beach is harmful to the animals that live on or are passing through our coastline: there are numerous examples of seabirds, turtles and cetaceans that are affected by floating rubbish such as plastics and abandoned fishing gear. This causes serious damage, either when it’s mistaken for food, or when these poor animals find themselves caught up in the nets and ropes, etc. 80% of the plastics that reach the sea come from land and are due to human activity of some sort and 20% of the pollution has happened at sea (fishing, etc.). This spoils marine ecosystems on both a local and global scale.

Speaking from a touristic point of view, a contaminated beach has a serious negative affect on the economy. If neither we nor the tourists who visit us can use the beach, we can start saying goodbye to tourism, one of Arona’s biggest gems!

EDUCATE

Make sure your children throw away the sticks from their ice lollies, ice creams and especially lollipops like Chupa-Chups. Teach your children, nephews, grandchildren, etc. the importance of taking good care of our beaches and natural environment.

CARE WHEN FLUSHING

Never throw cotton buds, wet wipes or other hygiene products into the toilet. These products also reach the sea, polluting the seabed and coastline.

CIGARETTE BUTTS

Never, ever, ever, leave your cigarette butts in the sand! It’s one of the biggest polluters that exist.

* Can you believe that, in a beach clean-up, a colleague of ours collected, in just one hour ... almost 100 plastic ChupaChups lollipop sticks!

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Nowadays, it is scientifically proven that plastic is already present at all levels of the human food chain. Millions of tiny fragments, known as microplastics, are ingested by fish and filtered by other animals (molluscs, crustaceans, etc.) which also damages their organisms. Many of this marine life ends up being food on our plate, of course, and so does the plastic – which reaches our stomachs. This is happening right now. But we can – and must – fight to make sure this problem doesn’t get any worse.

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CIGARETTE BUTTS PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1

Whenever we think about taking care of our beaches and oceans, what usually comes to mind is the alarming plastic problem, right?

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Well actually, there’s something even worse that’s destroying our environment: cigarette butts.

In all honesty, knowing what we know, it defies belief that we should even need to remind people not to leave their cigarette butts on the beach. But you only have to visit any one of our beaches to see that this is still happening, because there are people who seem to do it automatically, without realising the environmental damage they are causing.

Think twice:

ONE SINGLE CIGARETTE BUTT = 10 YEARS OF CONTAMINATION

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Now, take a minute to get your head around these chilling statistics:

15%

In Spain, 32.8 BILLION cigarettes are consumed per year ...89.800.000 cigarettes a day!

15% of which end up on our beaches ...that's 5 BILLION cigarettes!

Each cigarette butt can contaminate between 8 and 10 litres of sea water ...and up to 50 litres of fresh water!

And, perhaps worst of all: the polluting effect of these cigarette butts can last between 7 and 12 years

Many people believe, wrongly, that butts are somehow biodegradable. Nothing could be further from the truth! They contain acetone, ammonia and naphthalene apart from the very harmful arsenic, methanol, polonium, industrial solvents and even radioactive elements. All this trans-

lates into an enormous environmental problem, not only for beaches, oceans and seas, but also because they pollute our natural spaces and even spark forest fires.

Let’s commit to making our beaches free of cigarette butts and plastic. It all depends on us! The Arona Council offers smokers complimentary portable ashtrays. If you’re unable to find one, use a serviette, small packet or container and throw it into the black rubbish bin. It’s as easy as that!

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This means that, even if the cigarette butt is removed, the damage is already done, because when they come into contact with water, they release all the environmental poison contained within, killing molluscs, fish, reptiles, birds and cetaceans.

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TALKING TO:

When it comes to our seas, who better to speak with than documentary photographer and ocean lover Sergio Hanquet? Originally from Belgium, Sergio has lived on the Islands for 32 years now, and has been scuba diving from day one. He began his career as a documentary photographer 25 years ago and has since been able to capture images that have taken everyone’s breath away. His photos have appeared in both the print and online media of Spain, Brazil, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, among others. In fact, the Arona Council chose Sergio as a recipient of the 2018 Gánigo Prize for his fabulous work in making all the wonders, uniqueness and riches of our aquatic life known to us, and for his efforts to protect it.

What changes have you noticed in recent years with regard to the plastic problem and ocean warming?

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What we find in the sea is a pure reflection of what we’re doing on land; the abuse of our resources, for example. The plastic problem has existed ever since it first began to be produced and used, getting worse over time, of course... The only difference is that now we are much more aware of the damage it causes. It takes a long time for people to change their ways and make better choices in terms of the responsible use of plastic. The greatest action has to come from governments and large companies. And the sooner the better! As for ocean warming, which is definitely happening, I don’t have enough accurate data to give a strong opinion. In the Canary Islands, although we’ve always seen the arrival of tropical species, it’s true that in the past 10 years this has increased. There are several reasons for this, including the slight increase in water temperature. On the other hand, we’ve seen a decline in the number of species of Mediterranean affinities. It’s not something to be horrified about though, there have been evolutionary changes in all the world’s ecosystems throughout history.

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“On a global level, ocean warming can have drastic consequences and it’s vital that governments and large companies take urgent and sufficient action”

What are the main species found in our waters? We have species of both tropical and Mediterranean affinities, representative of the entire Canarian archipelago. Some are benthic (related to the seabed), such as grouper, parrot fish, trumpet fish, angel sharks, rays, anemones and coral, etc. Others are pelagic (they live in the water column), and this includes many fish like tuna, sardines, sharks, etc. as well as a huge variety of cetaceans (30 species of whales and dolphins) and sea turtles.

What are the biggest threats facing these species? The misuse of resources. It’s clear that extraction (fishing) doesn’t help any species, which is why it’s necessary to be rigorous when it comes to exploitation. Pollution also plays an important role.

What can we all do to protect and care for marine life?

*All answers shown are personal opinions of Sergio Hanquet, based on his own experiences at sea.

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More than a matter of caring for marine life, it’s about respecting where we live, our environment, on a day-to-day basis. As I said before, the ocean is a reflection of our daily habits and activities on land. I believe that, with a bit of common sense, each of us can help to stop this environmental “harassment”.

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GOODBYE TO PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES!

A glass of water while we wait at the dentist, a bottle of water when we get thirsty watching our children playing in the park or with our morning coffee, such a routine habit that we do it almost automatically, right? If you’re among the people who think that once doesn’t matter, the truth is that it really does. Because when seven billion people think “one doesn’t matter” - you can imagine the scale of the problem we create.

One million plastic bottles are thrown away every minute around the world

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It’s impossible to imagine, isn’t it? But this is what’s happening. And we all have to do our part to make sure this doesn’t continue. Not only do you help the planet but you’ll also save yourself a significant amount of money. In the end, you’ll realise that helping the environment brings us nothing but benefits! So, if you want to help in the fight against plastic (and of course you want to!) get yourself a reusable water bottle. The best ones are made from stainless steel, because they last much longer and keep your water nice and cold for up to 24 hours.

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10 EASY WAYS TO REDUCE THE PLASTIC IN YOUR LIFE

1 Remember to take your shopping bags with you when you leave home.

2 Get yourself a stainless steel water bottle and always carry it with you.

3 Have a reusable coffee cup in your bag if you normally ask for your coffee to go.

4 Choose cardboard packaging instead of plastic whenever possible. For example, when buying pasta or rice.

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110 straws per person, every year. 13 million The number of straws we throw away every day in Spain

Sadly, Spain holds the record for being the country that uses the most straws per person per year in the whole of Europe.

5 Never ask for a straw with your drink. They’re not even necessary (Or if you do want one, get a reusable steel or bamboo version, or even edible ones made out of sweets).

2 billion number of razors thrown away every year throughout the world

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Avoid micro-plastics in your cosmetic products at all costs. If you see polypropylene or polyethylene on the label, forget it!

52 Average number of disposable razors used per person in a year

7 Disposable razors are one of the most polluting items. Get a reusable or an electric one instead.

Cloth nappies. Yes, just like our grandparents used, although they’re more comfortable and easier to use than ever. And here in the Canaries they dry in no time!

Bearing in mind that each woman has around 40 fertile years and that some 25 sanitary towels or tampons are used per period, each woman will use between 10,000 and 13,000 sanitary products in her life.

If you’re a woman, using a silicone cup when you get your period only brings advantages: it’s much cheaper (one lasts years), safer for your body and... it doesn’t harm the planet at all!

Think big. If your oil comes in one litre or 5 litre bottles, we’re talking about having to recycle one container or five. Buy the two kilo bag of rice instead of the 500g one if you can. etc.

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ARONA: PIONEERS IN DRINKING WATER! Who drinks from the tap in their house with no worries at all? Well, thanks to an innovative new measure, the first of its kind in the Canaries, if you live in Arona, you’ll soon be able to!

With the help of Canaragua, we at the Arona Council want to make sure that the water our neighbours drink is of the highest quality, not at the source, where the samples required by law were already being taken regularly, but where the water is actually consumed: in our homes, schools, public buildings and health centres.

