About us
Responsible Tourism Institute, Owner of the Biosphere SchemeWhat is the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI)?
The Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), founded in 1997 under a founding memorandum of understanding with UNESCO, is an independent organisation dedicated to driving sustainability and responsibility, promoting through tourism a positive impact and a contribution to sustainable development on a global scale. Its origins are closely linked to the World Conference on Sustainable Tourism held in Lanzarote in 1995, which gave rise to the first World Charter for Sustainable Tourism, marking the beginning of a journey aimed at connecting tourism activity with broader sustainability goals.
Throughout its history, the RTI has promoted and developed initiatives alongside public administrations, destinations, companies, institutions, the academic community and other national and international stakeholders. Its main areas of activity include research and knowledge generation, training, project analysis and development, the organisation of congresses, summits, seminars, conferences and other meeting spaces, international cooperation, as well as the development and maintenance of sustainability conformity assessment schemes, such as the Biosphere Scheme.
This commitment is particularly reflected in the RTI's active role in creating international spaces for dialogue, cooperation and the definition of shared commitments, and in its relationship and collaboration with organisations and institutions such as UNESCO, the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), through its Spanish network REDS-SDSN, among others. Among the main milestones of this journey is the evolution of the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism, from its first formulation in Lanzarote in 1995, through the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism +20, in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2015, to the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism +30, developed once again in Lanzarote in 2025, giving continuity over three decades to an international space for meeting and commitment around sustainability.
Today, the RTI continues to work with a global and integrated vision of sustainability. Through its different areas of activity, it seeks to help generate a broader positive impact, integrating environmental, social, cultural, economic and governance dimensions and connecting efforts at local and international level. With this approach, the Responsible Tourism Institute continues to drive initiatives and collaborations aimed at advancing towards sustainability goals of global reach.