Good practices
Sustainable Tourism: A Driving Force for the UN 2030 Agenda
The United Nations defines sustainable tourism as tourism that thoughtfully addresses the economic, social, and environmental impacts of travel—balancing the needs of visitors, industry, local communities, and the environment both today and in the future. It plays a crucial role...
Toolkit for Sustainable Tourism Destination Management
The Toolkit for Tourism Destination Management, developed by Etifor (a University of Padova spin-off), adapts the European Tourism Indicator System (ETIS) to offer a practical, stakeholder-driven guide for sustainable destination management. It equips local leaders with hands-on tools to monitor,...
ECOTOURS project: Circular and Sustainable Tourism
The ECOTOURS initiative—officially titled Empowering local communities turning them into laboratories for co-development of circular and sustainable tourism ecosystems—is an innovative EU project funded by EISMEA SMP-COSME-2021-TOURSME. The project began on January 1, 2023, and ran through June 30, 2025....
LTEK 2030+: Pioneering Sustainable Tourism in South Tyrol
From April 2021 to March 2022, Eurac Research’s Center for Advanced Studies led the LTEK 2030+ project—short for Landestourismusentwicklungskonzept 2030+. The initiative aims to shape a new, sustainable tourism culture in the South Tyrol region of Northern Italy., Project Goals and...
EU Blue Economy Guide for Sustainable Cruise Tourism
In February 2023, the EU’s Blue Economy Observatory published a comprehensive guide titled Good practices for sustainable cruise tourism, offering actionable insights for cruise operators, destinations, and stakeholders. This publication evaluates proven, innovative strategies that help the cruise sector reduce...
Palma Nana: Sustainability Through Education
Palma Nana is a pioneering social cooperative dedicated to environmental education and responsible tourism, founded in 1983 in Sicily. Its mission is to help people—especially children and youth—connect with nature, learn ecological values, and foster sustainable behaviors through immersive experiences....
How Travel Supports the 2030 Agenda
Sustainable tourism plays a pivotal role in achieving the UN’s 2030 Agenda. The UN’s SDG platform highlights its significance by linking tourism to economic growth (SDG 8), responsible consumption (SDG 12), and conservation of oceans (SDG 14). What Is Sustainable Tourism? The UN...
UNWTO & Sustainable Tourism
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) promotes responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism that supports the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tourism plays a key role in tackling global challenges—from climate change to poverty reduction. Through...
ETC Handbook: Encouraging Sustainable Tourism Practices
In September 2021, the European Travel Commission (ETC) released the Handbook on Encouraging Sustainable Tourism Practices, a practical guide designed to help National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) and Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) promote sustainable tourism across Europe. This handbook aims to...
Sustainable Tourism Council: Standards in tourism
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) released the updated Destination Criteria v2.0 on December 6, 2019. Designed as a global baseline standard, this revision includes performance indicators and aligns each criterion with relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It helps...