On 24 November, IQS will host the 4th Annual Department of Tourism Conference in collaboration with the Barcelona City Council. The event, which will take place from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm, will focus on “Social Entrepreneurship with an Impact on Tourism,” a key approach for the future of the sector.
The Tourism Sector Debates Social Entrepreneurship as a Driver for Fairer Industry at IQS
Social entrepreneurship in tourism actively seeks to generate a positive social, economic, and environmental impact. It entails tourism initiatives that prioritize the creation of shared value—that is, improving people’s lives, strengthening local communities, and protecting the natural environment while ensuring essential economic viability.
IQS emphasizes the need to reflect upon, give visibility to, and share knowledge about these initiatives that are transforming the industry and promoting fairer, more inclusive, and more sustainable tourism. For this reason, the agenda for this year’s edition of the conference will bring together national and international experts who, throughout the event, will discuss current challenges, progress achieved, and strategies required to continue driving social entrepreneurship with real impacts.
Raquel Priego, co-founder of Trip To Help, will deliver the opening lecture entitled “From a Trip that Consumes to a Trip that Contributes: Regeneration, Community Wellbeing, and Social Justice in Tourism,” which will set the tone for the two subsequent panel discussions.
The first panel, entitled “Innovation in Rural Environments and Territorial Cohesion,” will focus on how social entrepreneurship can revitalize depopulated areas and foster sustainable local development. The session will be moderated by Dr Paola Raffaelli, researcher and lecturer in social innovation at IQS, and will feature Gustavo Ariel Stecher, CEO and founder of membranding; David Isern i Casanovas, founder and leader of Cerdanya Viva; Alexis Albiol, mayor of Godall and president of the cooperative Lacrima Olea; and Dr Verónica García Sánchez de León, co-director of the Tourism Research Centre.
The conference will also address female leadership in the sector through the second roundtable, entitled “Female Culinary Entrepreneurs.” This discussion will feature Ada Parellada, restaurateur and owner of the restaurant Semproniana; Irene Iborra, founder of Mamá heladera; and Dr Alicia Orea Giner, senior lecturer at Rey Juan Carlos University and social technologist. The session will be moderated by Dr Itziar Ramírez, researcher and lecturer in organizational psychology at IQS.
Dr Daniela Freund, senior lecturer at IQS and acting director of the Department of Tourism, Sustainability, and Innovation, will bring the event to a formal close by concluding it with a networking session aimed at encouraging exchanges between participants and speakers.