This represents a giant leap in quality and gives our neighbours - and ourselves - immense peace of mind. And, perhaps as - if not more - important, think about all those bottles of water that you won’t have to buy, saving you money but, above all, considerably reducing the amount of bottles you throw away.

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We have put in place a control and analysis system that will involve taking a total of 134 water samples in the nine supply areas our municipality is divided into. Each sample will be subjected to an analysis that will determine the levels of various elements subject to control such as smell, colour, taste, pH, residual free chlorine, iron, ammonium, bacteria or E. coli. The results will then be forwarded to the user or responsible body, along with a letter indicating the water rating and possible actions to be taken to correct any anomaly.

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LED IT BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS CHANGING YOUR LIGHTBULBS CAN MAKE SUCH A DIFFERENCE TO THE PLANET! One of the easiest things steps we can all take is to change our traditional lightbulbs to LED versions. With their low energy consumption and high efficiency, they’re a key tool in sustainable urban development.

It’s really a no-brainer:

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Less energy consumption

• In Valle San Lorenzo, we updated the areas of Era del Valo, Plaza de la Iglesia, Travesia El Almendro, Casas de Abajo and their surroundings. • In Buzanada, we changed the lighting in the car parks next to the football pitch and on avenida Luciano Bello. • In Las Américas and Los Cristianos, works have been carried out along the

paseo Teneguía and its surroundings, Avenida Gómez Cuesta (opposite the stadium), the Paseo Marítimo from the Troya ravine calle Luis Díaz Losada and from the quay at Los Cristianos to Costamar, paseo San Salvador its surroundings, calle Arenas Blancas and the paseo Veracruz. But that’s not all: In the Los Cristianos Cultural Centre, the second phase of LED installation has already been carried out, as well as fitting motion and photoelectric detectors. The replacement and improvement of street lighting along Avenida Juan Carlos I also figures in the program, where work has already begun. And, the busy Avenida Chayofita, one of the most important roads in Los Cristianos, has also been dressed in LED, debuting a new lighting system that significantly increases safety and reduces the amount of traffic congestion.

Thanks to LED lighting, Arona has reduced the energy consumption of 15 streets in San Lorenzo Valley, Buzanada, Las Américas and Los Cristianos by 22%!

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So, knowing this, we recently launched our plan to update our lighting, with the goal of replacing the street lights and electronic equipment found in our public spaces with new, modern and sustainable versions with a lower energy consumption. We started in the centres of Valle San Lorenzo, Buzanada, Los Cristianos and Las Américas, changing a total of 1,459 light points.

It’s our job to look after public spaces, but in your house, it’s yours! We’re just here to give you a friendly reminder that by switching to LED bulbs, you save yourself money and, as well as reducing your bill every month, you also reduce your impact on the planet.

= more money saved + less environmental impact

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PROTECTING OUR OWN FROM INVASIVE SPECIES While it’s true that variety is beautiful, it’s also true that when there are exotic and invasive species that threaten the existence of our own native species, well, something has to be done!

The innocent appearance of a friendly raccoon, eating food belonging to one of our resident’s pet cats, brought our attention to an important threat to our natural environment (don’t worry, our raccoon friend is alive and well). The appearance in June 2018 of a Procyon lotor, a raccoon, in Arona really opened our eyes to what was a growing phenomenon throughout the Island and, in fact, throughout the Canary Islands: the import and use, both legal and illegal, of exotic species. These animals tend to end up abandoned both here in Arona and in other municipalities, creating a series of environmental problems, even changing sensitive natural areas such as ravines.

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The raccoon may seem like a funny anecdote, but there were other cases, too: A California kingsnake (less funny), iguanas, spiders and even a puma – yes, puma! who managed to enter Tenerife when it was a tiny baby with the documentation that’s used to transport cats.

To deal with this situation, the Arona Council has become one of the first municipalities in Tenerife to launch a service for the detection, control and removal of invasive or exotic animal species through a collaboration with the Fundación Neotrópico. The reason for all this? To look after our native species and conserve the delicate ecosystems of our municipality. For their part, both the Environment and Public Services councillors, José Luis Gómez and Yurena García, say that “it’s of fundamental importance to detect and remove these species, which is why we provide this service that allows us to be vigilant in the face of their appearance and ensure the safest possible removal”.

Think you’ve seen something?

CALL US FREE ON 010

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THE JOURNEY TOWARDS SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

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– José Julián Mena

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“There’s no better way of being sustainable and preserving our identity than by making it known and by seeing to it that a large amount of the oneand-a-half million tourists that visit us every year consume products made right here in Arona”.

