Sustainable Tourism for SDGs, Phase I

Tourism accounts for around 10% of the global GDP and has a strong potential for inclusiveness in terms of job creation in rural and remote areas. To better leverage the potential of the tourism sector, SECO implements the Sustainable Tourism for SDGs Program. The Program will tackle the SDG Agenda in the field of tourism from different perspectives. Intensified learning and exchange between stakeholders will be fostered and an executive education course will increase the know-how of decision makers and practicioners on sustainable tourism practices.

Through the implementation of the Program, the contribution of the tourism sector towards achieving the SDGs will be increased. Hence, a more sustainable economic development in developing as well developed countries will be fostered. This will be attained through launching a Swiss SDG tourism multi-stakeholder dialogue (Component 1), strengthening skills transfer through an executive education program developed by UNWTO and the Fachhochschule Graubünden (Component 2) and fostering sustainability standards jointly with GSTC and TourCert. The creation of a joint audit-system for numerous certification organisations will simplify the certification process and is expected to lead to an increased cooperation and standardization among sustainability labels (Component 3).

Component 1 (Dialogue): Innovations, projects or new partnership models which will render the tourism value chain more sustainable will be piloted and implemented

Component 2 (Skills): Decision makers and practitioners apply their acquired skills / knowledge and take decisions in favour of a more sustainable tourism

Component 3 (Standards): More tourism businesses will apply voluntary sustainability standards- The contribution of tourism businesses towards achieving the SDGs is increased

Erwartete Resultate:  

Component 1 (Dialogue): Stakeholders engaging in the dialogue will be more aware and knowledgable about sustainable tourism and the SDG agenda-

Component 2 (Skills): 40 high-level representatives from the public and private sector from developing (at least 50%) and developed economies successfuly completed the course- Strong networks amongst the course participants exist-

Component 3 (Standards): An international online-audit system is established- The organizational and business model for an international audit office is developed- Certification and auditing practices for tourism businesses will be more cost-effective and of higher quality

Resultate von früheren Phasen:  

In 2017 SECO launched two activities related to tourism and SDGs. On the international level, together with the UNWTO, the website www.tourism4sdgs.org was established. Since the launch of the website in July 2018, over 85'000 visited the website and over 400 contributions (project example, CSR policies, policy papers, research papers) were uploaded. Since 2019 the UNWTO is now in charge of the website without SECO support.

On a national level, SECO mandate the Swiss NGO Akte (Arbeitskreis Tourismus und Entwicklung) to assess the possibility to establish a Swiss Tourism for SDGs Dialogue. Component 1 of the Sustainable Tourism for SDGs Program is a direct follow-on project to the work initiated in 2017.

Phase 1 01.10.2012 - 30.04.2022   (Completed)