It becomes one of the 21 entities, companies and organizations that have successfully completed the rigorous audit process throughout Euskadi.
The certification adds to the recognition and incorporation of Punta Begoña into the Euskadi Tourism Code of Ethics.
This Wednesday, April 15, the annual Basquetour “Be Etikoa 2026” event was held at San Mamés stadium in Bilbao, recognizing the commitment of the Basque tourism sector to a model based on responsibility, sustainability and innovation.
The Minister of Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs of the Basque Government, Javier Hurtado, together with the Director of Basquetour, Daniel Solana, presented the accreditations corresponding to the Euskadi Tourism Code of Ethics, and announced the list of new destinations and companies that have achieved the rigorous and prestigious Smart Tourism Certification.
Both models of action are based on the combined requirements of sustainability, accessibility, innovation and good management to improve both the tourist experience and life in the municipalities. They also assess aspects such as digitalization, responsibility, local development and balance.
The open restoration of the Galerías Punta Begoña and its urban environment is a cultural heritage project that, while not having tourism as its primary focus, has generated an attractive and unique resource recognized by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia as one of the structural resources of the Historical Territory.
As the restoration progresses, the monument and its cultural landscape are opened to society, so that people can attend, participate, experience and be part of the process, through activities that include various types of visits (thematic, family-oriented, theatrical, technical, landscape-focused,…), exhibitions, concerts, forums, radio programs, practical classes, school and university programs, cultural festivals, and a long list of others that have led to more than one hundred thousand people approaching and “taking ownership” of this heritage that belongs to them since its reopening.
The Punta Begoña Foundation, composed equally of the various political groups of the Getxo Town Council, has chosen since its launch to establish indicator systems that verify and accredit the way in which this cultural heritage project fulfills the social function derived from the public investment made by the Town Council through its budgets and other administrations, in this case obtained through open public calls.
The project, in its entirety, was subjected to audit and verification by the world-leading company SGS International, regarding compliance with and verification of the Sustainable Development Goals. The certification confirmed that it effectively contributed to several of the SDGs, in the areas of education, culture, gender equality, creation of livable cities, economic and social development, making it a pioneering cultural project in the field of the 2030 Agenda.
Therefore, being one of the few projects in Euskadi that also receives the dual recognition of Smart Tourism and incorporation into the Tourism Code of Ethics, represents a valuable indicator and reinforcement of the Foundation’s approach, oriented towards balanced cultural, educational and social development.
Elisabete Basañez, councilor responsible for the Galerías Punta Begoña Restoration project, and María Peraita, director of the Foundation, received the accreditation granted by Basquetour, at an event that featured very broad participation from the Euskadi tourism sector.