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SAVING OUR TRADITIONS Who would we be without our traditions? And how beautiful they are! Their patrimonial, cultural and social value is priceless. For centuries, they have helped shape our identities and we want them to remain that way; alive, respected and recognised. This is why our council works so hard to maintain them, to celebrate their existence and, of course, to save those in danger of disappearing.

TRADITIONS’ DAY A CELEBRATION CLOSE TO OUR HEARTS Each year, the historic centre of Arona returns to its origins, turning into a town of yesteryear. Not only because of the way our streets are decorated and the antique items that are brought in especially, but also because it’s when our traditions really do come to life: The streets are abuzz with the sounds of Canarian music and visitors have all five of their senses stimulated by the customs, food and drink, traditional costumes and shows that take us all back to times gone by. It’s a truly amazing time for everyone!

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This is a celebration in style, where craftsmanship, gastronomy and fond memories abound. Thousands of people, whether locals, tourists, residents of other municipalities, children, grandparents and even pets, gather together each year in a space draped in traditional Canarian crafts, folklore, music, conferences and exhibitions, as well as traditional games and sports. And what on earth does this have to do with sustainability? Well, everything, because the reason for this event is none other than that of preserving the identity, culture and traditions of our municipality and meeting our sustainability goals. As we all know, there’s so much more to Arona than sun and sea. We have to protect and care for our cultural legacy - it’s an enormous source of pride for us!

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FOLK FEST Already in its ninth edition, our Canarias Folk Festival has made Arona a benchmark in the Canary Islands when it comes to spreading our traditions and our identity. Over four months, we offer a wonderful combination that includes the best of Arona’s folklore, gastronomy, traditions and craftsmanship. It’s a dynamic, authentic, lively showcase of our primary and craft sectors. ARN SOSTENIBLE · SOCIETY

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A recent example: the art of rosette making, which passed down from generation to generation during the 19th and 20th Centuries, as a complex artisanal skill. From the Historical Heritage department within Arona Council we have rescued this gorgeous tradition, teaching the technique to more than a hundred people, including students from local education centres. We even have teachers now exploring how the technique for making the rosettes could be applied to help students in learning mathematics.

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“It’s up to all of us to create a society based on respect and equality”

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– José Julián Mena

—P0039

EVERYONE IS UNIQUE EVERYONE IS EQUAL

Women and men, young and old, heterosexual and gays, atheists, believers ... Even fans of Barça and Madrid! Our differences are exactly what makes our world and our municipality so beautiful, which is why any attitude that is not based on equality is not right, not sustainable, and, of course, not one we support. We’re totally convinced that from a place of love and respect, we will change the world. Equality is something we have always taken extremely seriously. And how do you win in the fight against inequality? With education, always...

ARN SOSTENIBLE · SOCIETY

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CREATING A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY

ARN SOSTENIBLE · ECONOMY

—P0041

ARN SOSTENIBLE · ECONOMY

SUN, SEA AND LOTS OF VEGETABLES! We truly feel very sorry for any palate that hasn’t yet tried the delicious fruit and vegetables at our farmers’ market!

Now in its second year, the Arona Farmer’s Market is more popular than ever. Launched in October 2017, it was one of most eagerly awaited projects in our town’s history and has become a weekly must for thousands of people, who get to choose between a wide variety of fruit and vegetables as well as honeys, cakes and pastries, cheeses and handcrafted products. Initially thought of as primarily a meeting point for the primary sector, the market opens every weekend in Valle San Lorenzo, where it enjoys spacious, modern and fully accessible facilities that include a children’s area, training room and over 1,700 square metres of free parking. The market has been such a success that now, apart from opening every Saturday and Sunday, we have taken it out for a walk around the municipality. Our desire to improve the distribution of income generated by tourism between Arona’s many different companies and its residents is why we decided to hold the market on every other Thursday, in the bay area of the Los Cristianos beach, where it has been very warmly received. But what our fantastic market really achieves so well is to connect our primary sector with both our residents and the tourists who visit us. And on top of that, the produce couldn’t be any tastier!

—P0042

The market is a clear example of sustainability in action: it promotes local production, generates wealth among our residents and reduces the carbon footprint. And everyone loves it!

—P0043

We’ve thought of everything!

ARN SOSTENIBLE · ECONOMY

Really want to visit but can’t get there? No problem - the market offers a free shuttle bus service, from Los Cristianos and Las Americas.

