Sustainability is no longer a trend. It has become a lifestyle that is being embraced by more and more people. Sustainable tourism involves working to ensure that the tourism industry takes care of the environment and local culture while aiming to achieve a positive development for the locals, tourism companies and tourists.
Tromsø is surrounded by pristine Arctic nature, which can be reached within minutes from the city centre, while the wildlife in the Arctic is fragile and vulnerable.
The residents of Tromsø are proud and fond of their city and the surrounding nature.
Visitors to Tromsø are aware of this and wish to experience the city with a clear conscience. More and more tourists are demonstrating responsibility by travelling green and demanding authentic local experiences of high quality.
For several years, the tourism industry in Tromsø has been working systematically to reduce the negative impact of tourism on the environment and to find sustainable ways to satisfy the guests.
But what does this really mean in practice?
Innovation Norway’s national Sustainable Destination label
In 2019, Tromsø was awarded the Sustainable Destination label by Innovation Norway.
The label is a stamp of quality for working correctly over time, as well as tools that will help to strengthen the destination in a more sustainable direction for the future.
Many people associate sustainable tourism with measures to reduce emissions to the air and the amount of plastic waste in the ocean. While taking care of the nature and the environment are important components, this deals with far more. The tourism should contribute to local value creation, safe year-round jobs and ensure that the local community is a good place to live – now and in the future.
Innovation Norway’s label scheme is based on international standards and is in accordance with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. To start with, the members of the destination company Visit Tromsø-Region have chosen to strive for the following STGs: