Later this week, European regional tourism leaders will gather in Lanzarote for a two-day programme marking two milestones: the 2025 edition of NECSTouR’s Knowledge Day, and the 30th anniversary of the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism first signed on the island under the leadership of the Lanzarote authorities.
Thirty years on, the island remains a symbol of commitment to responsible tourism, and its partnership with NECSTouR [the Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism] reflects a renewed European resolve to transform destination governance in the face of climate emergency.
Lanzarote’s legacy is not merely historical.
Over three decades, the island has positioned itself at the forefront of sustainable tourism, forging alliances with world renowned organisations and investing in models of territorial stewardship that prioritise ecological integrity and quality of life for residents.
Today, as Europe’s destination management organisations (DMOs) grapple with unprecedented climatic, socioeconomic and political pressures, the need for credible climate action and coordinated governance has become ever more urgent. The invitation from Lanzarote to co-organise a new event at this symbolic moment, three decades after the Charter’s signing, creates the perfect setting to turn learning into leadership.
The 2025 Knowledge Day, held on Thursday (27 November) under the theme DMOs in Action: Sustainable Tourism Governance for Climate Action, is conceived as a milestone in NECSTouR’s climate action pathway.
It will convene regional tourism leaders, technical experts, and strategic partners to examine how governance frameworks, data systems and climate strategies can be mobilised together to accelerate Europe’s net-zero transition and in view of the upcoming new European Tourism Strategy due out next April from the European Commission.
At the core of the programme lies the NECSTouR 2030 Pathway, the association’s strategic roadmap that articulates the role of regions in achieving sustainable, resilient and competitive tourism.
For Lanzarote and for all NECSTouR members the climate objective of the pathway offers not only ambition but also actionable structure.
Anchored in three hubs (governance, data and climate action) the pathway enables destinations to align their actions, benchmark progress, and share knowledge in a spirit of interregional collaboration.
The Knowledge Day will give the network’s members the opportunity to engage directly with strategies that move DMOs from planning to implementation: integrating climate objectives into tourism policies, deploying data to track resource efficiency and visitor flows, and strengthening multi-level governance to support decarbonisation.
It is precisely this combination of strategic foresight and operational exchange that has become NECSTouR’s signature contribution to Europe’s tourism ecosystem.
The following day, 28 November, the Lanzarote Conference will continue the reflection by placing the island’s 30-year commitment within a global context.
The anniversary of the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism is more than a commemoration; it is a reminder that the principles agreed in 1995, responsibility, community engagement, environmental protection, must be re-interpreted with urgency as the climate crisis intensifies.
By hosting this joint programme, Lanzarote seeks to ensure that the symbolic weight of the anniversary catalyses new leadership among European regions.
In doing so, the island positions itself not simply as a pioneer of the past but as a laboratory for the future: a place where sustainable tourism governance is continuously tested, refined and scaled.
As Europe moves deeper into a decade defined by climate adaptation, energy transitions and shifting travel behaviours, the work of DMOs is becoming more complex and more consequential.
The NECSTouR Knowledge Day reflects a growing consensus that tourism governance must evolve beyond promotion and product development. It must now embrace long-term resource management, build data-informed climate strategies, and align with wider regional sustainability agendas.
The discussions in Lanzarote will help equip regions with the tools, partnerships and shared vision needed to deliver this transformation.
Most importantly, they will reaffirm the principle that sustainable tourism is not a parallel agenda but a unifying framework that strengthens communities, enhances resilience and reinforces Europe’s leadership globally.
Thirty years after the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism set out its foundational principles, Europe’s regions return to Lanzarote not to celebrate the past, but to build the next chapter together.
For more information on the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism +30 commemoration and its programme of activities, consult the official schedule provided by the Responsible Tourism Institute.
Follow Lanzarote Tourism Board on LinkedIn here.
For more information on NECSTouR, access the website here. Follow on LinkedIn here.
NECSTouR is the Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism. We work with regions and DMOs to drive sustainable tourism governance in Europe.
NECSTouR is the Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism. We work with regions and DMOs to drive sustainable tourism governance in Europe.