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“For the first time, the primary sector has the opportunity to commercialise its goods in the municipality, as well as offering locals a place to buy produce that goes straight from the land to table. It has created a direct connection between the primary and tourist sectors, improving the distribution of the destination’s wealth” – Dácil León, Councillor for Economic Promotion

ARN SOSTENIBLE · ECONOMY

OUR EVENTS: KEY PIECES IN GETTING OUR MESSAGES ACROSS

—P0046

Like so much of what we do, our events are a clear example of the way in which sustainability encompasses every aspect of our lives. Although in this case you could say that it’s more about economic sustainability, the truth is that they also have a direct impact on our social sustainability, and, especially in the case of ARN Blue & Green, environmental.

—P0047

“Every single event that we carry out has a social undertone. Of course we want to boost our economy and do business at the same time, but we always try to inform and raise awareness as well. In addition, we audit all of our events to see their return, and the figures always come out in our favour. The return far exceeds our investment” - David M. Pérez, Tourism Councillor

ARN SOSTENIBLE · ECONOMY

ARONA, FIRST MUNICIPALITY IN THE CANARIES TO RECEIVE THE TITLE OF BIOSPHERE DESTINATION

—P0048

We can’t even begin to put into words the pride we felt in September 2016 on the day we were awarded the official title of Biosphere Destination! This certification of sustainable tourism was granted by the Institute of Responsible Tourism (ITR), an organisation linked to Unesco and the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and is the only one approved by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

“We’re planning on going even further with Biosphere now, by tring to become a Gold Destination. External consultants will visit all the shops and companies in Arona, encouraging them to join the initiative by signing an agreement that establishes a series of good practices. They can even apply for Biopshere status themselves. Golf Las Américas and the H10 hotel chain are already certified. Our idea is for more and more companies to do the same.” – David M. Pérez

What does it mean to be recognised as Biosphere Destination? A great deal! It means that our efforts are being noticed on a global level. This certificate is a recognition of the work we have done to promote a policy of responsible tourism and sustainable tourism development, by which we mean sustainable socially and economically as well as environmentally.

OUR ROADMAP, CLEARER THAN EVER The arrival of this certification brought with it a series of guidelines, responsibilities and duties which Arona must comply with and which will also make our municipality a role model for sustainability. It includes aspects such as: AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS HERITAGE PROTECTION BETTER WASTE MANAGEMENT CLEAN TRANSPORT INNOVATION AND BUSINESS SUPPORT GREATER INTERACTION BETWEEN TOURISTS RESIDENTS

AND

Given its status as an up-to-date and relevant qualification, the Biosphere certification is constantly adapting to the trends within the tourism market, a market that is itself following the path laid out by sustainable development. Each year, we carry out an audit to ensure that we are complying fully with the planning. We recently had our second audit - and passed everything with flying colours!

—P0049

ARN SOSTENIBLE · ECONOMY

—P0050

ARONA CULTURE & BUSINESS PRIDE A DIFFERENT WAY TO UNDERSTAND PRIDE

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ARN SOSTENIBLE · ECONOMY

Now in its third year, ARN Culture & Business Pride has become a worldwide reference. It’s our big week of celebration, dedicated to social activism, networking, the challenges faced by the tourism sector, social media, sport, music, culture and business from an LGTBIQ perspective.

—P0052

It’s an event that brings together important figures from the world of science, journalism, business and art to highlight the contributions that the LGTBIQ collective has made and continues to make to society as a whole, through work lunches, conferences, workshops and round tables. And fun, lots of fun!

—P0053

ALAN TURING AWARDS

Another important part of the festival is the Alan Turing Awards, named in homage to the father of computing and the forefather of computer science, who, just for being gay, became one of the least recognised and most forgotten figures of the 20th Century. The AT Awards recognises outstanding members of the international LGTBIQ community and marks the climax of an event whose purpose is promote the growth of the LGTBIQ platform through culture, technology, business, science and art. And let’s not forget the ARN Music Festival. Whatever would we do without music?

ARN SOSTENIBLE · ECONOMY

—P0054

N THE 2017 EDITION, THE DIRECT ECONOMIC BENEFIT EXCEEDED 1.6 MILLION EUROS, 97% OF WHICH STAYED IN TENERIFE.

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IN 2018 THE TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT WAS

2.1 MILLION EUROS

meaning that for every €1 invested by Arona Council, the event generated an incredible €5.20!

ARNCULTUREPRIDE.COM

ARN SOSTENIBLE · ECONOMY

For more information:

visitarona.com